Gowling WLG

Gowling WLG is a multinational law firm formed by the combination of Canada-based Gowlings and UK-based Wragge Lawrence Graham & Co in February 2016.

Gowling WLG

Headquarters	Ottawa, Ontario, Canada[1]
No. of offices	20
No. of lawyers	+1,500 [2]
Key people	David Fennell (Chief Executive, UK) Steve McKersie (CEO, Canada)
Date founded	Gowling WLG merger (2016) Gowling (1877) WLG (1834)
Company type	Company limited by guarantee; separate limited liability partnerships in Canada and the United Kingdom
Website	www.gowlingwlg.com

Gowling WLG is Canada's largest law firm by revenue.^[3] In the UK, Gowling WLG was ranked 15th in revenue by Legmark in 2020,^[4] up from 16th in the 2019 edition of The Lawyer's UK 200.^[5] On the list of largest law firms by revenue, Gowling WLG ranked 74th in the world (US $587.14 million) in 2017.^[6]

History

Gowling WLG International Limited is an English company limited by guarantee, in which the two limited liability partnerships of Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP and Gowling WLG (UK) LLP are members. Legal services are provided by the two partnerships, which are financially separate.^[7] The structure is similar to the Swiss Verein structure used by several other major international law firms.^[8]

Gowling WLG (UK) LLP acted as Official Legal Advisers and an Official Sponsor of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, as well as Team England.

Offices

The firm has 20 offices in Canada, the UK, continental Europe, the Middle East, and China.^[9] The firm also maintained an office in Russia until the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, after which Gowling joined other businesses in departing the Russian market.

Notable professionals and alumni

• Leonard Walter Brockington (1888–1966). Founding chairman of the CBC, 1936-1939;^[10] Rector of Queen's University, 1947–1966.^[11]
• Gordon F. Henderson (1912–1993). President of the Canadian Bar Association, 1979–1980;^[12] Chancellor of the University of Ottawa, 1991–1993.^[13]
• Roy McMurtry (1932–2024). Attorney General of Ontario, 1975–1985; High Commissioner of Canada to the UK, 1985–1988; Chief Justice of Ontario, 1996–2007.^[14]
• Ray Hnatyshyn (1934–2002). 24th Governor General of Canada, 1990–1995.^[15]
• Ian Scott (1934–2006). Attorney General of Ontario, 1985–1990.^[16]
• Donald Mazankowski (1935–2020). Deputy Prime Minister of Canada, 1986–1993.^[17]
• Martin Cauchon (b. 1962). Minister of Justice (Canada) and Attorney General of Canada, 2002–2003.^[18]
• Lawrence Cannon (b. 1947). Minister of Transport (Canada), 2006–2008; Minister of Foreign Affairs (Canada), 2006–2008.^[19][20]
• Frank Marrocco. Associate Chief Justice of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, 2005–2020.^[21]