Call it a conscious uncoupling or a relatively amicable divorce, but after years of being hitched to big law firms, Ottawa family law lawyer Katherine Cooligan has parted ways with that world to co-found a new boutique law firm, Cooligan Yehia LLP.
The move marks a bold departure on her part, one she hopes will pay off for her and the small team of younger lawyers she’s taken under her wing.
The legal veteran had been a partner for 18 years at Borden Ladner Gervais (BLG) before the national law firm decided to cease family law services in Ottawa, effective Dec. 31, 2023.
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She was told the news at an Oct. 12 management meeting. “It was emotional, it was very emotional for me, I’m not going to lie,” she said in an interview with OBJ.
Naturally, the lawyer had been wrapped up in her professional identity. Cooligan, who’d been the regional managing partner at BLG in Ottawa from 2014 to 2020, felt a deep connection to the firm. She broke barriers by being the first family law lawyer and woman to step into that leadership role.
“As much as I was a big part of its culture, it was a big part of me. My immediate reaction was almost like an identity crisis. If I’m not (at BLG), who am I? But in reality, I’ve always had my own independent practice, even within the firm.”
Cooligan understood that her clients had been coming to her for family law, not to the firm. “I knew all of the hard work and my professional reputation, my business reputation, would carry with me. I would be okay — better than okay, but I had to make the decision about what I was going to do.”
Of BLG’s five offices, it had only offered family law services in Ottawa. There was a high turnover of associates due to the challenges of meeting hourly targets, not to mention working in an area of law that can be emotionally taxing for all parties involved, said Cooligan.
Family law tends to generate less revenue for large firms than, say, tax or corporate law. That’s not so much the case for Cooligan — one of the top family law lawyers in town. With 32 years’ experience, she’s an award-winning trailblazer in her profession and the Ottawa community.
Cooligan was born and raised in Ottawa, earning her undergraduate degree at Carleton University and her law degree at the University of Ottawa. She has three children in their 20s.
At age 59, retirement was an option for the lawyer. So was joining another firm. Ultimately, Cooligan chose a new direction: entrepreneurship.
“I still believed I had a lot to do, a lot left to give in terms of serving clients and training young lawyers,” said Cooligan. “This was an opportunity to do something different, to kind of break free from some of the limitations that a firm setting imposes.
“I decided I was going to open my own firm.”
She got it done in two months, opening an office on Richmond Road in Westboro at the beginning of January.
The benefits of entrepreneurship
Cooligan is excited “to be able to stand shoulder to shoulder” with other entrepreneurs. She’s joined by her co-founding partner Ziad Yehia, whose area of expertise is in estates and trusts. “It made sense to pair up those two practice areas,” she said.
Cooligan and Yehia met 11 years ago when he was an articling student under her supervision at BLG’s Ottawa office. They clicked immediately and remained close, even after he became an associate at the BLG Toronto office.
“He’s one of my favourite people,” said Cooligan. “He’s highly skilled, very smart, very driven and has great intuition and common sense — something you can’t teach.”
Cooligan sees the smaller firm as “a huge opportunity” for the team. “What I’ve learned very quickly is, going out on your own you have autonomy, you have a lot more flexibility, you’re able to be nimble.”
With offices in Ottawa and Toronto, Cooligan Yehia LLP can provide more personalized legal services not offered at larger firms, said Cooligan. As well, clients are charged lower hourly rates from associates because overhead costs are less. “We really feel that we’re offering a better package to clients.”
One thing that distinguishes family law lawyers is their need to manage a high-volume, high-conflict and often emergency-based practice. “We need to move things quickly. Sometimes, the wheels of Big Law move slowly,” said Cooligan, who feels “a huge administrative load” has been lifted in running a smaller firm.
Support for the community
As a professional leader in Ottawa, Cooligan has always felt a responsibility to support causes she cares about. She’s chair of The Royal’s Women for Mental Health, a Royal Foundation board member, vice-president of strategic initiatives with the Women’s Business Network of Ottawa, and a long-time supporter of CHEO Foundation.
CHEO cared for her son Justin after he was born with multiple heart defects. He was five months old when he passed away there on Sept. 19, 1997. In a harsh coincidence, it was the same day Cooligan learned she’d made partner at what’s now Gowling WLG.
Also important to Cooligan is mentoring the next generation of lawyers. She’s joined by senior associate Evan Corey (formerly BLG), associate Erin Kelley (formerly Nelligan Law), and Lindsay Correia (formerly the Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee). The firm also employs four law clerks, a legal assistant and a student. It’s looking to hire two or three more associates.
“What I’m really excited about doing is being able to really build the careers of the people I’m working with. It’s not just women – it’s men and women,” said Cooligan, who’s passionate about mentoring and encouraging more women to have a long-term career in private practice.
The support goes both ways. When Cooligan announced via LinkedIn plans to leave BLG and launch her own firm, comments poured in from former students and associates, highlighting the positive impact she’s had on their careers.
“They said the things that were the most important to me: that I had made the time, that I had set an example for them, and that I had taught them.
“I want to continue that.”
