Professor Adam Dodek (University of Ottawa Law), discusses his new book Heenan Blaikie: The Making and Unmaking of a Great Canadian Law Firm (UBC Press, 2024), with Joseph Planta.

Heenan Blaikie: The Making and Unmaking of a Great Canadian Law Firm by Adam Dodek (UBC Press, 2024). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Heenan Blaikie

Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.

One of the fall’s highly readable books is Heenan Blaikie: The Making and Unmaking of a Great Canadian Law Firm. It tells the story of how three idealistic young lawyers in Montreal established the firm that would become Heenan Blaikie: Donald Johnston, Roy Heenan, and Peter Blaikie. Eventually Johnston leaves the firm for a career in politics, but from 1973 through to the firm’s demise in 2014, the firm attracts a high profile with former prime ministers, premiers, cabinet ministers, and Supreme Court justices in its ranks. The book features great research, and telling interviews with the firm’s lawyers, as well as legal industry insiders, providing an often-gripping account of law firm culture, not just in Heenan Blaikie’s lifespan, but even today. We get insights into the work-life culture at the firm, as well as the stories of workplace bullying, and the challenges for women and visible minority lawyers. What’s also fascinating is how the growth of the firm mirrors the changes of Canada, and how often history intersects with the firm’s life: the 1970’s oil shock, Quebec nationalism, the flight of business from Montreal to Toronto, the growth of film production, economic expansion in the 1980’s and 1990’s, as well as the financial crisis of 2008. We see colourful characters amongst the firm, like its first big star, Pierre Elliott Trudeau, as he joins the firm once he leaves federal politics in 1984. Norman Bacal is another notable name in the firm’s history, as are some other larger than life figures like Joe Groia, Bob Donaldson, and Marcel Aubut. The book’s author Adam Dodek joins me now. And I’ll ask him about the book and more. He is a professor in the Faculty of Law at the University of Ottawa, and among his numerous publications include In Search of the Ethical Lawyer, The Canadian Constitution, Third Edition, and Solicitor-Client Privilege. He is the recipient of many awards including the Mundell Medal for excellence in legal writing, and the Law Society Medal from the Law Society of Ontario. Visit www.adamdodek.ca for more. This new book is published by UBC Press. He joined me last week from Ottawa. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Adam Dodek; Professor Dodek, good morning.

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