This will set up WT's fourth office in Canada
Insurance litigation firm Whitelaw Twining is set to merge with Bélanger Sauvé’s insurance and civil litigation team in Montréal.
The combination will establish WT Montréal LLP as WT’s fourth Canadian office, with Alexandre Paris serving as managing partner. Bélanger Sauvé’s Montréal team formally commences with WT on January 1, 2025.
“By combining with WT, we will be able to offer our clients a wider range of services, handle larger and more complex cases and provide support across more locations. It also represents a great opportunity for growth as we seek to build on our success by tapping into DWF's global presence to further strengthen our relationships in the Canadian domestic market, the North American market, as well as the Lloyd's market,” Paris said.
The Montréal team comprises 16 lawyers, 9 of which are partners, and 12 business support staff. With the addition of this team, WT beefs up its partnership to 35 and boosts its expertise in insurance law and litigation.
"This move will further build our expertise and strengthen our resources to support clients nationally and internationally. Our combined offering will be even better equipped to address the demands of our insurance clients, in handling claims, risk management, coverage disputes, and litigation," WT country managing partner Danny Shugarman said in a statement. “We are excited about the prospect of bringing the strengths of WT to the unique market of Montreal and the province of Quebec, and will continue to respect the culture and traditions of this market and our incoming team”
WT was named among Canadian Lawyer’s Top Insurance Defence firms for 2023-24. Its other Canadian offices are located in Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto; together, all four offices will provide a national insurance offering. The Montréal team will also have access to DWF resources in Toronto, Vancouver and Chicago.
Since December 2022, WT has operated under the DWF Group; the global integrated legal and business services provider has 35 offices worldwide.
Last month, DWF also swiped the London market team from Australian firm Hall & Wilcox.
