LEXPERT MAGAZINE
|
OCTOBER 2019 27
PROFILE FEATURES
You could say Sean Weir became National
Managing Partner and CEO of Borden
Ladner Gervais LLP when the firm came
into existence. He held the role for 18 years
aer being instrumental in the merger of
five regional firms in Canada to form BLG.
Proving that a change is as good as a rest, in
this year's federal election he ran as a candi-
date for the Conservative Party in Oakville
– North Burlington.
In 2000, the law firms of McMaster Ger-
vais of Montreal, Borden & Elliot of To-
ronto, Ladner Downs of Vancouver, How-
ard Mackie of Calgary, and Scott & Aylen
of Ottawa, merged to create BLG. In July
2002, BLG strengthened its corporate se-
curities practice with the acquisition of the
Calgary-based law firm Armstrong Perkins
Hudson LLP. Predecessor firm McMaster
Gervais was founded in 1823, Borden & El-
iot in 1926. Dealing with that much history,
"WE HAD A VISION
FOR THE FUTURE
OF THE FIRM,"
WEIR EXPLAINED.
AND THEY BUILT ON IT,
WITH LOTS OF EXPERT
PROFESSIONAL HELP,
INCLUDING HIRING
LAW FIRM EXECU
-
TIVES WITH SERIOUS
GLOBAL LAW FIRM
EXPERIENCE."
let alone that many different personalities
and practices was complicated.
In conversation with Lexpert, Weir is the
first to say there were other leaders too who
formulated, negotiated and launched the
merger. Still, he names his role in it as one of
the most significant accomplishments of his
career. He was the driving force from Bor-
den & Elliot and then for the national firm.
In his legal practice, Weir advised "domes-
tic and foreign banks, trust companies and
insurance companies regarding purchases
and sales of major business units, secured
lending, lease financing, structured finance,
receivables financing and securitizations."
At the same time, in those merger days, he
had come out of municipal politics and had
become "used to building consensus and
understanding the importance of that to get
things done. I was able to build trust."
In the formative years of the firm, said
Persisting Tirelessly
Sean Weir
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP
BY LEXPERT
