Gowlings

Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP

Type	Limited Liability Partnership (Private)
Industry	Law Firm
Founded	1887
Products	Legal advice
Website	http://www.gowlings.com

Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP (Gowlings) was a leading Canadian and international law firm, with over 700 legal professionals in 10 offices across Canada and in London, Moscow and Beijing. The firm offered full-service legal support in all major aspects of business law, advocacy/litigation and intellectual property law, with expertise in dozens of practice areas and industries.

On July 8, 2015, Gowlings announced that they would amalgamate with UK firm Wragge Lawrence Graham & Co to create a new international law firm called Gowling WLG.^[1] The new firm launched in February 2016.^[2]

History

Gowlings traces its origins to the firm Henderson & McVeity, which was founded in Ottawa in 1887.^[3][4] As the firm grew over the next century, its name passed through numerous permutations, but three figures remained dominant: Gordon Gowling, George and Gordon Henderson.^[5] In the 1980s, the firm expanded beyond its traditional Ottawa base, establishing offices in Toronto, Kitchener, and Moscow.

Starting in the mid-1990s, Gowlings methodically solidified a national platform through a succession of mergers with other law firms in Vancouver, Hamilton, Calgary, Montréal and Toronto.^[6] The firm eventually adopted the simple brand name "Gowlings" (which had long been in informal use).^[7]

Milestones

1970 - The firm assumes the name Gowling and Henderson (after founders Gordon Gowling and Gordon F. Henderson) in Ottawa
1980 - Gowling and Henderson opens a Toronto office
1986 - Gowlings merges with Simmers, Harper and Jenkins in Waterloo
1987 - Gowlings celebrates 100 years as a law firm
1989 - Gowlings merges with the Toronto firm Strathy, Archibald & Seagram to form Gowling, Strathy & Henderson
1992 - Gowlings opens an office in Moscow serving Russia, the CIS and the Baltic states
1994 - Gowlings opens an office in Vancouver
1995 - Gowlings opens an office in Hamilton
2000 - Gowlings opens an office in Calgary through a merger with Code Hunter
2000 - Gowlings merges with Lafleur Brown of Montréal, and Montpellier McKeen Varabioff Talbot and Giuffre of Vancouver, to become Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP
2001 - Gowlings merges with Calgary-based Ballem MacInnes LLP
2001 - Gowlings merges with Smith Lyons LLP, enhancing the firm's IP and business law capabilities, and positioning Gowlings as the second-largest law firm in Canada
2008 - Gowlings establishes new corporate governance model with an Executive Committee and Board of Trustees
2008 - Gowlings opens an office in London, U.K.
2011 - Gowlings opens a representative office in Beijing, China through Gowlings International Inc.
2015 - Gowlings announces that it is joining forces with Wragge Lawrence Graham & Co to create a new international law firm, Gowling WLG, set to launch in 2016

Notable (past and present) firm members

• Leonard Walter Brockington (1888–1966). Founding chairman of the CBC, 1936-1939^[8]
• Gordon F. Henderson (1912–1993). President of the Canadian Bar Association, 1979–1980;^[9] Chancellor of the University of Ottawa, 1991-1993^[10]
• Roy McMurtry (1932- ). Attorney-General of Ontario, 1975–1985 and Chief Justice of Ontario, 1996-2007^[11]
• Ray Hnatyshyn (1934–2002). 24th Governor-General of Canada, 1990-1995^[12]
• Ian Scott (1934–2006). Attorney-General of Ontario, 1985-1990^[13]
• Donald Mazankowski (1935- ). Deputy Prime Minister of Canada, 1986-1993^[14]
• Martin Cauchon (1962- ). Minister of Justice (Canada) and Attorney General of Canada, 2002–2003 ; Minister of National Revenue (Canada), 1999-2002^[15]
• Lawrence Cannon (1947- ). Minister of Foreign Affairs (Canada), 2006-2008 and Stephen Harper's former Quebec lieutenant^[16][17]

References

1. "Gowlings joins forces with Wragge Lawrence Graham & Co to launch new international law firm: Gowling WLG." http://www.gowlings.com/News/news.asp?newsID=983&lang=0
2. "New International Law Firm Gowling WLG Launches Today". Gowling WLG. 22 February 2016. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
3. "Establishing a Business in Canada. Backgrounder". Gowlings bulletin. Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP. 2004. Archived from the original on 2006-10-30. Retrieved 2007-02-05.
4. The predecessor firm of Henderson & McVeity was MacTavish and MacCracken, founded in 1877. George F. Henderson and MacCracken became partners in 1889.
5. Melnitzer, Julius (May 2001). "Can He Pull It Off? The Gowlings Gamble". Lexpert Magazine (May 2001): 72.
6. Pitts, Gordon. "Gowlings cements giant merger". The Globe and Mail (July 5, 2001): Canadian Business.
7. Macaulay, Ann. "By Any Other Name". Canadian Lawyer (November/ December 2000): 12.
8. Brockington, Leonard (1954). "St. George and Merrie England". The Empire Club of Canada Speeches 1953-1954. The Empire Club Foundation. Retrieved 2007-02-05.
9. "CBA Past Presidents". Canadian Bar Association. 2006. Retrieved 2007-02-05.
10. "Past Chancellors of the University". Administration & Governance. University of Ottawa. Retrieved 2007-02-05.
11. McNish, Jacquie (2007-06-05). "McMurtry's pro bono crusade". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2007-06-08.
12. "Hnatyshyn named Chancellor". Carleton University. 2002. Retrieved 2007-02-05.
13. Horgan, Mary Ann; Sine MacKinnon (1997-05-30). "Justice deCarteret Cory, Ian Scott, and Mel Lastman to receive honorary degrees from York University". Media Release Archive. York University. p. 1. Retrieved 2007-02-05.
14. "Rt. Hon Donald F. Mazankowski". Forbes.com. Forbes. Retrieved 2007-02-05.
15. Bernstein, Hannah (2004-08-17). "Martin Cauchon receives CBA SOGIC Ally Award". Canadian Bar Association. cba.org. Retrieved 2007-02-05.
16. http://www.international.gc.ca/ministers-ministres/Lawrence_Cannon.aspx?view=d
17. Gray, Jeff (2011-10-04)"Lawrence Cannon Lands at Gowlings" globeandmail.com Retrieved 2011-11-14