Mintz continues Bay Street legal talent raid, hiring four lawyers from Torys, Dentons

A giant US law firm is continuing its raid of Bay Street corporate legal talent as it aims to establish a foothold in the capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, funds and employment and pension practices.

Boston-based Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo PC said in a release Tuesday that it had recruited four more lawyers to its new Toronto office, three weeks after announcing it was opening shop here. Mintz also revealed his goal is to have 20 lawyers in Toronto by the end of this month, 50 within the next 18 months and 75 within three years.

Three of the new lawyers come from Torys LLP: Matthew Atkey and Brad Tartick, who will become partners at Mintz, and special counsel Bernard Kwasniewski. Matthew Imrie comes from Dentons Canada LLP.

They join three other recently decamped Torys partners – Michael Akkawi, Mitch Frazer and Cheryl Reicin – as well as Dentons partner Eric Foster and Lee Johnson, a Canadian who works in San Diego as a partner with Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati PC. The five were announced last month as the first partners of the new office, where Mr. Frazer will be the managing partner.

The original five decided a few months ago to break away as a group and, rather than start a firm from scratch, and saw Mintz as the ideal partner to provide cross-border legal services. Mintz managing member Bob Bodian said the new group of recruits “adds further depth in core industries and enhances our ability to provide clients with consistent, high-caliber representation on their most complex matters.”

Mintz has more than 500 lawyers at seven other offices in cities such as Los Angeles, New York, San Diego, San Francisco and Washington. Another office is slated for Miami this year. The firm, founded in 1933, has been repeatedly recognized as one of the best US law firms by US News & World Report. It had revenue of US$617-million and net income of US$212-million last year.

The Mintz partners in Toronto include leaders in their specialties: Ms. Reicin is one of Canada’s top biotechnology lawyers, and Mr. Akkawi is one of the leading lawyers in the formation of venture capital and private equity funds. Mr. Atkey is another lawyer deals in the life sciences and technology sectors, while Mr. Tartick’s practice focuses on employment, benefits and pension laws.

Other global law firms have also set up shops or expanded their presence in Canada. Last November, British-based DWF Group entered Canada by acquiring Vancouver law firm Whitelaw Twining. Cozen O’Connor, a Philadelphia-based firm that has been expanding in Canada since 2021, added lawyers this year in Toronto and opened a Vancouver office.