Henein Hutchison Robitaille insists the top process

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The company continues to appear in civilian disputes with high operations.

In the class action against Canntrust Holdings Inc. in the feud of the Stronach family. Representation of the one condominium developer Sam Mizrahi. In the case in which Pornhub and his parent company Aylo Holdings are involved. (And these are just the cases that are public.)

Henein Hutchison Robitaille LLP, the Toronto -Boutique, which is famous for elite defense, has grown in the world of corporate law, civil disputes and regulatory affairs for a decade.

Today, more than half of the 32 lawyers from HHR do not practice criminal law. And recently the company added the experienced commercial process lawyer Shaun Laubman by Lax O'Sullivan Lisus Gottliebman.

Even the founding partner of HHR, Marie Henein-maybe the most famous criminal lawyer of the state estimated that only 5 percent of her current fall burden affects criminal files.

Danielle Robitaille, the managing partner of the company, said that the Evolution of HHR was organically taking place.

“I think people have familiarized themselves with our work in the criminal area. And companies and individuals who had private battles or more corporate disputes were looking for this type of representation, ”said Ms. Robitaille. “They searched for the type of representation that is fearless. No stone remained untidy. No attitudes blocked. “

Ms. Henein started the law firm as Henein & Associates in 2002 after working under legendary criminal defense lawyer Edward Greenspan. In the legal community, she immediately founded herself as one of the most talented defenders in the country.

A decade later, however, she became a known name after gaining a number of top -class cases.

In 2009, Ms. Henein was retained by the former Attario Attario's attorney's attorney after being charged because of criminal negligence. The public prosecutor caused the indictment for evidence that the Henein defense team was uncovered. And then the best known, in 2016, Ms. Henein and Mrs. Robitaille, who in 2007, defended in the company in 2007 in his sexual process, the former CBC presenter Jian Ghomeshi.

It didn't take long for the Ghomeshi attempt to get help with other types of files such as civil disputes and complex negotiations. She found the problems fascinating.

“Open, I just bored a bit,” she said. “I like to push myself. And it just starts mushroom. As soon as you open the door and say: “I will do it”, the work begins to flow. “

However, the company's first big leap towards civil files occurred in 2013 when Scott Hutchison, a well -known lawyer of Stockwoods LLP and former long -time crown prosecutor, occurred. Then the company Henein Hutchison LLP. (Ms. Robitaille's name was added to the door in 2023.)

Then they brought Alex Smith from Torys in 2016, and in 2022 Ewa Krajewska left Borden Ladner Gervais LLP to join the company. Today co-chair of the group of the company's civil disputes.

Two years ago, HHR also added right -wing Peter Henein, Ms. Henein's brother, from Waddell Phillips, who specialized in commercial disputes and intellectual property, especially with regard to entertainment issues. (HHR still has a robust criminal defense practice under the direction of Matthew Gourlay and Stephanie Digiuseppe.)

“We have just built and built,” said Ms. Robitaille, who expanded her practice beyond criminal matters.

She is now working extensively in the area of ​​corporate compliance and on workplace examinations. She took care of the examination of Hockey Canada in allegations that members of the World Junior team 2018 sexually attack a woman in a hotel room after a fundraiser. And recently, she and Mr. Hutchinson were appointed as a legally appointed compliance monitor by Pornhub and his parent company Aylo Holdings as part of the company's enforcement contract.

“We are lawyers,” said Ms. Robitaille. “We take the letter and go to court. We don't really spend much time to worry about limits or obstacles. “

Ms. Henein said that this idea of ​​being a true lawyer – a lawyer who plays in both civil and criminal world – is not particularly common in Canada, but in other countries such as Great Britain. And there were examples in this country, like the legendary Canadian lawyer John Josiah Robinette.

Hhr's versatility is what it distinguishes, she said.

However, the move of the company to the company and the civil space has ruffled feathers. Some civilian process lawyers will complain that work in a file with HHR can be a challenge, since it does not always “understand how things are done”.

Ms. Henein said she heard the gossip and is undesirable.

“I think these are the comments of the Old Boys' club that have a kind of unwritten rules that they consider in the way how legal disputes should occur. And maybe it happened in the Cambridge Club or in which golf club, but in my opinion these are not serious process lawyers, ”she said.

In the criminal world everything is very formal and in the recording, said Ms. Henein. Where it came across a certain friction, she admits that “in some circles in civil disputes” there is an idea that things can be handled informally and outside of recording – among friends.

“But you are not friends by the way. They represent the interest of their customers, ”she said. “If there is an unwritten rule, it is unwritten because it is not a rule.”

Last January, the company caused a sum after Mr. Laubman left the partnership in Lax O'Sullivan Lisus Gottlieb LLP, one of the country's best boutiques of dispute, for Hhr. Mr. Laubman, an experienced process and appeal lawyer with a specialist knowledge in corporate disputes, fraud cases, franchise disputes, legal disputes and real estate disputes, has been with Lax for more than 17 years.

Mr. Laubman said he really enjoyed working with his former company, but he was looking for a new challenge.

“I see myself as the middle of my career. I was interested in doing something else. Not necessarily in the type of law, but I wanted to contribute to the structure, ”he said.