Canadian law firm Heenan Blaikie closing down

Managing IP is part of Legal Benchmarking Limited, 1-2 Paris Gardens, London, SE1 8ND

Copyright © Legal Benchmarking Limited and its affiliated companies 2025

Accessibility | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Modern Slavery Statement

Canadian law firm Heenan Blaikie closing down

Heenan Blaikie is closing down, following an exodus of partners to other law firms.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Canadian law firm confirmed its partners had agreed to “an orderly wind up of the firm’s operations”, which will take a few months.

“An orderly wind-up will make it possible to continue serving the firm’s clients without interrupting or disrupting service and to ensure a harmonious transfer of their files to other law firms,” said the statement. “It should be noted that several practice groups and even entire offices will continue to operate under new names.”

The closure has inspired 16 lawyers from the firm’s Vancouver group to form a new spinoff firm, Gall Legge Grant Munroe, which will focus on litigation, human rights law and labour law.

The Wall Street Journal has reported that US mega-firm DLA Piper is in talks with former Heenan Blaikie partners in Calgary and Toronto and is considering setting up a Canadian office focusing on corporate law.

A few weeks ago, Heenan Blaikie’s management waned that restructuring was inevitable. Income per partner had dropped by between 10 to 15 per cent. A decrease in M&A activity is believed to be partially responsible for the firm’s financial woes.

The firm's website lists 23 partners with IP experience.



more from across site and SHARED ros bottom lb

More from across our site

A ruling on confidentiality by the the England and Wales Court of Appeal and an intervention from the US government in the InterDigital v Disney litigation were also among top talking points
Moore & Van Allen hires former Teva counsel Larry Rickles to help expand the firm’s life sciences capabilities
Canadian law firms should avoid ‘tunnel vision’ as exclusive survey reveals client dissatisfaction with risk management advice and value-added services
In major recent developments, the CoA ruled on director liability for patent infringement, and Nokia targeted Paramount at the UPC and in Germany
Niri Shan, the newly appointed head of IP for UK, Ireland and the Middle East, explains why the firm’s international setup has brought UPC success, and addresses German partner departures
Vlad Stanese joins our ‘Five minutes with’ series to discuss potentially precedent-setting trademark and copyright cases and his love for aviation
Heath Hoglund, president of Via LA, discusses how it sets royalty rates and its plans to build on growth in China
Stobbs stands accused of interfering with the administration of justice after Brandsmiths’ client was subjected to an interim injunction for unjustified threats
The firm, known for its prosecution expertise, discusses its plans following the appointment of a UK-based patent litigation head and two new partners
Ed White at Clarivate provides an exclusive insight into the innovation power clusters reshaping Europe and the Middle East’s IP landscape, and why quality is the new currency of invention
Gift this article