Advocacy Matters - Summer 2020

Pre-2020, Dominique Hussey was the leader of the Intellectual Property Litigation group at Bennett
Jones LLP, the co-head of the firm’s Innovation, Technology and Branding group, and was finishing a
four year stint as lead director of the Bennett Jones partnership board. She was an active member
of TAS, co-chair of the Canadian Bar Association (IP Section), and an active participant in numerous
other professional organizations. Dominique is highly recognized in virtually every legal directory for
her litigation prowess. Oh, and she is the proud mom of two phenomenal young humans.
Cue 2020, which, never one to shy away from a challenge, Dominique welcomed with the professional
equivalent of “hold my beer”. Amidst a global pandemic, Dominique is now Vice Chair and
Toronto Managing Partner at Bennett Jones (the first woman and first Black person to ever hold
that role). She continues to act as the leader of the IP Litigation Group and the co-head of Innovation,
Technology and Branding group. She was selected to join the TAS Executive Committee.
In one of her first external facing acts as Vice Chair and Toronto Managing Partner, Dominique
spearheaded Bennett Jones signing the BlackNorth Initiative Law Firm Pledge, which commits her
firm to specific actions and targets designed to end anti-Black systemic racism and create opportunities
for those in underrepresented Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) communities.
She was also recognized as the Outstanding Practitioner in Patent Law by Managing IP in
their Americas Awards 2020.
This interview explores the delightful and totally inspiring chaos that is Dominique’s current reality.
IN CONVERSATION WITH
Zoom In: A Discussion
with Dominique Hussey
Compiled by Melanie Baird,
Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
Q. What have been the best and worst parts of taking on the role of Managing Partner?
A. I officially became Managing Partner on March 31, so I have only held the role during COVID-19.
Still, it has mostly been extremely positive.
The best part has been seeing how quickly and effectively our teams have pulled together. As a
result of the exceptional planning by our Chief Administrative Officer and our HR and IT teams, our
1000 members were up and running remotely almost immediately. Our teams were working around
the clock to keep things running smoothly and it has been absolutely, spectacularly successful.
Regular check-ins have been organized at every level of the business to make sure no one has felt
disconnected, although we have all been apart. We have onboarded and integrated new employees
including a class of summer students. Our HR and PD teams have found ways to do that effectively
and with a personal touch. It has been great to watch how people step up to help each other in
tough situations. Many of us feel even closer to each other than we did pre-COVID-19.
During this time, of course, difficult social issues involving race have come to the fore. They
obviously surfaced from a very negative place but there has been so much positive change and
discussion as a result—among clients, at law firms, at TAS, at home, on social media—that being
involved in a position of management during this time has been very rewarding.
The worst parts have been inherent uncertainties, and the pessimistic outlook and thought
processes that need to accompany planning for worst-case scenarios. And extreme Zoom fatigue,
brought on by trying to stay in touch with members of the firm, colleagues at other firms, clients,
family and friends. But a lot of the best parts have arisen from what could have been the worst.
A crisis can really bring out the best in an organization and its people.
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