William Northcote

Bill is Chair of the firm’s business law practice group, and enjoys an eclectic variety of interests outside practicing law – such as travel (about 56 “countries”, 6 continents) and a serious pursuit of still photography. Bill’s practice focusses on business law including mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and financing. He understands that the practice of law is essentially about serving the needs and expectations of clients and he recognizes that his relationship with his clients is essentially a personal relationship.

Bill’s 44 years of legal experience complements a strong academic background. While in law school, Bill served as an editor of the Ottawa Law Review. Bill has taught at York University (Toronto) and Nankai University (Tianjin, China) on business law issues and was an instructor in the Law Society of Ontario’s Bar Admission Course for ten years.

Bill believes he has to understand his client’s business and its business environment in order to meet their needs. He has served on the boards of a number of public, private and charitable clients that carry on diverse types of businesses (including life reinsurance consulting, trade and direct investment consulting in the East Asia, postage meter and equipment distribution, and software development and licensing).

Bill uses his skills to find legal solutions that are effective and economical. Clients often ask for Bill’s business advice knowing that they can benefit from his over forty-four years of experience. For many clients Bill fills the role of trusted advisor.

Bill serves as pro bono counsel and the Chair of the board of directors of the Toronto Foundation for Student Success, a charity which provides nutrition programs to about 225,000 Toronto students every school day and operates 19 after school programs in high needs Toronto communities. Bill serves as a director of the charity Churchill Society for the Advancement of Parliamentary Democracy.