Finance News Follow us to find the latest Finance news
Canada’s latest international law firm merger has become official.
Gowling WLG launches on Monday, caused by the previously announced merger of Canadian law practice Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP and U.K.-based international firm Wragge Lawrence Graham & Co.
The newly merged firm has 1,400 lawyers and professionals employed in 18 cities across Canada, the U.K., Europe, the center East and Asia.
The new firm will be managed with a board of three Canadian and three U.K. lawyers. David Fennell, chief executive from the new firm’s U.K. section, and Peter Lukasiewicz, leader of the Canadian section, assists as co-chairs.
The new firm has been setup being an English Company Limited by Guarantee, a corporate structure which has members who act as guarantors as opposed to shareholders.
Gowling, a firm whose origins date back to 1887, announced the plans to merge with Wragge Lawrence Graham last July. Both firms produce 700 lawyers in to the deal. Core areas of strength will be natural resources, ip, manufacturing, financial services, infrastructure, property, tech and advanced manufacturing.
The Gowling deal continues a trend by which several Canadian law firms have teamed up with international players in recent years.
Last year Vancouver-based Davis LLP became DLA Piper Canada after linking track of U.S. firm DLA Piper. The Canadian firm previously referred to as Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP was one of three founding member firms that created global legal giant Dentons in March 2013. Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP contains what was once Montreal-based Ogilvy Renault LLP and Calgary-based Macleod Dixon LLP.
Gowling isn’t the first Canadian firm to preserve its brand after a global deal. Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP still goes by that name after its 2013 merger with Johannesburg-based Bell Dewar, a firm of 80 lawyers from Nigeria.
Financial Post
dhasselback@nationalpost.com
Twitter.com/vonhasselbach
