Canadian Lawyer Magazine recognizes McMillan as a 2025 5-Star Pro Bono Firm, placing it among the top ten law firms in Canada to receive this esteemed award. The firm takes immense pride of its rich history of offering pro bono services to people, organizations and communities in need. This recognition underscores McMillan's commitment to supporting those who require assistance the most.
"I am thrilled about the firm's strong reputation and continued recognition in the legal pro bono spectrum," said Jeffrey Levine, Partner, Corporate Commercial Litigation and National Pro Bono Coordinator for McMillan. "Dedicating time to pro bono work is ingrained in our culture and an area we prioritize. It is always encouraging to see our lawyers step up and pursue these opportunities, and their efforts will always be supported within our firm."
An overview of McMillan's recent contributions as a pro bono law firm include:
- Over 3,000 hours of pro bono work to individuals through organizations such as Pro Bono Law Ontario, Calgary Small Claims Duty, Access to Justice Vancouver, and also through independent mandates within the province of Québec. Of those hours, partner Reuben Rothstein and associate Rachel Wong from McMillan proudly earned "honour roll" volunteer distinctions for individually providing more than 50 hours of pro bono legal services through Pro Bono Law Ontario.
- Collaboration with the Maytree Foundation and its mission to advance systemic solutions to eradicate widespread poverty. Through its program, McMillan assisted numerous charitable organizations dedicated to serving the needs of communities and individuals across the province of Ontario.
- Extensive work with the International Senior Lawyers Project, a non-profit supporting the advancement of global development and the rule of law for low-income governments, civil societies and social enterprises. In 2024, partner Shahen Mirakian and associates Lyndie Charlton, Isabelle Guevara and Lily Le provided a memorandum on the legal framework for a delivery of mini-grid energy projects in Africa, modeled on similar projects in Nigeria.
- Continuing the firm's affiliation with the National Self-Represented Litigants Projects, which is committed to advancing the understanding of the challenges many Canadians face who to court without counsel.
The Canadian Lawyer Magazine's 5-Star Pro Bono Firm distinction recognizes law firms and legal departments that demonstrate a robust pro bono infrastructure at an institutional level. This includes providing a minimum of five hours of pro bono time per lawyer or maintaining active pro bono programs for in-house legal teams.
Discover more about McMillan's impactful pro bono services.