Defending downtown

Does this brief from 1986 spark joy?

Employees at Winnipeg’s Fillmore Riley LLP may not be using Japanese organizing expert Marie Kondo’s methods, but they are decluttering. After more than four decades headquartered in the 360 Main St. office tower, the full-service law firm is preparing to move its operations across the street to the Richardson Building.

“You’ll see a lot of garbage bins and recycling bins all over the place because we are getting rid of what’s accumulated over the last 40 years,” said Stuart Blake, chief executive officer and managing partner.

Construction on the new office started last fall. One thing Blake and the firm’s other 36 partners knew at the end of 2024 when they made the decision to move was that they wanted to stay downtown.

Fillmore Riley has been located near the corner of Portage Avenue and Main Street since its inception in 1883, Blake says, and the firm remains steadfast in its commitment to investing in Winnipeg’s downtown.

“Certainly, there are options out in the suburbs that are less expensive and easier to get to perhaps, but that was really never in the cards for us,” he said. “It’s important to just continue to support downtown.”

The move places the firm within a corridor of investment led by the Richardson family that includes the multimillion-dollar revitalization of the Fairmont Winnipeg hotel, Richardson Innovation Centre and proposed Global Agriculture Technology Exchange, which is to be the future home of Cereals Canada.

“We have a very longstanding, close client relationship with the Richardson organization,” said Jody Langhan, executive chair and partner. “They’re investing heavily in our city, which is part of their DNA as a family, and for us to be aligned with their vision and commitment to the city is really something we’re proud of.”

It won’t be the first time Fillmore Riley has occupied space at 1 Lombard Pl.

Founded in 1883, under the name Richards & Coutlee, the firm was renamed Fillmore & Riley around the time it moved into the Richardson Building in 1971.

The firm moved to its present location on the 16th and 17th floors in 360 Main St. when the building opened in 1981. “We’re going back home in some ways,” Blake said.

Fillmore Riley had around 10 lawyers and 10 support staff in 1981, Langhan noted. Since then, the employee count has grown to 180, including 85 lawyers.

The firm has been entrusted with handling some of the most complex and sophisticated transactions and litigation involving Canada’s most prominent companies, institutions and individuals.

Born and raised in Manitoba, Blake joined the firm nearly 40 years ago and practices primarily in the area of insurance litigation.

“In high school, I debated and I thought maybe law might be something to pursue,” the 61-year-old said. “That’s how I fell into it.”

Langhan, 56, was born in New Brunswick before moving to Manitoba, where his RCMP officer father was raised. He started his career at Fillmore Riley in 1998. Before being appointed to his current role, he chaired the firm’s commercial department for 18 years.

“I always wanted to be a lawyer growing up … but never wanted to be a courtroom lawyer,” he said. “One person wants to buy, one person wants to sell, or two people want to merge together and do something together — just the dynamics of that I always found fascinating, so I pursued it from Day 1.”

In October, the Globe and Mail included Fillmore Riley in its “Canada’s Best Law Firms 2026” list of the country’s most recommended law firms. The publication conducted an online survey to determine which law firms in Canada are held in highest esteem by their peers.

Blake and Langhan appreciate awards and recognition, but there’s something else in which they take greater pride.

“Ongoing business with sophisticated clients who keep coming back to you and valuing your service — to me, that is the best reward,” Blake said.

“A lot of our client relationships go back decades and I think that speaks volumes about the firm more than any award could,” Langhan added.

The partners also take pleasure in working with talented lawyers and support staff. Employees were top of mind when they decided to construct the new headquarters.

The firm partnered with Rodych Integrated Design Inc. to design a bright and welcoming office. Uniformly proportioned offices and workspaces will give everyone access to natural light and promote a healthy, connected environment for lawyers and support team members alike, Langhan said.

“Instead of (return to office) edicts, let’s incentivize our people to come (downtown) to be in a beautiful new space and to collaborate,” he said.

At 34 storeys (124 metres) tall, the Richardson Building opened in 1969 as Winnipeg’s first modern skyscraper.

Fillmore Riley will occupy 39,000 square feet across the building’s 17th, 18th and 19th floors — the second-largest tenant footprint after Richardson International.

Thor Richardson, president of James Richardson & Sons Ltd., said in a news release he is “delighted” to welcome Fillmore Riley to the building.

“The firm’s partners share our commitment to the ongoing renewal of downtown Winnipeg and their confidence is evident both in choosing to remain at Portage and Main and in the investment they have made in their newly-designed office space,” he said.

Kate Fenske, CEO of the Downtown Winnipeg Business Improvement Zone, shares Richardson’s enthusiasm.

“We’re thrilled that Fillmore Riley is staying downtown and renewing their commitment to the neighbourhood,” she said. “I think this move really reinforces the confidence we’re seeing overall in downtown from major employers that are committed to the heart of our city.”

If all goes according to plan, Fillmore Riley will move into the Richardson Building on July 20.

“Preparing to move into a brand new space — it’s an energizing thing,” Langhan says. “It’s just onward and upward from here.”

aaron.epp@freepress.mb.ca