Heenan Blaikie - (Law and Society) by Adam Dodek (Hardcover)

About the Book

"In 1973, three young lawyers established Heenan Blaikie. It would become one of Canada's highest-profile law firms, counting former prime ministers, premiers, and Supreme Court justices in its ranks. It was like a family, according to many who worked there. But it was a dysfunctional family. In 2014, the firm's dramatic collapse became front-page news. Based on extensive interviews with firm lawyers and legal industry insiders, Heenan Blaikie is the story of a respected law firm that ultimately buckled under weak governance and management. Heenan Blaikie seemed to punch above its weight: bilingual, humane, national with international aspirations. But beneath its unique culture as a kinder, gentler law firm lay workplace bullying, challenges for women and visible minority lawyers, and sexual harassment. Adam Dodek, an unbiased outsider, situates the firm's evolution within the context of a changing legal profession and society, producing an account that is gripping from beginning to end."--

Book Synopsis

Uncovers the complicated history of Canadian law firm Heenan Blaikie.

In 1973, three young lawyers established Heenan Blaikie. It would become one of Canada's highest-profile law firms, counting former prime ministers, premiers, and Supreme Court justices in its ranks. It was like a family, according to many who worked there. But it was a dysfunctional family. In 2014, the firm's dramatic collapse became front-page news.

Based on extensive interviews with firm lawyers and legal industry insiders, Heenan Blaikie is the story of a respected law firm that ultimately buckled under weak governance and management. The firm seemed to punch above its weight: bilingual, humane, and national with international aspirations. However, hidden beneath its façade of a kind, inclusive culture were accounts of workplace bullying, challenges for women and other minorities, and sexual harassment. In Heenan Blaikie, Adam Dodek, an unbiased outsider, situates the firm's evolution within the context of a changing legal profession and society, producing an account that is gripping from beginning to end.

Review Quotes

One of The Hill Times' Top 100 Best Books in 2024-- "The Hill Times"

"Adam Dodek tells the story of the people of Heenan Blaikie in the context of the evolution of Canadian law firms and the practice of law. The making and unmaking of Heenans provides a cautionary tale of the collision between often laudable personal goals, incoherent collective strategy and governance, and market realities. This is an interesting and instructive account."-- "Malcolm Mercer, chair, Law Society Tribunal (Ontario), and adjunct professor, Osgoode Hall Law School"

"Dodek has written a very lively and readable book, full of large and colorful personalities, pithy quotations, and dramatic incident. But it does not just tell a fascinating and somewhat tragic story - it is also full of analysis of the deficiencies of governance and management that were longstanding at Heenan Blaikie but that became especially problematic after the mushroom growth of the firm in the 1990s and later."-- "Philip Girard, professor, Law, Osgoode Hall Law School, York University"

"I had trouble putting Adam Dodek's book down. It is a compelling and informative read, probably the first of its kind to carefully document and critically analyze the evolution of a law firm from its origin to its eventual collapse."-- "Robert Lapper, KC, Professor - David and Dorothy Lam Chair, Law and Public Policy, University of Victoria"

About the Author

Adam Dodek is professor in the Faculty of Law at the University of Ottawa. He is the author of In Search of the Ethical Lawyer; The Canadian Constitution, Third Edition; and Solicitor-Client Privilege. He is also a director of the Canadian Association for Legal Ethics and the Canadian Legal Information Institute and a past governor of the Law Commission of Ontario.