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Firm FoundedToronto in the 40's is best remembered for its waves of immigration and shifting cultural make-up. This is the period when Toronto's mosaic of multiculturalism really started to take shape. In 1947, David A. Croll, a former mayor of Windsor and Lieutenant Colonel in the Second World War, co-founded our firm with Norman Borins, a prodigious trial lawyer and former Assistant Crown Attorney |
1950sToronto got its first subway line and David A. Croll went on to become Canada’s first Jewish Senator. These two 'groundbreaking' events helped strengthen the reputation of our city and our firm. Continuing to advocate for education, Norman Borins served as the chairman of the Forest Hill Board of Education. The firm changed names to Croll, Borins & Shiff with the addition of J. Richard Shiff, but soon after he left the firm, and the practice of law, to become the President and CEO of Bramalea Limited. |
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1960sIn the 60s, Toronto saw the Leafs win the Stanley Cup and Nathan Phillips was our mayor, not just the name of a familiar landmark. We know, it's hard to wrap your head around either of those statements. The firm expanded with the addition of Norman's son, Stephen Borins, and Marvin Goldberg in 1961 and ’62 respectively. Stephen became a successful litigator, Co-counsel to the Royal Commission Inquiry into Civil Rights, and an Associate Professor at Osgoode Hall Law School. Marvin Goldberg practiced Commercial Law before leaving in 1974 to become Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Secretary of Shoppers Drug Mart. In the final year of the decade construction wrapped on The TD Centre, Toronto's first skyscraper. Coincidentally, that same year Jerry Birenbaum joined the firm, a skyscraper on the legal landscape in his own right. With the addition of Jerry came another name change, this time to Borins, Goldberg & Birenbaum. Jerry is still with the firm today and has an active Civil Litigation and Criminal Law practice. |
1970sWhile Toronto was humming along as North America's fastest growing city, Borins, Goldberg & Birenbaum were humming along to the music of Bernard Koffman, an accomplished Jazz musician and legal mind, who joined the firm in the early 70s. With the completion of The CN tower, The Science Centre, Ontario Place, and the Harbourfront, Toronto was quickly becoming a well-rounded city. Not to be outpaced, our law firm, as we know it today, began to take shape with the appointment of Howard Steinberg as Partner. |
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1980sDuring the 80s Sir Tim Berners Lee, not Al Gore, invented the thing that this website sits on — only then it was known as the World Wide Web, rather than the now familiar, Internet. Closer to home, Toronto got the Skydome and our firm got Nicola Savin. One of these formidable structures holds 1.56 billion litres of beer. During this time Nicola developed a significant and thriving Family Law Practice and helped advance the field of Collaborative Family Law. |
1990sIn the 90s, The Blue Jays made some moves and developed a dream team to help them win back-to-back World Series titles. During this time we too developed our own dream team when Nicola Savin, Craig Colraine, and Stan Landau all became partners. Nicola, after joining the firm in '89, became the first female partner in the firm's history while Stan and Craig lasted a short while as associates before being called up to the majors in 1991 and 1994 respectively. Birenbaum, Steinberg, Landau, Savin & Colraine would never win the World Series. |
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2000sIn 2004, the Dalai Lama paid a visit to our fair city and the enlightenment must have been contagious. Luminaries, Jacqueline Peeters and Mario Merocchi joined us in 2005 with bright stars, Debbie Jorgensen, Eva Melamed, and Natalie Derbyshire following suit in 2006, 2008, and 2009 respectively. |
CurrentToronto's growth has outpaced nearly every city in North America. In 2012 we surpassed Chicago as the fourth largest city on the continent. Unlike 'T.O' we've always grown at an organic pace and only when it made sense. In late 2012 and early 2013, it made sense to promote Jacqueline Peeters to partner and add our newest associate, Sally Lee, who brings with her significant complex class action experience. We continue to strengthen our firm with long-lasting client relationships and through new service offerings—most notably, we are champions of the growing Collaborative Negotiation movement. |
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