A balanced social, environmental, and economic community generates more benefits and rewards to individuals and businesses alike. Our commitment to our employees, clients, and the community at large has guided our development as a firm. Over the years, we have looked for ways to contribute to our employees’ personal and professional growth, help our clients in their missions to be more socially responsible, and, as a profitable business, give back to society so we can continue to thrive and grow.

We are involved, as donor and sponsor, in several community and charity programmes, and with several institutions, primarily universities. One of the most successful campaigns is the United Way, where we encourage and seek employee participation at every level of the campaign planning. The United Way helps our neighbours, our friends, and reinforces our connection to the community.

We also support Toronto’s Partnership to Advance Youth Employment, which helps young people from “at-risk” communities — neighbourhoods at risk of being left behind and where young people are at risk of being involved in crime — develop marketable skills and get work experience. Since Heenan Blaikie joined this initiative, some fifteen young people have done internships at our Toronto office and two have been offered full-time positions.

We encourage our employees to donate their time and skill to community and charitable organizations, which often includes the provision of pro bono legal services. Through their volunteerism, our employees grow personally and our ties with our community grow stronger. We also support our clients’ social and philanthropic efforts by contributing our time and skill, as well as through sponsorships and direct donations.

Finally, in line with a sustainable development approach and an increased global awareness, we have created a "green committee" and established an environmental policy. These initiatives illustrate our desire to contribute to preserving the environment and limit the impact of our activities. We are also member of Canadian Business for Social Responsibility (CBSR), a group of some 60 Canadian businesses wishing to integrate financial, social and environmental performances to their corporate practices. CBRS provides its members with candid counsel and customized advisory services as they formulate powerful business decisions that improve performance and contribute to a better world.