Three Bay Street lawyers. One boutique firm. A different way of working.
Meridian Law Group was founded in 2018 by Sarah Chen, David Okonkwo, and Rachel Fournier — three lawyers who each spent over a decade at top Canadian firms before deciding to build something different.
At large firms, growing businesses routinely pay Bay Street rates and get junior associates. Their matters get shuffled down the leverage model. The partner who pitched the work is rarely the partner doing it.
Meridian was built to fix that. Every file is owned by a partner. There are no hand-offs, no filtered updates through an associate, no billing surprises. The lawyer who takes your call on day one is the same lawyer who closes your file.
These aren't marketing claims. They're the decisions we made when we founded the firm — and the ones we make again on every file.
When you hire Meridian, you hire a partner — not a firm that assigns your matter downstream. The partner you speak with in the consultation is the same lawyer on your file at close.
We quote flat fees on standard matters — shareholder agreements, commercial leases, employment contracts, routine corporate filings. You know what it costs before we start. Hourly work is quoted in advance and tracked transparently.
You have the partner's direct line and direct email. Not the reception desk, not an associate intermediary. When something needs an answer, you can reach the person with the answer.
It's a fair question. Boutique firms can mean junior lawyers at lower rates. Meridian is the opposite.
Sarah Chen spent 18 years at McCarthy Tétrault on M&A and corporate finance. David Okonkwo built his employment practice at Osler. Rachel Fournier led commercial real estate files at Fasken. All three left senior positions at top-five Canadian firms to found Meridian.
The difference isn't the depth of experience — it's that the experience is now directed at you, not filtered through a leverage model.
Book a free 30-minute consultation. No obligation, no ambiguity. You'll speak directly with the partner who would handle your matter.