Harrison Pensa votes for Good Governance among LSO Benchers

We’ve heard from several current Law Society of Ontario Benchers and partners at firms across the province, and Harrison Pensa agrees that self-regulation of the legal profession is at risk and must be protected.

Our votes matter

The LSO Bencher Election takes place Wednesday, April 19, 2023 through to Friday, April 28, 2023. Voter turnout among licensed lawyers in Ontario is critical as our profession prepares to elect its LSO governing body. Harrison Pensa supports the Bencher candidates running under the Good Governance Coalition (GGC) banner with a mandate to operate as independent fiduciaries on the LSO board of directors, and to vote independently and in the public interest as members of the board.

On behalf of Harrison Pensa, we’re adding our voice to growing concerns that we will see a repeat of the vote-splitting that was experienced during the previous Convocation by members of the slate known as Full Stop. Full Stop vote as a bloc which puts our profession at risk of losing the privilege of self-regulation.

Harrison Pensa was born out of the merger of two predecessor firms with roots in London, Ontario dating back to around 1857. We credit our longevity with the ability to adapt responsibly within the evolving legal profession, leadership with technology and data protection, and addressing clients’ changing needs and expectations, all under the successful model of self-regulation.

We identify the legal profession in terms of a collection of people with various valuable points of view, instead of a collection of practice groups that govern over individuals. It’s a cornerstone of the firm’s mandate to mentor young lawyers entering the profession.

Good Governance protects new lawyers

“The benefits associated with a self-regulated law society are abundant,” said Clayton Brent, an Associate with the Insurance Defence and Subrogation group at Harrison Pensa who was called to the Bar in 2022.

“Self-regulation allows the policies, mandates, rules, guidelines, and services that we live by to be designed by and for our colleagues and mentors, whose cooperation and guidance we often rely upon, in any case. As a new lawyer entering the profession, many services provided by the LSO are crucially important to developing and maintaining a successful practice — a province-wide network of law libraries, lawyer help lines, liability insurance, and the Coach and Advisor Network, to name a few,” Brent said.

“To be regulated by those with an active connection to our profession, and an intimacy with its fluctuating dynamics, is a privilege afforded to very few. We should be mindful of the consequences associated with putting that in jeopardy.”

We support members of the Good Governance Coalition and want the LSO board to not be distracted from its important work to address access to justice issues, champion diversity, and regulate professional conduct in the profession.

Please vote for good governance at the Law Society of Ontario. More information about the 2023 Bencher Election is available in the LSO Voting Guide for Lawyers.

David Williams is a respected litigator and mentor. As a student, he articled with Harrison Pensa namesake Claude Pensa, and went on to become a managing partner from 1999 until he stepped down in 2014. This year, he celebrates his 42nd anniversary at the firm.