MONTREAL - Heenan Blaikie, one of the most prestigious law firms in Canada, is closing down.
The Montreal-based firm, whose lawyers have included former prime ministers Pierre Elliott Trudeau and Jean Chretien, will go out of business over the next few months.
The company made the announcement in a statement after a vote was conducted Wednesday evening.
It said a decision was made for an "orderly dissolution." Details of the vote were not released.
Heenan Blaikie was founded in 1973 and had some 500 lawyers in eight offices across Canada. <
But many of Heenan Blaikie lawyers were recruited by competitors in recent weeks.
"This decision follows an in-depth analysis of the available restructuring options in the current context of Canada’s legal services market," the company statement said.
"An orderly wind-up will make it possible to continue serving the firm’s clients without interrupting or disrupting service and to ensure a harmonious transfer of their files to other law firms."