WeirFoulds is proud to celebrate 165 years of legal excellence. Since its founding in 1860, WeirFoulds has served the legal needs of clients throughout Ontario, across Canada and around the world. The firm’s lawyers have acted in landmark cases and some of the country’s most significant mandates. The firm has helped to shape the legal landscape since before Canada became a nation.
WeirFoulds’ lawyers have distinguished themselves over the years through numerous prestigious achievements. The firm counts among its former partners 14 federally appointed judges, multiple members of appellate courts including the Supreme Court of Canada, multiple Benchers and four Treasurers of the Law Society of Ontario, and several recipients of the Order of Canada.
WeirFoulds’ history includes leading names in the legal profession in Canada, including the Honourable John D. Arnup OC, QC, George F. Shepley QC, the Honourable George A. Gale CC, QC, the Honourable Roy L. Kellock CC, QC, the Honourable John Edward Rose QC, the Honourable William E. Middleton KC, John T. Weir QC, the Honourable James J. Carthy QC, the Honourable Joan Lax, John McKellar CM, KC, the Honourable Allan McNiece Austin, the Honourable Paul Perell, and the Honourable Marie-Andrée Vermette.
For 165 years, WeirFoulds has been at the forefront of legal innovation, delivering impactful results across its core practice areas: Litigation, Corporate, Property and Government.
In Litigation, our lawyers have shaped Canadian law through precedent-setting cases across nearly every area of commercial and civil litigation, earning a reputation for strategic advocacy that resolves complex disputes and advances legal principles. These include matters such as Leitch Gold Mines Ltd. et al. v. Texas Gulf Sulphur Co. (Incorporated) et al., 1968, which determined a dispute over vast mineral wealth and, at the time, was the longest civil trial in Canadian history. Additionally, lawyers at the firm successfully argued Toronto Area Transit Operating Authority v. Dell Holdings Ltd., 1997, a landmark expropriation case, in the Supreme Court of Canada.
Our Corporate practice has been instrumental in driving business growth, serving as trusted advisors to a diverse range of clients, and guiding companies from start-ups to multinationals through transformative transactions and strategic counsel that adapts to evolving markets. WeirFoulds’ corporate lawyers have acted in matters which have reshaped Canadian corporate law, including Bonanza Creek Gold Mining Co. v. The King, 1916, a landmark constitutional case which held that provincially incorporated companies may carry out business throughout Canada, and a successful argument in front of the Supreme Court in 1956 that the Tariff Board could not impose a tax on store-branded products, bringing to a close one of the most significant tax cases of the era.
In Property, WeirFoulds has helped shape Canada’s urban and economic landscapes, navigating complex real estate transactions while enabling major real estate investments and developments that fuel communities and economies. This includes acting on behalf of the Eaton Company in 1920 for the development of what was then the largest department store in Canada, representing the Eaton Company in the land assembly for the Yorkdale Shopping Centre in 1964, and acting on the land assembly of the Eaton Centre in 1965, which was the largest redevelopment project in Canada at the time. The firm was also retained by the City of Toronto in the redevelopment of 150 acres of land near the harbourfront, leading to the construction of what is today known as the Rogers Centre.
Our Government practice has strengthened the relationship between public institutions and private enterprise throughout Canada’s history, providing counsel that fosters sustainable development and economic growth across municipalities, as well as acting in matters which have helped define the rights Canadians hold today. These matters include acting in 16-year-long proceedings between the federal government and the governments of Ontario and Quebec regarding the apportionment of the assets of the former Province of Canada, and appearing in the Supreme Court of Canada on Reference re Bill 30, An Act to Amend the Education Act (Ont.), 1987, a case concerning the constitutionality of increasing public funding for Roman Catholic secondary schools in Ontario.
WeirFoulds was retained by the Walkerton Public Utilities Commission in the 2000 Walkerton Inquiry into the circumstances that caused the tainting of Walkerton’s water supply, with subsequent recommendations resulting in revisions to Ontario’s water laws, and served as lead counsel in the 2003 Ipperwash Inquiry, which concerned events surrounding the death of Dudley George, who died in 1995 during a First Nations protest at Ipperwash Provincial Park.
This 165th anniversary is an opportunity not only to celebrate WeirFoulds’ past achievements, but to showcase how the firm continues to shape the legal landscape in an ever-changing world. WeirFoulds’ story is one of legal innovation and precedent-setting work. Our lawyers today are engaged in cutting-edge mandates as they navigate the complexities of emerging legal fields and global connections.
“Our firm’s history is a testament to our ability to adapt and thrive in a changing world. Our ongoing commitment to legal excellence and innovation ensures we remain at the forefront of legal practice, ready to meet the challenges and opportunities of the future,” said Co-Managing Partners Denise Baker and Wayne Egan in a joint statement.
“With a unique identity rooted in Canada’s legal history, WeirFoulds is well-positioned to leverage our lawyers’ expertise to continue our legacy of assisting clients as they navigate an ever-shifting legal environment into the future.”