Maclaren Corlett LLP
4 lawyers · Established 1873 · City of Toronto, City of Ottawa
One of 2,345 law firms listed in Toronto, and one of 764 handling Business & Corporate Law.
About Maclaren Corlett LLP
Maclaren Corlett LLP is a business law firm founded in 1873 as Scott & Stewart. It is based in Ottawa with a longtime office in Toronto, and the firm's own history page describes it as having stayed moderate in size by choice while building an international reputation. The practice today covers business and corporate law, advertising and marketing law, employment law, real estate, wills, trusts and estate planning, and workplace investigations, along with agency work before the Supreme Court of Canada.
That Supreme Court agency work is one of the more distinctive parts of the practice: lawyers at the firm act as Ottawa agents for provincial and municipal governments, other law firms, and private and public organizations from across Canada, handling matters that range from procedural questions to the oral argument of appeals. The Toronto office, at 2 Bloor Street East, is where Mary G. Griffith practices a regulatory, advertising, and marketing law practice covering products from cosmetics to pharmaceuticals; Griffith has been recognized in Best Lawyers in Canada since 2006. Managing Partner Gordon B. Greenwood works in the same regulatory and advertising field alongside corporate and commercial law, and is a registered trademark agent and lobbyist.
Practice areas
Milestones & recognition
- The firm traces its founding to 1873, when it operated as Scott & Stewart.
- In 1985, Maclaren Corlett merged with Cuzner, Gordon and Chambers, another historic Ottawa firm; George R. Gordon, called to the Ontario Bar in 1962, was instrumental in bringing the two firms together.
- Mary G. Griffith has been listed in Best Lawyers in Canada for Advertising and Marketing Law since 2006 and heads the firm's Toronto office regulatory, advertising, and marketing practice.
- Gordon B. Greenwood, the firm's Managing Partner, is also listed in Best Lawyers in Canada for Advertising and Marketing Law and was named its 2022 Lawyer of the Year in that category.
- Michael A. Chambers, Senior Counsel with the firm and in practice for almost 50 years, received the Gordon F. Henderson Award from the County of Carleton Law Association, an honorary doctorate from the University of Ottawa's Faculty of Health Sciences in 2013, and a Trudeau Medal from the university's Telfer School of Management in 2014.
In the community
- Michael A. Chambers, Senior Counsel with the firm, is a founding member of the Board of the Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival and became a co-life Chair of the festival in 2011.
- Chambers spent nearly three decades on the Canadian Olympic Committee Board of Directors before retiring from that role in 2013, serving as Chef de Mission of the Canadian Olympic Team in Atlanta in 1996 and as President of the Canadian Olympic Committee from 2001 to 2010.
- Chambers was inducted into the City of Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame in 2013 and the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame in 2012, and received the Olympic Order from the International Olympic Committee in 2010.
Good to know
Wheelchair accessibleLawyers 4
This firm’s lawyers at a glance
- Called to the bar
- 2001–2024 · median 13 years in practice 2 of 4 lawyers
- Law schools
- Dalhousie University 1 of 4 lawyers
Who handles what
Offices 2
The neighbourhood
Maclaren Corlett's Toronto office is in a highrise at 2 Bloor Street East, near the intersection of Yonge and Bloor. The firm's own parking directions for the location point clients to a garage behind The Bay department store, accessed from Asquith Avenue, and to a Green P garage on Hayden Street a block south of Bloor, which places the office in one of downtown Toronto's denser office and retail blocks. It's a smaller outpost of a firm centered mainly in Ottawa, with Mary G. Griffith practicing regulatory, advertising, and marketing law from this address.
Frequently asked questions
- What areas of law does Maclaren Corlett LLP handle?
- The firm practices business and corporate law, advertising and marketing law, employment law, real estate, wills, trusts and estate planning, family law, litigation, and Supreme Court of Canada agency work, along with workplace and organizational investigations.
- My company needs advice on an advertising or marketing claim. Can Maclaren Corlett help?
- Yes. The firm's advertising and marketing practice covers regulatory compliance for products including cosmetics, food, drugs, and medical devices, and its lawyers have advised on contests, promotions, and influencer marketing.
- Does the firm handle appeals to the Supreme Court of Canada?
- Yes. Maclaren Corlett offers Supreme Court of Canada agency services, acting as Ottawa agents for other law firms, governments, and organizations, from advising on procedure to arguing motions and appeals.
- Can Maclaren Corlett prepare a will or help with an estate?
- Yes, wills, trusts and estate planning is a core part of the practice in both the Ottawa and Toronto offices.
- Where are Maclaren Corlett's offices?
- The firm's Toronto office is at 2 Bloor Street East, Suite 3500, and its Ottawa office is at 701-99 Bank Street.
- Is Maclaren Corlett a large firm?
- No. The firm describes itself as having stayed moderate in size by choice since its 1873 founding, while continuing to serve clients across Canada and internationally.
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