Sutherland Mark
Automatically compiled listing. Details may contain errors.2 lawyers · Established 1957 · Waterloo Region
One of 102 law firms listed in Kitchener, and one of 37 handling Business & Corporate Law.
About Sutherland Mark
Sutherland Mark Flemming Professional Corporation is a business law firm with deep roots in Kitchener-Waterloo. Robert A. Sutherland founded it in 1957, and since then it's been advising individuals and businesses of every type and size across the area.
Business clients have shaped the firm's work from the start. Kelly Griffin, who came to the firm in July 2015, works with privately held and owner-operated companies on corporate and commercial matters, and also handles wills, estate planning and administration, and commercial and residential real estate. Rob Sutherland's practice is broad business law that takes in real estate deals and development, commercial financing, agri-business, and estate planning and administration.
Both bring outside training to the work. Before joining, Kelly Griffin did corporate commercial law at a national firm in Toronto, then moved to Guelph as in-house counsel with two insurance companies, and in 2010 finished the Canadian Securities Course. Rob Sutherland holds a B.B.A. from Wilfrid Laurier University (1987) and an LL.B. from the University of Western Ontario (1990).
The firm works from Suite 100 at 675 Queen Street South in Kitchener.
History
The firm traces its start to 1957, when Robert A. Sutherland finished at Osgoode Hall in Toronto and came back to Kitchener, the founder's hometown, to open a practice. Paul T. Hagarty joined as a partner not long after.
For most of the 1960s and into the 1970s it was Sutherland & Hagarty. As lawyers joined and left, the name changed to Sutherland Hagarty Mark & Somerville, and later to Sutherland Mark Somerville Bumstead. From 2007 the firm was known as Sutherland Mark Flemming Snyder-Penner Professional Corporation.
Practice areas
Business & Corporate Law
Wills, Estates & Trusts
Real Estate Law
Employment & Labour Law
Agricultural Law
From startup to sale
Sutherland Mark helps new businesses settle their first structure, shareholder agreements and financing, then stays on for ongoing contracts, leases and purchases and sales. It also works with clients on succession planning and on getting a company ready to be sold.
Mergers and acquisitions
The firm's lawyers have acted on purchases and sales from modest owner-managed businesses up to enterprises valued at over $150 million. Its commitment is a practical approach that keeps deals of any size running smoothly.
Agri-business
Sutherland Mark advises growers, processors and distributors. Over a long history, its agri-business clients have included Canadian food processors and distributors, along with agricultural producers.
Estates, wills and trusts
Both lawyers and estate clerks handle wills, powers of attorney, trusts and related matters, and they can coordinate with a client's financial planners and accountants to put estate planning goals into effect. Kelly Griffin also guides executors through administering an estate, including court applications for a certificate of appointment.
Residential to development work
The firm's real estate work in Ontario runs from home purchases and sales to land development and condominiums. For commercial property, that also covers lease negotiations and landlord-tenant matters.
Hiring through termination
Sutherland Mark advises business clients and individual employees on hiring, issues that come up during employment, and terminations. If a matter heads to litigation, the firm has established relations with a number of litigation practitioners.
Good to know
Wheelchair accessible
By appointmentHow Sutherland Mark works
Sutherland Mark doesn't practise litigation. When a matter needs it, the firm prefers to bring in outside litigators so each client's circumstances are paired with the right litigator. Whatever the issue, the firm commits to taking time over every question a client has and to explaining the legal options open to them. Internally, its culture puts a premium on work-life balance and on full engagement in the wider community.
In the community
- Kelly Griffin has served as president of the Waterloo Region Law Association and as a director of the Canadian Mental Health Association's Grand River Branch, both past roles.
- Rob Sutherland is a former director and past president of the Waterloo Cycling Club, was once a member of the Waterloo Wellington Trails Council, and coaches basketball at Level 2 with the Kitchener-Waterloo Youth Basketball Association.
Lawyers 2
This firm’s lawyers at a glance
- Called to the bar
- 1992–2006 · median 27 years in practice 2 of 2 lawyers
- Law schools
- University of Western Ontario 1 of 2 lawyers
Who handles what
The neighbourhood
The office is on Queen Street South, which goes back a long way in Kitchener: Joseph Schneider Haus, among the city's earliest structures and now a museum and gallery, stands on it. The street grew into a core part of the city in 1852, when Berlin (Kitchener's name until 1916) became the seat of Waterloo County and the old Schneider's Road turned into an early mix of houses, factories, churches and businesses.
Frequently asked questions
- How long has Sutherland Mark worked on Ontario Quota issues?
- Sutherland Mark has been managing Ontario Quota issues for more than 50 years.
- Does Sutherland Mark act mainly for employers or employees?
- Sutherland Mark acts mostly for employers. It also advises employees, including people whose employment has ended, on the options open to them.
Where to find them
675 Queen Street South, Suite 100, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada N2M 1A1 · 519-725-2500
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Immigration LawThis listing was generated by AI from public sources in October 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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