Greater Toronto's Top Employers (2025) Magazine - Flipbook - Page 104
104
( 2025 )
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McMillan LLP finds strength in employee engagement
W
hen the team at
McMillan LLP
began their first tentative steps back to
the office at the end of quarantine,
something still didn’t seem right.
“The problem was, everyone was
in the office on different days,”
says Julia Fiss, a human resources
generalist with the law firm.
“There was a lack of togetherness.
That camaraderie we had before
COVID was missing.”
McMillan quickly created a
solution in the form of a weekly
community day every Tuesday.
“It’s a day to host socials, to have
community lunches and spend
time in person with colleagues,”
says Fiss. The initiative was so
popular and successful that
Tuesday community days have
become ingrained in McMillan’s
culture. “It really reinforced to
me that while management cares
about getting the work done, they
also care about how every firm
member experiences their time at
McMillan,” she says.
McMillan LLP is a leading
Canadian law firm specializing
in business matters with a full
slate of services and sophisticated
expertise for business clients. The
firm serves its clients from five
major markets across Canada in
both national and international
matters, including serving
international clients with interests
in Canada. “To be positioned in
that way is exciting,” says CEO and
managing partner Bruce Chapple,
“because we get to see legal work
that’s on the leading edge of the
economy worldwide as it affects
Canada.”
McMillan’s competitive
advantage is its people and
culture, says Chapple. Giving
those people a chance to
contribute and bring their own set
of unique skills to the workplace
is vital. “We value people as
individuals,” he says. “When they
come here, they know they can
bring their authentic selves to
work, even when they have their
game faces on and are ready to get
the job done. You get to see much
more of everyone’s personality
here at McMillan.”
A culture that lets everyone be
themselves is even obvious in the
way that McMillan presents to
clients, says Chapple. The firm
has avoided the hierarchical layers
that are apparent on most legal
teams in favour of group-wide
collaboration. “We encourage
younger members of the team
to be full participants,” says
Chapple. “It’s an exciting place for
people to work, no matter what
demographic they’re in.”
“We value people as
individuals. When they come
here, they know they can
bring their authentic selves
to work, even when they
have their game faces on
and are ready to get the job
done.”
— Bruce Chapple
CEO and Managing Partner
Employees at McMillan participate in the RBC Race for Kids.
Continuous education, training
and support play a huge role
in achieving that collaborative
atmosphere and cohesive culture,
says Chapple. McMillan offers
employees a range of support
including a robust health and
wellness program that includes
a unique initiative called the
Associate Well-Being Program.
This provides associate lawyers
the opportunity to participate
in mental well-being check-ins.
There are also formal mentorship
programs and an initiative called
McMillan Business Academy
designed to help new lawyers
develop skills and map out their
careers. Professional operations
leaders also have access to
