''As of March 28, 2013, Fraser Milner Casgrain combined with Salans and SNR Denton to form
Dentons
Dentons is the largest multinational law firm in the world. Dentons was ranked as the world's 4th- largest law firm by revenue, with $2.9B gross revenue by Global 200 ranking in the fiscal year 2021. The firm is called Dentons in all languages o ...
.''
Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP (FMC) was a Canadian business, litigation and tax
law firm
A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise clients (individuals or corporations) about their legal rights and responsibilities, and to r ...
. With more than 560 lawyers (175 litigators) it was the sixth largest law firm in Canada as well as the largest law firm in
Western Canada
Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces, Canadian West or the Western provinces of Canada, and commonly known within Canada as the West, is a Canadian region that includes the four western provinces just north of the Canada†...
. Until 1984, FMC was a fully integrated national partnership with offices in
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...
,
Ottawa
Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
,
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
,
Edmonton
Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...
,
Calgary
Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, makin ...
, and
Vancouver
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
. In 1985, Fraser Milner Casgrain (then known as Fraser and Beatty) underwent a major administration change. Terrence Young was appointed as
chief executive officer
A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...
and he initiated FMC's expansion into
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
, making FMC a multi-national law firm. Young served as CEO for 13 years, until the 1998 merger between Fraser and Beatty anFenerty
erta-based law firm Milner Fenerty. On November 8, 2012, it was announced that FMC would combine with international law firms
SNR Denton and
Salans to form
Dentons
Dentons is the largest multinational law firm in the world. Dentons was ranked as the world's 4th- largest law firm by revenue, with $2.9B gross revenue by Global 200 ranking in the fiscal year 2021. The firm is called Dentons in all languages o ...
.
FMC’s most recent CEO before its second merge was Michel Brunet. He was appointed to the role of CEO in 2006 and previously served as Managing Partner of the FMC Montreal office.
History
For more than 170 years, Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP (FMC) grew organically and through mergers, the most notable being the 1998 merger between Fraser & Beatty (a Bay Street firm) and Milner Fenerty, to form Fraser Milner and its subsequent merger with Montreal-based Byers Casgrain in 2000 to form Fraser Milner Casgrain. The following list of dates can be found on FMC's website:
[Fraser Milner Casgrain](_blank)
/ref>
*1839 — John Willoughby Crawford opens his law office in Toronto, the earliest predecessor of Fraser & Beatty.
*1916 — George Hobson Steer joins the Edmonton law firm of Rutherford, Jamieson & Grant, a predecessor of Milner Fenerty, and the firm is renamed Rutherford, Jamieson, Grant & Steer.
*1920 — Crombie, Worrell & Gwynne, Barristers, Solicitors, Notaries, a predecessor of Fraser & Beatty, becomes Worrell, Gwynne & Beatty, Barristers, Solicitors, Notaries.
*1921 — Hyndman, Milner & Matheson, a predecessor of Milner Fenerty, becomes Hyndman, Milner, Matheson, Carr & Dafoe.
*1945 — Milner, Steer, Poirier, Martland & Bowker, a predecessor of Milner Fenerty, becomes Milner, Steer, Dyde, Poirier, Martland & Bowker.
*1980 — J. Donald Mawhinney, Q.C. and Howard J. Kellough, Q.C. establish Mawhinney & Kellough in Vancouver.
*1985 — Terrence Young is appointed as CEO and he expands FMC's offices into Hong Kong.
*1989 — The Supreme Court of Canada rules that national law firms are allowed to do business in Canada, a ruling that would set the stage for the union of Fraser & Beatty with Mawhinney & Kellough, and later with Milner Fenerty and Byers Casgrain. The case was one of the earliest to deal with the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
*1990 — Fraser & Beatty, Barristers & Solicitors, with offices in Toronto and Ottawa, merges with Mawhinney & Kellough in Vancouver under the name Fraser & Beatty. When Fraser & Beatty merged with Mawhinney & Kellough, it was one of the first law firm mergers in Canada after the 1989 ruling.
*1991 — Milner Steer joins Fenerty Robertson, becomes Milner Fenerty.
*1998 — Fraser & Beatty and Alberta-based Milner Fenerty becomes Fraser Milner.
*2000 — On June 6, Fraser Milner, with offices in Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, Ottawa and Vancouver, merges with Byers Casgrain in Montréal to form Fraser Milner Casgrain.
*2013 — On March 28, Fraser Milner Casgrain merges with SNR Denton and Salans to form Dentons.
References
External links
Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP (FMC) Website
Fraser Milner Casgrain S.E.N.C.R.L. (FMC) French Website
{{Authority control
Defunct law firms of Canada
Law firms established in 1839
2013 disestablishments in Canada
Law firms disestablished in 2013
Canadian companies established in 1839