Heenan Blaikie LLP is a defunct Canadian law firm. It practiced in the areas of business, labour and employment, litigation, taxation, entertainment law and intellectual property law. The firm was founded in 1973 by Roy Heenan, Donald Johnston, and Peter Blaikie. Based in Montreal, at one time the firm had over 500 lawyers at offices in Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary, Vancouver, Victoria, Quebec City, Sherbrooke, Trois-Rivières and Paris, with a representative office in Singapore and a satellite office in Los Angeles. As of February 2011, it was the sixth largest law firm in Canada. It became the largest law firm to close in Canadian history after its partners voted to dissolve the firm on February 5, 2014. The firm closed on February 28, 2014. History The firm was founded in 1973 by Roy Heenan, Donald Johnston, and Peter Blaikie as Johnston Heenan Blaikie. After Johnston left to become a Member of Parliament in 1978, the firm was renamed Heenan Blaikie. The firm was one of the first to expand across Canada in the 1970s, helping pioneer the concept of national law firms. It also established a reputation as the landing ground for former Prime Ministers: both Jean Chrétien and Pierre Trudeau joined the firm after their respective political careers ended. The firm had billings of $222 million and a profit of $75 million for 2013, its last full year of operation. Closure At one point the home of over 500 lawyers, the firm began to suffer financial trouble in 2013. Hurt by falling revenues from a drop-off in business from resource companies, the opening of a Paris office at a time the economy was struggling there, and the end of several major cases at the same time, the firm announced a drop in income per partner of 10 to 15 percent. The managing partners suggested two options, either a major downsizing of the firm, or a restructuring that could split up the Montreal and Toronto offices. One week later, the firm faced a rash of defections, with nearly 30 senior partners exiting for more profitable firms. While the firm was still profitable, Heenan suggested the loss of trust as the problem as the firm was recently torn apart by "infighting and clashing visions". After Heenan retired as chairman in 2012, a successor was not chosen to keep the firm unified and tensions between the Montreal and Toronto offices grew. The firm's