Gowling WLG

From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gowling WLG
No. of offices19
No. of lawyersover 1,400[1]
Key people
  • David Fennell (Chief Executive)
  • Peter Lukasiewicz (CEO)
Websitewww.gowlingwlg.com

Gowling WLG is a multinational law firm. It was formed by the merger of Canada-based Gowlings and UK-based Wragge Lawrence Graham & Co in February 2016. This was the first multinational law firm merger between British and Canadian firms.[1] As of 2020, it is 16th on The Lawyer UK 200 list of best law firms.[2]

Gowling WLG International Limited is an English company limited by guarantee. The two limited liability partnerships of Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP and Gowling WLG (UK) LLP are members of it. The two partnerships provide legal services. They are financially separate.[3][4]

This is a fairly loose association, where each "partner" does the legal work for its own country. Therefore regulators in each country know who is responsible for any particular case.

Offices[change | change source]

The firm has 19 offices in Canada, the UK, continental Europe, the Middle East, China and Singapore.[5] Gowling WLG plans to grow in Germany and East Asia in the near future.[6]

Notable professionals and alumni[change | change source]

  • Leonard Walter Brockington (1888–1966). Founding chairman of the CBC, 1936-1939[7]
  • Gordon F. Henderson (1912–1993). President of the Canadian Bar Association, 1979–1980;[8] Chancellor of the University of Ottawa, 1991–1993[9]
  • Roy McMurtry (born 1932). Attorney General of Ontario, 1975–1985 and Chief Justice of Ontario, 1996–2007[10]

References[change | change source]

  1. 1.0 1.1 "Law firms Gowlings, Wragge Lawrence merge to form Gowling WLG". Reuters. 22 February 2016. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
  2. "The Lawyer's top 200 UK law firms revealed". The Lawyer | Legal insight, benchmarking data and jobs. 2019-10-15. Retrieved 2020-06-23.
  3. "About the structure of Gowling WLG". Retrieved 24 February 2016.
  4. Mackrael, Kim (8 July 2015). "Gowlings Law Firm to Combine With U.K.'s Wragge Lawrence Graham". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
  5. "NEW INTERNATIONAL LAW FIRM GOWLING WLG LAUNCHES TODAY". Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
  6. Farman, Madeleine (22 February 2016). "Germany and east Asia next targets as Gowling WLG merger made official". Legal Business. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
  7. Brockington, Leonard (1954). "St. George and Merrie England". The Empire Club of Canada Speeches 1953-1954. The Empire Club Foundation. Archived from the original on 2007-02-13. Retrieved 2007-02-05.
  8. "CBA Past Presidents". Canadian Bar Association. 2006. Archived from the original on 2007-02-10. Retrieved 2007-02-05.
  9. "Past Chancellors of the University". Administration & Governance. University of Ottawa. Archived from the original on 2007-02-09. Retrieved 2007-02-05.
  10. McNish, Jacquie (2007-06-05). "McMurtry's pro bono crusade". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2007-06-08.

Other websites[change | change source]