About Brightling & Watson Lawyers Professional Corporation

Brightling & Watson Lawyers Professional Corporation is a small general practice law firm based at 4 Elgin Street in St. Thomas, Ontario. The firm's roots go back to 1980, when Monty Fordham began practicing law in St. Thomas. Fordham later joined with Michael Brightling in May 2012 to form Fordham & Brightling Lawyers. In the spring of 2024, Brightling and Candace Watson took over the practice as Brightling & Watson Lawyers Professional Corporation, keeping the same office.

The firm concentrates on real estate, wills and estate planning, and business and agricultural law for St. Thomas, London, and the surrounding towns of Aylmer, Port Stanley, West Lorne, Strathroy, Dutton, Mount Brydges, and Tillsonburg. Michael Brightling holds a J.D., magna cum laude, from Michigan State University and is admitted to practice in both Ontario and New York; before joining the firm, Brightling worked at a larger firm in London and earlier practiced in Listowel. Candace Watson grew up in St. Thomas, joined the firm in 2022 after completing articles with a family law firm in London, and now practices mainly in real estate and estate planning.

Practice areas

Wills, Estates & Trusts Business & Corporate Law Agricultural Law Notary & Commissioner Services

In the community

  • Brightling & Watson is listed in the St. Thomas & District Chamber of Commerce business directory, a connection Monty Fordham built through years of volunteer service on the Chamber's board.
  • Monty Fordham also served on the St. Thomas Downtown Development Board, the St. Thomas Homebuilders Association, the St. Thomas-Elgin Public Art Centre board, and Family and Children's Services of St. Thomas and Elgin County.
  • Michael Brightling has been involved with The Elgin Theatre Guild.
  • Candace Watson volunteered with Pro Bono Students Canada and the Elgin-Oxford Legal Clinic during law school, assisting St. Thomas residents with a variety of legal matters.

Good to know

A person using a wheelchairWheelchair accessibleA calendar with a checkmark beside a clockBy appointment

Lawyers 2

Candace Watson Lawyer Michael J.E. Brightling Lawyer

Where to find them

4 Elgin Street, St. Thomas, ON N5R 3L6 · 519-633-4000

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This listing was generated by AI from public sources in September 2026. It may contain errors, and we can’t guarantee it’s accurate or complete. Before you rely on anything here, verify it on the firm’s own website. Verify licence status in the Law Society of Ontario directory ↗

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