Greater Toronto's Top Employers (2026) Magazine - Magazine - Page 28
28
( 2026)
SPONSOR CONTENT
Blakes emphasizes the importance of supporting community
M
elissa Earl, a
securities lawyer
at Blake, Cassels
& Graydon LLP
(Blakes), was
volunteering on the Pro Bono
Ontario legal aid advice hotline a year ago when she took a
call from a teenage boy.
As lawyers, we have an
obligation to help as
many people as we can,
and I’m very grateful
that Blakes is so committed to community
service. Pro bono work
is a core value of the
firm.
— Melissa Earl
Securities Lawyer
“He was scared and lost because
someone was threatening to sue
him for copyright infringement
over the custom drawings he sold
online,” Earl says. “I listened to his
fears and talked him through the
fact he had done nothing wrong
and that there was no legal claim
against him. By the end of our call,
he was feeling much calmer and
reassured.”
Of all her pro bono work for
people who cannot afford legal
services, Earl thinks often of that
encounter. It reminds her that
many hotline callers “really need
someone in the justice system to
just listen to them.” This common
experience underscores the
importance of making the justice
Employees at Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP prioritize pro bono work, ensuring legal services are accessible
for people who cannot afford a lawyer.
system accessible, a value deeply
embedded in the culture of Blakes.
“As lawyers, we have an obligation to help as many people as
we can, and I’m very grateful that
Blakes is so committed to community service. Pro bono work is a
core value of the firm,” says Earl.
For Mary Jackson, chief officer,
professional resources, that kind
of community engagement has
been central to Blakes throughout
its long history. “It’s part and
parcel of a culture that supports
our community as well as our own
people,” says Jackson. And Blakes,
recently named one of the nation’s
five-star pro bono law firms by
Canadian Lawyer magazine,
continues to increase its efforts in
that area of practice.
“We have brought on a lawyer
— Matt Cohen, advisor, pro bono
and charitable giving — to focus
solely on strengthening our efforts
in this area because we think it’s
so essential,” Jackson says. “I’ve
been doing this work alongside
many other people at Blakes over
the years, but we thought it would
be even more impactful if we had
someone completely dedicated to
it, someone to consider where the
greatest needs are and where we
can make the greatest impact.”
The new pro bono advisor is “a
pretty big testament to the fact this
is something that we’re dedicated
to as a firm,” says Earl.
