Author(s):
Brian Thiessen, KC
May 4, 2021
Lexpert Editor-in-Chief Tim Wilbur recently sat down with Brian Thiessen, QC, the Managing Partner of Osler’s Calgary office and key contact for Osler’s Employment and Labour and Privacy and Data Management Groups, for a virtual interview for the Lexpert TV Legal Leaders Series. Their discussion covered a wide range of topics, including Brian’s vision for the office, some of the main opportunities both for Osler and clients in Western Canada, and how Osler differentiates itself in the marketplace.
“My vision for the Calgary office is to position Osler as the best choice for where our economy is going, not where it has been,” Brian says. “I think that Osler is perfectly positioned to tap into the diversification in western economies that economic planners and political leaders are planning for right now. We have strategic advisors like Brad Wall and Stephen Poloz and a team with deep roots in Western Canada as well as our bench strength in agribusiness and energy, including alternate energy and tech. Our vision for the office is to be the top choice for legal advice as the business needs of our western Canadian economies undergo diversification.”
Brian also discusses Osler Calgary’s strength in its tech and emerging and high growth practices and its relationships and capabilities in relation to the oil and gas and renewable energy sectors. “Our size, innovative approach and expertise in these industries and the regulatory regimes around production, storage and transmission of energy position us uniquely well,” says Brian. “Innovative legal thinking, solving bespoke problems and strong connections to the city are what really set us apart. The majority of our lawyers are from Western Canada. Law firms are just as much about relationships as they are about competent legal advice — and our deep roots in the Calgary community partnered with the access to over 400 of the very best legal minds across Canada provide us with best-in-class service and advice for clients.”
During the interview, Brian also talks about Osler’s deep roots in Calgary and its commitment to the city’s wellbeing. “Calgary has a very strong entrepreneurial spirit, which works in tandem with its huge civic pride. That’s what drew me to raising a family in Calgary and led to my engagement with the city as a volunteer. My partners and I have deep roots in Calgary, and whether it’s helping to attract VC financing to the tech industry, support local charities or political involvement, Osler lawyers are deeply connected to the wellbeing of Calgary. We live here, and we think that it is not just about doing business here but helping to continue to make Calgary the best place in the world to live and work. And that’s my commitment and that’s the commitment of my partners.”
Other subjects covered in the Q&A interview include how the pandemic has affected his practice areas, major developments that are currently having an impact on clients, what trends and projections are expected in the employment and labour and privacy spaces moving forward, and how the pandemic may have a longstanding effect on his office.
Watch the Lexpert TV Legal Leaders Series interview with Brian Thiessen