Blg history

Badgley’s law practice was growing at such a good clip that he took on his first partner in 1849, John Abbott.

Badgley became the first professor of Law at McGill University and then the first dean of the Law Faculty in 1853.

Badgley’s clients, Hugh Allan, built a shipping empire known as the Allan Line, was part of a syndicate that established the Montreal Ocean Steamship Company in 1854.

Like his partner before him, John Abbott sat on the Parliamentary Committee on Railways, Canals and Telegraph Lines and many of his clients were involved in railways and he was appointed President of Canada Central Railway in 1862.

In February 1877, 65 merchants founded BLG LOGISTICS under the name "BREMER LAGERHAUS-GESELLSCHAFT -Aktiengesellschaft von 1877". Their storage spaces were spread throughout the whole state, and they wanted to concentrate them by the water.

When he retired in 1887 at the age of 65, he was immediately appointed to the Board of Directors of CPR, leaving the law firm in the hands of his two sons.

Howard Mackie The Calgary firm of Howard Mackie was founded in 1888 and was one of the largest in Western Canada.

In 1891, it introduced the famous “Empress” class of ships, offering a world cruise for $600 (the equivalent to $15,000 today). The company had even bigger ambitions, deciding it must have an Atlantic service.

Abbott replaced him as Prime Minister at the age of 70, but he retired the following year due to ill health and died in 1893.

In 1901, it added a fifth partner, Arthur Holden, who specialized in maritime law.

Ladner Downs The Vancouver firm of Ladner Downs was founded in 1911.

Holden played a role during the inquiry that followed the collision of the CPR’s Empress of Ireland with the Norwegian collier SS Storstad near Rimouski on May 29, 1914, resulting in the loss of 1,014 passengers on the Empress, the largest single maritime disaster in Canadian history.

Borden & Elliot The Toronto firm of Borden & Elliot was founded in 1936 by lawyers Henry Borden and Beverly V. Elliot.

When senior partner F.E. Meredith died in 1941, his funeral was one of the largest in Montreal’s history and both the legal and business communities were well represented among the pall-bearers, a testament to his influence.

Founded in 1950, the American College of Trial Lawyers comprises the best of the trial bar from the United States and Canada.

In May of 1966, Bremen became the first German container port.

The containers needed special equipment and ample open spaces, so as a result, construction of the container terminal in Bremerhaven was started in 1968.

The "Datenbank Bremische Häfen" database was duly developed in 1973, and with it the first port information system in the world.

It wasn’t until 1985 that the firm welcomed its first female partner, Elizabeth Mitchell.

The bilingual firm was a result of a 1998 merger of McMaster Meighen and Mackenzie Gervais.

On March 1, 2000, five regional law firms leaders in their market merged to create the national firm of Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG).

In total, 213 BLG lawyers are recognized in the guide, up from 203 in 2013.