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1924
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Our founders, Harold Lawrence and Gordon Graydon graduate from Osgoode Hall and open their own law office in Brampton. The firm is known as Graydon & Lawrence. The population of Brampton is 4,551.
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1933-53
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Gordon Graydon is elected federal Member of Parliament for Peel. He serves as Opposition Leader in the House of Commons and acting House Leader through much of World War II. He is an original signatory to the United Nations Charter on behalf of Canada.
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1949-51
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Harold Lawrence is elected Mayor of Brampton.
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1956
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Harold’s son William (Bill) Lawrence, silver medallist in his Osgoode Hall law school class, is invited to clerk for Chief Justice James McRuer.
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1957
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Bill Lawrence joins his father’s law practice and is later joined by his classmate Basil Stevenson. The firm moves to offices at 43 Queen Street West and becomes Lawrence, Lawrence, Stevenson.
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1979-81
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Partners Basil Stevenson and Gerry Fitzhenry each serve as Chair of the Board of Governors for Peel Memorial Hospital.
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1979-90
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Partner John Webber is appointed first to the Ontario County Court, then to the Brampton County Court in 1985 and the Superior Court of Ontario in 1990.
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1986-87
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Partner Dennis Cole serves as President of the Brampton Board of Trade, followed by partner Heather Picken in 1999-2000, and by partner Michael Luchenski in 2005-2006.
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1991-2000
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Partner Janet Simmons is appointed first to the Ontario Court of Justice, then to the Superior Court of Justice and in 2000 to the Ontario Court of Appeal.
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1995-07
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Partner Rob van Kessel serves on the Rotary Club of Brampton.
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2000-08
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Partner Ed Upenieks serves on the Board of Governors for Peel Memorial Hospital and becomes the Founding Chair of the William Osler Health Centre Foundation.
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2000-06
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Partner Heather Picken is appointed by the Province of Ontario to the Board of Governors for Sheridan Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning in Brampton and Oakville, serving as Vice-Chair in 2005-06.
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2001-06
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Partners Ed Upenieks and Rob van Kessel co-author a legal text, Enforcing Judgments and Orders.
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2001-06
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Partners Mike Prsa and Bill Sirdevan serve on executive committees of the Ontario Bar Association, Mike on the Trusts and Estates Section and Bill on the Business Law Section.
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2002
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Partner Rob van Kessel publishes his book Summary Judgments and Other Dispositions Before Trial and receives the prestigious Rotary International Paul Harris Fellowship award.
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2002-07
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Partner Ed Upenieks serves on the Board of William Osler Health Centre.
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2004
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Lawrences wins the City of Brampton’s Outstanding Brampton Business Achievement Award of Merit.
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2006
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Lawrences celebrates the 50th anniversary of Bill Lawrence's call to the Ontario bar and 50 years of continued service as a lawyer in Brampton.
Partner Rob van Kessel publishes his book Interim Receivers and Monitors
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2006-07
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Partner William Sirdevan serves as President, Region of Peel Big Brothers Big Sisters.
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2008
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Lawrences marks its 85th anniversary year.
Partner J. Farquhar MacDonald retires after having served the Brampton community for almost 40 years.
Partner Ed Upenieks is elected Councillor for the Central West Region of the Ontario Bar Association.
Partner Rob van Kessel publishes his book Dispositions Without Trial.
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2009
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To round off its 85th anniversary celebrations, Lawrences publishes a special Heritage Edition of its newsletter, complete with pictures of Brampton in 1924 and 43 Queen Street West when it was a tinsmith’s operation. Click here to read it
Bill Lawrence retires from active practice after more than 50 years of continuous client service in Brampton. Population of Brampton is now 500,000.
Lawrences lawyers and staff celebrate the completion of its pledge of $100,000.00 in donations to William Osler Health System for Brampton Civic Hospital. The Hospital dedicates a birthing room on the obstetrical floor to recognize the contribution.
Partner Heather Picken becomes Chair of the William Osler Health Centre Foundation.
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2010
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Lawrences partner Mike Prsa is named Professional of the Year by the Canadian-Croatian Chamber of Commerce.
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2011
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Lawrences partner Ed Upenieks is appointed a Deputy Judge for the Central West Region of the Small Claims Court.
Lawrences partner Heather Picken is appointed to the Board of Directors of Hydro One Brampton Networks Inc.
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2012
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Lawrences partner Robert van Kessel passes away. In memory of their partner, the firm establishes the Robert J. van Kessel Memorial Fund with the Brampton and Caledon Community Foundation and the Robert J. van Kessel ’87 Memorial Writing Prize at the University of Windsor Law School, his alma mater.
Lawrences partners Heather Picken and William Sirdevan celebrate 25 years of practice. Lawrences partner Michael Luchenski celebrates 20 years of practice.
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2013
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Lawrences partner Heather Picken is awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for her extensive volunteer work with local organizations.
Lawrences partner Ed Upenieks celebrates 30 years of practice.
Lawrences late partner, Rob van Kessel’s legal text, The Law of Fraud in Canada, is completed by his co-author, Paul Rand, and published by LexisNexis Canada.
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2014
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Lawrences celebrates its 90th anniversary year.
Lawrences partner Mike Prsa celebrates 30 years of practice.
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2015
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Lawrences partner Ed Upenieks is elected President of the Ontario Bar Association.
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Lawrences partner Heather Picken is named the Brampton Board of Trade's Business Person of the Year |