When Hugh McDonald was starting out as a lawyer, there was a standing reservation at the old Commodore Restaurant, where lawyers from the city would meet for coffee or lunch, at a time when professionals were not tied down to computers and cell phones.
Run by legendary restaurateur Kenneth “King” Lee, who lived well past age 100, the Commodore afforded legal professionals a place to call their own, to talk shop and relax.
“The lawyers had their own table,” he said.
In an interview with StratfordToday, McDonald, celebrating 50 years of practicing law in the Festival City, talked about the changing times, starting with computers and a steady decline of in-person business and socialization leaving people confined and isolated.
“Changes in society have changed the way in which people work. I used to spend two or three days a week in the registry office, or the court house, now there are weeks where I don’t get out of the office except to get coffee.”
Nowadays, McDonald, 75, mainly works in the areas of estate planning, real estate, corporate and commercial work.
“It has allowed me to accumulate a clientele that are very pleasant to work with.”
Well known and respected around the city, McDonald has worked with a who’s who of local legal talent through affiliation or partnership. When he moved to Stratford to start his career, McDonald formed a partnership with Wilfrid Gregory that lasted nearly two decades. Other legal partners over the years include Richard Linley, John Buechler, David Barenberg, Alexandra Bignucolo and Andrew MacDonald.
“I have worked with some very good lawyers.”
Currently, he’s hunkered down in an historic brick house, built in the 1870’s, on Waterloo Street South, partnered with Andrew MacDonald at McDonald and MacDonald Barristers and Solicitors.
There was a small celebration earlier this year as his career hit the five decade mark.
McDonald grew up just north of Amulree in a community full of Scottish immigrants. He finished Western University’s law school on a Friday and was articling on the following Monday.
There was a lot of mentoring by judges and senior lawyers in those days, he recalled.
Despite perceived advances, practicing law didn’t get any easier over the years, he said. Some legal forms have gone from a few sentences to many pages. The deterioration of family law practice is the worst example, McDonald said. Cases can drag on for years, whereas one year ‘was a shock’ when he started practicing law.
“Every time they try to make it nicer and more pleasant, it gets worse.”
McDonald also spent almost 30 years as a small claims court judge. “When I started you would get a trial date 30 days after you filed a claim of defence, you are now lucky to see anything in a year. Unfortunately, that delay has been built-in. So much more process and so much more paper.”
McDonald, who is married to Jane McDonald, has two children and two step-children. He plans to keep working but there have been discussions around a succession plan and talks with law firms about who might want to have a presence in Stratford.
McDonald has enjoyed the working relationships over the years. One of his staffers started in 1988 and is still at her desk today. Another recently left after 28 years. Some very talented summer students and articling students have also helped over the years, he said.
And who could forget all of those friends from the Commodore?
“They are brilliant,” he said of his colleagues.
