It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our partner and dear friend, Alan P. Gardner.
Alan—or Al, as he was known to his friends—passed away in Toronto following a courageous battle with lung disease. Alan is survived by his wife, Dominique Hussey, and their two children, Henry and Josephine.
More than anything in his life, Alan loved his family dearly. The thoughts and deepest sympathies of everyone at Bennett Jones are with Dominique, their children and all of Alan's and Dominique's families during this unimaginably difficult time.
Alan joined Bennett Jones in 2005, practicing in the Toronto office, and was one of the country's top lawyers in securities and commercial litigation. He also frequently assisted in the conduct of internal investigations. Alan was widely regarded by clients, fellow advocates and peers for his exceptional work and trusted advice for clients in securities law and litigation.
Alan was at his best when working in complex and high-stakes situations. He spent the early part of his career in New York where he excelled in representing top-tier financial institutions in high profile regulatory investigations and litigation.
At our firm, Alan was a dedicated mentor to everyone around him—including our partners, associates, students and staff. So many of our lawyers are who they are today in part because of Alan's mentoring, training and contributions.
A loving father and devoted husband, Alan will be remembered as generous, outgoing, thoughtful, intelligent, kind and hard-working. His personality was a magnet, and he was the type of person that others immediately wanted to be around. He was admired for his superb legal skills, his positivity and optimism, but more so for being a constant source of encouragement and inspiration to the people in his life.
Dominique and their children have our full support during this time. Alan will always be loved and fondly remembered, and forever a part of Bennett Jones. We will profoundly miss him.
John M. Mercury
Executive Chair & Chair of the Board