Our Mission
To be, and to be recognized as, the standard for excellence for corporate and securities law in Canada.
Our Values
These values define us as a firm. We live them every day and they give us guidance when we encounter any new situation.
- Excellence. We are dedicated to excellence in everything we do, from the most innovative and complex corporate structures to the most routine transactions. Excellence is not confined to correct analysis, thoughtful planning or attention to detail; it includes understanding our clients’ objectives, finding or creating the most effective way to achieve them within the available time and at a sensible cost, and then executing the solution. We exceed expectations. We welcome competition.
- Integrity. We honour our word and deliver on our promises. We are straightforward in our dealings. We never mislead. We are passionate and persuasive advocates of our clients’ positions, but we do not skirt or avoid the weaknesses. We deal with them. We are fair in our billings: we are building long term relationships with our clients. We choose who we represent carefully and expect integrity of them.
- Respect. We value all people. We treat all those with whom we interact with equal respect and courtesy. We do not tolerate disrespect towards our staff, others or ourselves.
- Communication. We listen attentively and then ask questions. We confront difficult or awkward issues head on right away. We keep our clients informed about all important developments. We use clear and concise language in our documents so that they are readily understood and unambiguous. We maintain all privileged or confidential information in strict confidence.
- Responsibility. We take responsibility for our individual and collective actions. We do not make excuses or blame others when things go wrong. If we make a mistake, our first priority is to correct it and eliminate or minimize its impact. Our next priority is to make sure it does not happen again.
- Learning. We are continually striving to improve our knowledge and our skills. We participate in continuing legal education and track with interest developments in business law and practice and trends in the wider business community.
- Service. We are privileged to be members of an honourable profession. We contribute to the advancement of our profession and the business community through teaching and participation on advisory committees, without any expectation of gain or advantage.
- Laughter. We appreciate the humour in the world around us and share it with each other. The practice of law is serious enough. We like to have fun while we are doing it.
- We are a Firm First. We are more than a collection of individuals, we are a firm. Our clients are clients of the firm, not of any individual lawyer. We form teams for transactions to make the best use of our experience and skills. We all take ownership and responsibility for the work we do as a group. We all celebrate and take pride in the individual accomplishments of our firm members.