Patrick Brown also lists firm’s commitment to clients, community, and each other as key to success
It’s the people, from clients to colleagues to lawyers across the table, that keep Patrick Brown engaged and driven to deliver great results — and this translates to a firm at the top of its game. Recognized again as one of Canadian Lawyer's Top Personal Injury Boutiques, McLeish Orlando LLP’s principal partner shares insights into his legacy with the firm, how it keeps up with emerging technology, and how its contribution to the community sets it apart.
Greg Greenberg 00:00:05
Hello and welcome to Canadian Lawyer TV. I'm Greg Greenberg from Key Media and today we're speaking with Patrick Brown, Principal Partner at McLeish Orlando LLP. Patrick is widely recognized as a leader in the area of personal injury law and has been practicing for over 25 years now. Both Patrick and the firm are no strangers to the recent accolade McLeish Rolando, once again ranked as one of Canadian Lawyer's Top Personal Injury Boutiques. Patrick, Welcome, and thanks for joining us today.
Patrick Brown 00:00:34
Welcome. Thanks, Greg, for having me.
Greg Greenberg 00:00:36
So, Patrick, let's start with you. What do you enjoy most about your practice?
Patrick Brown 00:00:40
Let's say what I enjoy the most is the people. And that includes those people that I work with the lawyers and staff. And but also those the people that I go against, I mean, many of the lawyers in the defense bar and the adjusters are good friends. And I sincerely like dealing with them. I mean, you battle it out in our industry. But it is a very professional collegial bar, despite what some people would say. And I must say, I always look forward to going to work. I like to help people. I like the strategy. I have a competitive competitive side to me. I enjoy working with my team to get the results. And I must say I personally feel fulfilled when I get that hug or thank you card from the client at the end of the case. So I have to say that later personal injury was perfect for who I am. And I really do love it.
Greg Greenberg 00:01:34
And you built your career at McLeish Orlando, what drew you to the firm?
Patrick Brown 00:01:39
Yeah, I met John McLeish and Dale early in my career. I knew them both from the Interior Trial Lawyers Association. They had left their old firm in Etobicoke, to come to downtown Toronto to start up there. The President firm that we're at. I knew from them that they're going to create something special. It both of them were committed to high end advocacy. They were not in any way about running volume and just trying to make money. Rather, they had a philosophy that every every file that came in would have the Cadillac care. If that meant we had to limit the number of files we take on, then they were limited. If it meant that you needed to hire more staff to increase quality that was done. They met more spending more money and committing to technology, they would do it. And I love that philosophy. By me when I started out, I really always wanted to ensure that I would be regarded, certainly during the course of my career, and at my end of my career as a good lawyer. And thankfully they I got on their radar. They courted me for about a year, and I jumped aboard best move I ever made.
Greg Greenberg 00:02:50
Welcome regulatory changes to emerging technology. The field of personal injury has certainly changed over time. So how does the firm keep pace with the evolving landscape?
Patrick Brown 00:03:00
I mean, I'm a cliche Orlando, I think I believe we've always been at the forefront of staying at top of the changing landscape, especially in technology. I mean, we've been a paperless office for over 20 years, we helped create one of the leading Personal Injury document management systems known as prime effect, which now is being widely used across the province, if not across the country. We incorporate time management systems, we keep moving to better and newer models. Presently, we now use bio wine. Of course, we're now engaged in developing generat AI in our practice, and we're super excited to develop and see where that takes us. I mean, you can either invest in the future or lay to rest with the dinosaurs. We're committed to the future of our firm and the people that work here and we want to keep up our excellence.
Greg Greenberg 00:03:54
Can you tell me a little bit more dig a little bit deeper into McLeish Orlando into what else sets the firm apart?
Patrick Brown 00:04:02
Addressed some of it here already. Obviously we're we consider ourselves and we are a technologically savvy firm. We're also self finance. So meaning we have a large pool of self finance money. We're not dictated by the banks. And we can take on the big players in the insurance industry. We do consider and others do when when people vote as leaders in our field. We teach the lawyers and the partners here in the office teach regularly at different advocate society, Law Society programs, traveler programs, they teach other people in this area of the law. We've written books on this area. We teach at the university levels and new articling students coming through the ranks. Maybe myself, Dale and John, we're all past presidents of OSA, we do like to give back to the legal community. One thing that I think sets us apart and We don't see enough of that, in the industry is we are trial lawyers, although most cases settle. We do do trials. And we're able to do trials. And we bring up all our lawyers with experience in trials of being second chairs as we move forward and teach them as well. Those advocacy techniques we give back to the community. I mean, we do we just did a helmets on Kids program out in Waterloo, where we donate helmets to, to kids, to keep them safe. We do donations to health institutions and organizations that help trauma patients. were active, I'm active and going to Queen's Park and fighting for new safety laws. I think probably Lastly, is a firm. I believe we sincerely like each other. That's the lawyers, partners, all the staff but clerks, the coordinators, we believe that the practice of law is not about being at home by yourself in a room in front of a screen. I mean, when other firms are downsizing, and getting rid of office space, we're in fact investing in Revit, and renovations. And we're right now renovating and creating a more interactive lounge area at the firm, so that everyone in the office will enjoy coming to work. Of course, we're going to invite our defense friends over in order to you know, have some more fun other than just being adversaries during the course of the cake case. We have social events at the firm cake day. We just finished yesterday corporate canine day, with dogs coming to the firm. We do social outings. So, yeah, we really liked the practice of law, but we also like being with each other, and enjoy each other. And I think as with technology and virtual hearings, it's giving us much more time, especially as lawyers to enjoy each other. And I think we need to take advantage of it. And the firm is committed to that as well.
Greg Greenberg 00:07:03
Patrick, it's been great chatting with you today. Thank you for your insights.
Patrick Brown 00:07:07
Thanks, Greg.
Greg Greenberg 00:07:08
And thanks to our audience for joining us today. Make sure you stay tuned for more award spotlights. I'm Greg Greenberg for Canadian Lawyer TV.