McLeod Law LLP
500, 707 - 5 Street SW, Calgary, AB T2P 0Y3 T2X 3J3 Calgary, AB, Canada

We'd like to welcome our newest associates, Torri Woods and Melanie Bowman, to the McLeod Law family. Torri will be joining our Wills & Estates group and Melanie joins our Corporate Commercial group. Welcome to the team! #newlawyers #associates #ABLaw #YYC

We are happy to be sponsoring the Splash of Red Gala which is taking place virtually on June 12. Enjoy a night of glitz & glam and wonderful entertainment. To purchase a ticket and help support this wonderful cause you can do so here: https://conta.cc/3boXPl5 #SplashofRed2021

McLeod Law would like to welcome Michelle Nguyen and Katelyn Beever to the McLeod Law team. Both Michelle and Katelyn have finished their first year in law school and will be with us until the end of August. #SummerLawStudents #LawSchool #ABLaw #YYCBusiness #YYC

"A mother is a person who can take the place of all others, but whose place no one else can take." Thank you to all the mother's who help make our lives lovelier and happier! HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Robert Fooks assisted Bruce Urban, the owner of the Saskatchewan Rush lacrosse team, and key members of his executive team in the transfer of ownership of the Rush organization to the Priestner Sports Corporation. The Priestners are experienced operators, who will continue to run this team with pride and professionalism. - Bruce Urban The Rush have been one of the most successful franchises not just in the NLL but in all of North American sports. Read more: https://bit.ly/3vVsPkr

Happy Administrative Professionals Day!! Thank you for everything you do! You are a vital role in our organization and we couldn't do it without you! #AdministrativeProfessionalsDay #ThankYou #YYCBusiness

I think there could be 30 to 40 more businesses that need to register with regulators, said McLeod Law Partner Matthew Burgoyne while speaking to the Globe and Mail about the OSC guidelines for domestic and foreign #crypto asset trading platforms. https://tgam.ca/2Qom8bD

"A mother is a person who can take the place of all others, but whose place no one else can take." Thank you to all the mother's who help make our lives lovelier and happier! HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

When life around the world returns to normal, our world cannot return to business-as-usual. Mass amounts of damage has already been done, but that does not mean we have to continue that legacy. We have the ability to make a difference in every industry, but that can only happen when we work together to #RestoreOurEarth. Join EARTHDAY.ORG in this movement and learn more about how you can get involved at: http://ow.ly/oTBf50Dmcae

Today is Advance Care Planning Day, and in times like today, it’s important to think about your future! Shelley E Waite TEP of our Wills, Trusts & Estates group, shares how to start the process: https://bit.ly/3bguBmr #ACPday2021 #advancecareplanning #speakup

In his 26 years with McLeod Law, Neil is proud to have had a hand in steering the firm through the growth and transitions that have made it the success it is today. By 2005, McLeod had grown rapidly enough that, as Neil recalls, It was apparent that if we wanted to keep growing, we needed to get serious about how to do that. Neil was one of the writers of the original business plan that established the new management structure and a future growth strategy. We built a big-f...irm infrastructure while retaining our trademark small-firm attention to clients. He continued to help shape the firm’s direction by sitting on the management committee for 16 years. Currently, Neil heads up the firm’s Professional Development program, where he’s committed to nurturing the talents of junior lawyers. Mentoring our young lawyers has been very rewarding, he says. He enjoys watching them grow their practice and become partners. Of all the cases he’s worked on, Neil takes the most pride in the dispute between his client, the University of Calgary Students’ Union, and the University of Calgary over the ownership and use of MacEwan Hall, which houses the Students’ Union and its related businesses. This highly complex project spanned five years and as many Students’ Union Presidents. Through the negotiation of two unique milestone agreements, the Students’ Union acquired definitive and perpetual rights in MacEwan Hall. For me, it was incredibly gratifying to realize the effort resulted in such an important achievement for the Students’ Union and the undergraduate students. Read Neil's story here: https://bit.ly/3oBYmEP #40Years40Stories

From all of us to all of you, have a wonderful holiday. Our offices will be closed from Dec.25.2020 through Jan.1, 2021.

Having practiced law for more than 25 years, Roy understands it’s less about the technicalities and more about listening to your instincts and taking a holistic view. This insight is especially valuable in Roy’s capacity as a partner and head of the Wills, Trusts & Estates group, where he guides the well-being of the business and its people. Imagining where the practice is heading, while looking out for our staff, is both exciting and daunting, he says. But McLeod’s collab...orative spirit helps. How we’ve worked together to adapt for COVID is a testament to the firm’s teamwork. Roy offers that same collaborative leadership to clients. He begins by simply listening, taking his cues from them. This isn’t just a legal transaction, it’s a psychological relationship, one of deep trust. He loves seeing clients emerge at the other end of their journey. They move through grief to acceptance to renewal, discovering the ability to embrace life again. Roy is proud to have been part of McLeod’s evolution from four lawyers to more than 55. He likes that while the firm has global connections through its TAGLaw alliance, it’s still local. We’ve grown to reflect our clients, with a similar family-owned vibe, he says. It’s a great place to work. It feels like home. Roy is married and has two teenaged daughters and a Yorkie puppy called Zeus. Skiing, golf, music, cycling, mountain adventures and travel keep them all busy. Since 2014, he’s been the Honorary Consul of France in Calgary, an appointment he feels privileged to hold. Read Roy's story here: https://bit.ly/3opWHSW #40Years40Stories

If you’re going to be Ross Kaplan’s primary legal assistant, you’d better be as driven as he is. That’s a task Suzanne has been up to, since 1996. While Suzanne credits her BA in law and society with teaching her how to research, she got her real training at the Ross Kaplan school of legal assistant training. Ross took the time to teach me everything from the ground up, she recalls. Now she leads Suzanne’s Bootcamp herself. I really enjoy teaching and mentoring. As Ross... did with her, Suzanne helps new assistants understand the soft underbelly of the firm. Our dedication to providing proper training, and the loyalty that engenders, is why McLeod Law excels. Suzanne’s bootcamp is no hour in the park though: because attrition is so low, it could take three years to become a primary legal assistant. Her commitment to the profession also shows in her 15 years as a board member for Bow Valley College’s Legal Assistant program. Suzanne works closely with Ross to ensure clients are taken care of. Their lives can feel like they’re in a tailspin, she says. We guide them on this unfamiliar journey. In the process, Suzanne builds long-lasting relationships. Some clients still keep in touch, many refer new clients. It means a lot to have the relationship continue long after they’re our clients. Read Suzanne's story: https://bit.ly/2KOnLw3 #40Years40Stories

Brent’s first attempt at pleading a case was in grade 12, when he was nominated to represent the group responsible for starting a food fight in the cafeteria. (Full disclosure: he was one of the group.) It was my first time acting as an advocate and my first defeat, he remembers. How things have changed for Brent since. When he joined McLeod Law in 2000 after 10 years of general litigation practice, it was to hone the firm’s business law and business litigation savvy. In ...his own practice, he has an antenna for perceiving a client’s real needs and objectives. Brent credits this sense for his ability to find a new deal that’s often better than the old. When you’ve been practicing for as long as I have, solving a dispute can be a creative process. It’s very rewarding! You’re not likely to find a bigger advocate for Calgary than Brent. His position as Chair of the Board for the Calgary Chamber is symbiotic with McLeod’s dedication to its community. I see Calgary through two lenses the Chamber and McLeod’s clients, he says. The Chamber has helped Brent, and McLeod, appreciate how the people in business are the people in their community, advancing the community through business. In turn, Brent notes that McLeod clients are caring, ambitious and positive. It’s the people and their energetic, optimistic vibe that make Calgary great, and its future positive. Read Brent's story here: https://bit.ly/359m1F1 #40Years40Stories

Stephanie’s McLeod Law story begins with a parade. Namely the one she got stuck in on her way to her interview. Before that, her path had other surprises. She’d planned to do a master’s in psychology, but a counseling course prerequisite made it clear that she was, in her words, wholly unsuited to counseling. So she turned to law after an art history professor suggested it. Stephanie specializes in litigation, foreclosures and the enforcement side of condo law. Boasting C...algary’s largest condominium law department, McLeod’s group has worked with most of the city’s condo corporations, so Stephanie understands the intricacies of organizations’ different bylaws. Working in McLeod’s condominium law department has other benefits. Because there’s such demand, and we have a big team, lawyers are able to focus on governance or enforcement, Stephanie explains. In other firms, one person typically does both. This deeper, more distributed knowledge base means Stephanie has more resources at her fingertips. If she doesn’t have the answer, she knows someone else on the team will. Stephanie also has a foot in personal injury, which is where she’s experienced her career highlight: winning her largest settlement ever, in 2019. He was a wonderful client who suffered a devastating injury, she recalls. That settlement means he can live a better life. Read Stephanie's story: https://bit.ly/3pEd6TE #40Years40Stories

The first time Robin left Calgary was when he crossed the ocean to study law in Wales. There, surrounded by international students, Robin learned the value of respecting the diversity of voices around him. This guides him today as he steers McLeod Law into its 41st year. Relationship building is at the heart of a legal practice, he says. To lead a successful practice, you need to understand people and truly listen to them. Robin is the first person at McLeod to article, b...ecome an associate, then a partner and managing partner. Thirty years since he joined, he still remembers how different McLeod’s interview process was compared to other firms’ cattle calls. It was intimate and hands-on. I met with the four partners directly. You could see how much they cared. All these years later, with a much-larger and ever-growing team, he’s determined to maintain that culture. Robin has served as counsel to the Canadian Luge Association and is proud to be the chair of Attainable Homes Calgary, helping 1,000 Calgarians achieve their dream of owning a home when they otherwise couldn’t have. Travel, cooking and sports fill his personal time. As a former restaurateur, Robin reads cookbooks for pleasure and loves to experiment with whatever is in his fridge. Read Robin's story here: https://bit.ly/38kyhTU #40Years40Stories

I’m the go-to guy for the bizarre and obscure, says Aaron. That’s probably because, in his practice in the Wills, Trusts and Estates group at McLeod Law, he’s open to anything, no matter how challenging and has earned a reputation for his deft handling of such cases. Aaron comes by his intrepid attitude naturally. When he started practicing, one of the lawyers he was supposed to work with ended up going on leave. I spent a good part of my early practice diving into files... that were very much beyond my abilities at the time and was grateful for the time and mentorship from the other lawyers in the office. Now, when presented with a case, Aaron digs right in, figuring out the problem and solving it. His clients appreciate this no-nonsense approach, rating him a Client Champion on Martindale-Hubbell. However, Aaron has never forgotten his early years. I remember what it was like to be that deer in the headlights. Just as he benefited from others when he was starting out, he likes to give back, educating students and young lawyers. He does so by speaking at seminars offered by such organizations as the Legal Education Society of Alberta, where he flexes his skill at effectively communicating complex topics. I’ve had the benefit of being mentored by very good, well-respected lawyers. Now it’s my turn to help others. Read Aaron's story: https://bit.ly/3o5D6XS #40Years40Stories

In Jackie’s first week of articling, the litigator she was working with told her, We’re going to court! She’s never looked back, becoming a litigator through and through. After practicing at McLeod Law in the 1990s for six years, Jackie returned in 2004, when the firm invited her to work part-time. It was phenomenal how accommodating they were for a mother with two young children, she recalls. She eventually worked her way up to partner and head of the Personal Injury ...group. Jackie appreciates how life-changing her work can be. Her love for the law and passion for helping people make her a strong advocate for her clients. Recently, she received a settlement for a 16-year-old that will give the young woman income for the rest of her life. It sounds hokey, but I’m sincere when I say I love letting my clients focus on their health while I deal with the ‘big bad insurance companies.’ An avid volunteer for numerous causes, Jackie is currently president of the Alberta Civil Trial Lawyers Association, lobbying against changes that would remove or limit Albertans’ right to sue for damages they could claim if they’re in a motor vehicle accident. For her dedication to her clients and law in general, Jackie has received many honours. She’s earned a prestigious 5-star client rating on Martindale-Hubbell, is ranked as a leading practitioner in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory. She was also appointed as a Queen’s Counsel in 2011 and awarded the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012. See Jackie's story: https://bit.ly/34mELka #40Years40Stories

Since hanging up our shingle in Calgary 40 years ago, we've grown from a two-person firm to a team of 130+. As we close out the year, we wish to honour our 40-year history and the many clients, community partners, industry partners, and our own lawyers and staff who have made McLeod Law what it is today. No matter our size, our services, or the complement of our team, we will always maintain the small firm service for which we are known. View our anniversary story: https://bit.ly/384elok

"Crypto Execs need lability insurance" CoinDesk shares an update on challenges + importance of Directors & Officers insurance in the cryptocurrency space. The publication by head of @McLeodLawLLP #cryptocurrency #blockchain legal team, Matthew Burgoyne.

Super excited to hear from this panel of FinTech experts, including our own Matthew Burgoyne at the upcoming Canadian Blockchain Consortium event where they'll explore how 'decentralized finance' (DeFi) powered by blockchain technology, is creating alternatives to traditional banking. #fintech #openbanking #blockchain

Today we remember the sacrifices made by our Veterans. We owe our freedoms to their service and we will pause at 11am to remember. #RemembranceDay #CanadaRemembers #LestWeForget

Law has changed immensely since Heather was called to the bar in 1972, and she’s been blazing trails ever since. It started in 1975, when she entered condominium law. The area was still relatively new and mostly for low-cost housing and townhomes. Fast-forward 45 years and Heather is working on two high-end skyscraper projects, one above a hotel and the other above an office tower. Putting a condo on top of another structure is really exciting, she says. It has more legal ...intricacies than a standalone project. Heather and business partner Jamie Polley left their private practice to launch McLeod Law’s Condominium Law group in 2007. Now there are eight on the team, and McLeod is respected for its expertise in the area, bolstered by the esteem both clients and colleagues hold for Heather. In her work as a solicitor, she’s no-nonsense. I like to get the deal done, rather than argue about it. Heather has also charted a trail as a woman in law. When she started, she was one of few women practicing. People would refuse to see me, she recalls. They’d ask to see a ‘real’ lawyer. While she knows it’s still a struggle for women in law to balance career with family and home, she says, We’ve improved a thousand per cent. When Heather isn’t blazing trails, she’s burning up the golf course in several countries around the world, with Portugal next up. Read Heather's story here: https://bit.ly/2YTa0QV #40Years40Stories

Teri-lynn comes from a law enforcement family. Her father was a police officer and her mother’s side boasts police chiefs. It’s no wonder she thrives in commercial litigation at McLeod Law. I wanted to be in law somehow, Teri-lynn recalls. When her father wouldn’t let her enter the police force, she tried accounting but was too much of an extrovert for that. Commercial litigation is just her speed. Litigation is exciting. It’s fast-paced, she says. I like fast-paced. Te...ri-lynn likes to keep client files moving too. She thinks of it as triage: after talking to a client, she determines whether she can move a file forward or should pass it to a lawyer. Either way, she keeps clients apprised of their case. Customer service is huge to McLeod, says Teri-lynn. Our clients know we’re on it. It’s not only about the file though. Teri-lynn appreciates the personal aspect too. Clients may be emotional, angry. She knows they simply want someone to understand their situation. Helping clients manage the emotional piece is key to helping them with their legal problem. A single mom of two, Teri-lynn is busy. She’s coached her son’s hockey team for seven years one of few female coaches in the league. After playing ringette and hockey competitively into her early 40s, Teri-lynn relishes being a role model for her daughter and girls everywhere. Read Teri-lynn's story here: https://bit.ly/2YTa0QV #40Years40Stories