Manitoba Chamber of Commerce
Issue link: http://publications.winnipegfreepress.com/i/97063
lawyers to volunteer their time to further those initiatives. Dedication to clients and community has been a firm trait for decades. After becoming senior partner in 1953, D.A. Thompson maintained a strong commitment to providing high quality legal work and client service, and to giving back to the community. He was honoured with the Order of the Buffalo Hunt (now the Order of Manitoba) in 1969. Thompson's high standards are embedded in the firm's culture and the main boardroom in the firm's headquarters at Portage & Main bears his name. Students who wish to launch careers at TDS Law enjoy the benefit of a year-long "interview" through the firm's articling program. Their dedication is rewarded with challenging legal work, strong administrative support, a competitive compensation package and the benefit of becoming part of a culture that has evolved over the passing decades. TDS Law offers services in six languages. "You need to have flexibility if you're going to be able to attract and retain diverse talent," says Keith LaBossiere, Chair of the TDS Law Articling Students Committee. Historically, TDS Law has never been afraid to stand out from the crowd. In the 1960s, Guy Kroft (who was subsequently appointed to be a Judge of the Court of Queen's Bench and, later, to be a Judge of the Court of Appeal) became the first member of Winnipeg's Jewish community to be invited to join one of the old-line established law firms in the City. Another example of the firm's involvement in change to the social landscape occurred in 1985 when Cheryl Davidson (a partner at the firm until 1989), was elected the first female president of the Manitoba Bar Association. In 1989, TDS Law became a founding (and Manitoba's only) member of Lex Mundi, the world's leading association of independent law firms, which adheres to a strict admission policy and audits member firms every few years. Going forward, TDS Law plans to build on its reputation in Manitoba's legal profession by continuing to innovate, while remaining true to D.A. Thompson's traditional ideals of providing quality service and overall value to clients. One thing that hasn't changed in the past 125 years is TDS Law's client-centric view of the world, which is most important in terms of the firm's overall success, and even more importantly, the success of its clients. www.tdslaw.com Thompson Dorfman Sweatman LLP: a brief History Hough & Campbell's location on Main Street in 1887. A fire on Christmas Day, 1955 tore through the offices of Thompson, Shepard, Dilts & Jones, causing a reported $1 million worth of damage. Irwin Dorfman became a partner in 1966, and was the first Jewish president in the Canadian Bar Association's history. Aside from being a highly respected firm partner, D.A. Thompson was a notable community figure, earning the prestigious Order of the Buffalo Hunt in 1969. An announcement in the Winnipeg Free Press in 1971 following Alan Sweatman's appointment as central Canadian chairman of National Brotherhood Week. For an extensive look into the history of TDS, visit www.tdslaw.com/125 A Winnipeg Free Press article details partner Guy Joseph Kroft's appointment to the Manitoba Court of Queen's Bench on February 22, 1979. A partner in the firm until 1989, Cheryl Davidson was the first female president of the Manitoba Bar Association. TDS Law is excited to embark on a new chapter in its history. In 1990, TDS Law moved its offices from the Bank of Canada building to the newly built 33-storey Toronto-Dominion Centre at 201 Portage Ave. MBiz November 2012 9