Throughout my entire life, I have been fortunate to maintain long-standing relationships built on decades of mutual trust and affection. I have a group of close friends to this day whom I first met upon arrival to Canada nearly 50 years ago now!!

Also, while lawyers are very good now at celebrating one another and our younger colleagues within the profession, we do not acknowledge, nearly often enough, the staff who support the justice system – whether it’s hard-working clerks of the Courts or our legal assistants in our private law firms.

I was glad to have a formal opportunity to thank someone in our little firm who makes it all happen!!

This week our little firm got together to celebrate my legal assistant Leanne Deoni who has supported me for fully 20 years as of this April!

Leanne started as my assistant during the early days of my former law partnership with D’Arcy Hiltz, the Hiltz Szigeti LLP law firm at the time in 2005. I was expecting my youngest child at that minute. She was there for the balance of the pregnancy and the birth for a kid who’s turning 20 later this year!

Leanne is an integral part of the firm without whom nothing could get done. She’s wonderful with our clients and endlessly professional with all involved on our files.

I could not have done any of this without her.

She and her family are now really just our beloved family.

Thank you Leanne!!

Also we are turning over the student calendar year with the end of the term for two wonderful students who will soon get called to the Bar and welcoming a new batch!!