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SYDNEY, N.S. — Law firm McInnes Cooper has increased its presence in Cape Breton by merging with LaFosse McLeod.
McInnes Cooper established in Sydney when it merged with Breton Law Group in September 2022.
Although announced earlier, the merger with LaFosse McLeod became official Monday.
“It was just a good fit for both of us really. They are providing a lot of access to resources, a great team, a great collaborative environment. … It just really was a positive thing for both of us, ” said Ian Parker, who was the managing partner at LaFosse MacLeod and is now a partner at McInnes Cooper.
“Everybody is excited to go through the change.“
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The firm started out as Boudreau and Beaton and then it was Boudreau, Beaton and LaFosse. Then there was a merger with large law firm Stewart McKelvey Stirling Scales before it became a smaller firm again as LaFosse McLeod.
“Certainly with technology in terms of a small firm, there are a lot more advantages of being part of a larger firm with the services you can provide to the public,” said Guy LaFosse, who has been through all the firm’s changes.
“And the technology that is required to operate a law firm these days. … It’s just amazing the changes. When I started out we didn’t have fax machines. To see it evolve to what it is today is incredible. We can offer more specialized services like immigration, tax law, labour, estate planning — a lot more sophisticated legal services.”
McInnes Cooper now becomes the largest provider of legal services in Northern Nova Scotia and Cape Breton.
Marjorie Hickey, the deputy managing partner for McInnes Cooper, said the two locations will eventually share the same office space.
“We’re delighted to expand our presence in Cape Breton. We’re delighted to have two such new wonderful colleagues as Guy and Ian,” she said.
Hickey couldn’t comment on whether there are any talks with other firms concerning possible mergers.
“It’s not so much growth for the sake of growth. It’s really all about strategic growth and it’s a matter of if there are opportunities that present themselves that assist us with our strategy we would certainly be open to looking at that,” Hickey said.
LaFosse MacLeod had two lawyers and three staff but becomes part of a larger organization with 200 lawyers and more than 200 professional resources across seven offices: Charlottetown, Fredericton, Halifax, Moncton, Saint John, St. John’s and Sydney.