Gowling WLG, a new international law firm created by the combination of Gowlings, a leading Canadian law firm, and Wragge Lawrence Graham & Co (WLG), a leading UK-based international law firm, launched on 22 February.
With more than 1,400 legal professionals in 18 cities across Canada, the UK, Continental Europe, the Middle East and Asia, Gowling WLG provides clients with legal advice at home and abroad in a range of areas – from complex cross-border transactions and intellectual property matters to high-stakes litigation and disputes.
The new firm also features a strong focus on key global sectors to provide clients with in-depth experience and expertise specific to their industries, including advanced manufacturing, energy, financial services, infrastructure, life sciences, natural resources, real estate and tech.
The founding firms bring a legacy of collaborative, people-oriented cultures to Gowling WLG, having both been repeatedly recognised as top employers in their markets. Gowlings has been named one of the 50 Best Employers in Canada by Aon Hewitt for six straight years. WLG has appeared on the UK’s Best Workplaces list, produced by the Great Place to Work Institute, every year since the list began in 2001.
“We’re immensely proud to be recognised as a top employer, and are firmly committed to encouraging diversity and inclusion in all of our offices,” said David Fennell, chief executive of Gowling WLG (UK) LLP. “This allows us to attract and retain great people as well as great clients, who know that motivated and engaged people deliver top-quality advice, approach problems with creativity and imagination, and will go the distance to help them succeed.”
On the road to launch, both founding firms have already worked closely together, including on matters in Canada, the UK, China, the Middle East, France, Germany and Singapore. The firms also recently joined forces to win a global intellectual property mandate from cereal manufacturer Weetabix.
Gowling WLG International Limited has a six-member international board comprising three members from each of the founding firms, Gowlings and Wragge Lawrence Graham & Co. Those members are:
- James Buchan, firm managing partner, external, Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP
- David Fennell, CEO, Gowling WLG (UK) LLP
- Jenny Hardy, strategic development director, Gowling WLG (UK) LLP
- Scott Jolliffe, partner, Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP
- Peter Lukasiewicz, CEO, Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP
- Andrew Witts, chairman, Gowling WLG (UK) LLP
The board will be co-chaired by David Fennell and Peter Lukasiewicz.
