Preface

• Author: C. Ian Kyer
• Pages: 11-16

xi

PREFAC E

“S I . An ita, take a memo to Mr. Kyer.” It was these words that

started me on three decades of researc h into the history of the law rm

where I have practised as a student, associate, partner, and now counsel.

TheywerespokentomeonAugustbyRonaldRollsaseniorlitigator

inthelawrmt henknownasFaskenCalv in I had been practising law a

mere four months and three days. I knew Mr. Rolls to be a very formal man,

but I was surprised to learn that he gave instr uctions to st udents and junior

lawyers byc alling them to his oce and dic tating to his secreta ry while

theylookedoninsilenceSiingandlisteningtohisdictationIlearnedthat

his friend Burke Doran, a bencher of the Law Society of Upper Canada, had

justreturnedfromanocialvisittotheLawSocietyofIrelandWhilethere

Doran had been approached by the secretary of t he General Council of the

IrishBarGeoreyCoylewhoexplainedthathehadreceivedasetofleers

fromt heBaker familyt hatdisc ussedt hefounding ofa Torontolawrm

Coylewascurious ifDoranknew ofthis BeayBlackstock rmDorandid

notbuthesuspectedtheleerswereaboutthefoundingofthermheknew

asFaskenCalvinHehadnoticedthattheywerewrienontheleerhead

ofthismysteryrmandthatoneof thenamedpart nerswasDavidFasken

So Doran brought copies back to Toronto and gave them to Ron Rolls. My

taskwastondoutiftheywereindeedaboutthefoundingofFaskens

To appreciate the enthusiasm with which I undertook this task, you

needtoknowt hatIwasawouldbeacademicwit hadoctorateinmedieval