Toronto (December 4, 2019) — Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG) is among the first recipients of the new Precedent Innovation Awards. The Firm is recognized for The Zone, a technologically advanced workspace in our Toronto office. BLG Associate Breanna Needham also received a Precedent Award.
Launched at the end of 2018, The Zone is a collaboration and innovation space designed to encourage clients and lawyers to come together to push boundaries, experiment with new methods of problem solving, and co-create new legal strategies and solutions.
The Zone's embedded technology and multi-functional furniture was carefully selected to stimulate non-traditional thinking and help clients find tailored solutions for their specific needs. The space makes use of every conceivable surface for brainstorming, from whiteboard tables to windows. The Zone is fully supported by a team of facilitators trained in design thinking, a human-centered approach to problem solving that enables our lawyers and clients to bring innovation to life. It is part of the firm's client-focused innovation initiative, BLG Beyond, which looks to find new and better ways to practice law and add value for our clients.
Breanna is a member of the firm's Disputes practice group. She successfully advocated for the Law Society of Ontario to address the disparity between the men's and women's robing rooms at Osgoode Hall. Breanna drafted a petition calling for an all-gender robing room and pointing out the differences in space for women and lawyers who are transgender or non-binary. Less than two weeks later, the Law Society of Ontario announced it would be renovating the men's robing room into an inclusive space for all lawyers.
The Precedent Innovation Awards, launched this year, celebrates the lawyers and law firms implementing original ideas that help make the profession better.