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Breakdown: The Inside Story of the Rise and Fall of Heenan Blaikie
Heenan Blaikie was one of Canada's leading law firms that boasted 1,100 employees and once had two former prime ministers on its staff -- Pierre Trudeau and Jean Chrétien. When it collapsed in February 2014, lawyers across Canada and the business community were stunned. What went wrong? Why did so many lawyers run for the exit? How did it implode? What is it that holds professional partnerships together? This is the story of the rise and fall of a great company by the ultimate insider, Norman Bacal, who served as managing partner until a year before the firm's demise. Breakdown takes readers into the boardroom offices during the heady growth of a legal empire built from the ground up over 40 years. We see how after a change of leadership tensions erupted between the Toronto and Montreal offices, and between the hard-driving lawyers themselves. It is a story about the extraordinary fragility of the legal partnership, but it's also a classic business story, a cautionary tale of the perils of ignoring a firm's culture and vision. Normal0falsefalsefalseEN-USJAX-NONE<!--StartFragment--><!--EndFragment--> <!--EndFragment-->
336 pages, Hardcover
Published February 28, 2017
17 people are currently reading
104 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
April 12, 2017
Throughout my time in academia, I read many books, both fiction and non-fiction. When I typically read a memoir, I prepare myself for a writing style and a story that is self-serving and badly written. For example, most musicians who write biographies are not great writers by any stretch! I felt no differently when I first opened "Breakdown", but I went in with an open mind.
Having witnessed the media version of the Heenan Blaikie demise, I was looking forward to learning about what actually happened. With the ever pervasive nature of "fake news", it is difficult to get a true understanding of events when you are reading about them from a subpar internet story or a Twitter feed. What I was not prepared for when I began "Breakdown" was the eloquent, beautiful and candid way Mr. Bacal was going to craft the series of events that led to the end of the firm.
Mr. Bacal truly fashioned the perfect chronicle of what happened. "Breakdown" was not simply a finger-pointing, anger-fuelled account of what transpired behind the security of closed boardroom doors: it was a raw and incredibly emotional record of one person's rise from an innocent young man selling vacuum cleaners to becoming one of the most well-respected legal minds in North America. I felt like I was there with Mr. Bacal, knocking on doors in Quebec, trying to make a buck. I felt like I was there with him, living the life in Beverly Hills as an expert in film finance and cross border tax issues. I felt like I was there with him when he had to make the hardest business and personal decisions of his life. When he described a happy event, I felt that elation. When he described an anxious event, I felt that anxiety. When he described the grief of seeing colleagues going to job interviews, I felt that sadness. Mr. Bacal put ego aside and offered readers an accessible and honest interpretation of what happened to Heenan Blaikie. For that, we should all be incredibly thankful, whether or not we are in the legal profession.
“Breakdown” is a learning experience for everybody, and I strongly encourage every law student, lawyer, business person and lay person to take the time to read it, process the words, and appreciate the story.
Having witnessed the media version of the Heenan Blaikie demise, I was looking forward to learning about what actually happened. With the ever pervasive nature of "fake news", it is difficult to get a true understanding of events when you are reading about them from a subpar internet story or a Twitter feed. What I was not prepared for when I began "Breakdown" was the eloquent, beautiful and candid way Mr. Bacal was going to craft the series of events that led to the end of the firm.
Mr. Bacal truly fashioned the perfect chronicle of what happened. "Breakdown" was not simply a finger-pointing, anger-fuelled account of what transpired behind the security of closed boardroom doors: it was a raw and incredibly emotional record of one person's rise from an innocent young man selling vacuum cleaners to becoming one of the most well-respected legal minds in North America. I felt like I was there with Mr. Bacal, knocking on doors in Quebec, trying to make a buck. I felt like I was there with him, living the life in Beverly Hills as an expert in film finance and cross border tax issues. I felt like I was there with him when he had to make the hardest business and personal decisions of his life. When he described a happy event, I felt that elation. When he described an anxious event, I felt that anxiety. When he described the grief of seeing colleagues going to job interviews, I felt that sadness. Mr. Bacal put ego aside and offered readers an accessible and honest interpretation of what happened to Heenan Blaikie. For that, we should all be incredibly thankful, whether or not we are in the legal profession.
“Breakdown” is a learning experience for everybody, and I strongly encourage every law student, lawyer, business person and lay person to take the time to read it, process the words, and appreciate the story.
August 28, 2020
I remember reading the media coverage of the dissolution of Heenan Blaikie when it happened, and was interested to read this book to get the inside scoop. What I was not expecting was to gain so many insights into leadership issues when leading a team of lawyers, which is particularly relevant to me as I became Legal Director earlier this year. This would be a good book to read for anyone interested in culture and leadership skills in a large organization.
August 12, 2019
‘Every organization needs a conscience. Not every business has one.’
Canadian author Norman Bacal stands tall as both an attorney and an entertainment world advisor. A graduate of McGill University’s Faculty of Law he joined the prestigious law firm of Heenan Blaikie, founding the Toronto office and propelling that firm as the national co-managing partner to become Canada’s most visible and respected law firms. His expertise as a tax attorney aided the financial foundations of Canadian films and television as well as his becoming an advisor for Warner Bros, MGM and Lions Gate Entertainment. Fortunately for the reading public, Norman has retired from these endeavors and devotes his time to writing – using all of his experience to share the BREAKDOWN of a major business in a manner that pleads for a cinematic version!
In defining the core subject of his book, Norman states, ‘This is a story of a young lawyer’s growth: how I evolved from law student to successful lawyer and then leader. In some ways it is the potential story of every student graduating from university, a real-life case study of the skills required to survive in the business world. This story is also a journey through the building of a remarkable enterprise. It represents my perspective on the birth, adolescence and maturity of a business from its infancy as a small, regional firm through to its glory days as a recognized international brand and ultimately to its shockingly swift demise.’ As succinct and finely written as this overview is, the book that follows is a unique memoir of the emergence of Norman Bacal as not only the preeminent legal mind in North America, but also an important chronicler of just how businesses birth and mature, and the internal flaws that hamper ultimate success.
Norman details his own life steps, from salesman to law student to becoming a part of and ultimately a leader of the most prestigious law firm in Canada, and the now infamous demise of that firm. He offers the most insightful evaluation of why that happened and in doing so provides a manual for ALL businesses, no matter the size or subject, on what determines success. As he states, ‘I discovered early on that in dealing with people, words, actions, and even facial expressions matter. Things we say and do, and the way we say and do them, are being observed, evaluated, and judged on a daily basis by superiors and subordinates. The higher we rise in the organization to positions of mentorship, leadership, or other forms of authority, the more the attitudes of the entire organization will key off the subtle cues we give out about who we are. We are continually on display as role models, and every word, every gesture, every omission can carry weight.’
Getting to know the players - Roy Heenan, Peter Blaikie, Donald Johnston and Danny Levinson (‘the conscience of the firm’) - as intimately as Norman details brings understanding and appreciation for the acumen of the author. Why did Heenan Blaikie fail? ‘Did it really happen as quickly as it appeared to outsiders? In my view the cracks in the foundation began to appear shortly after we opened the Paris office in 2011. We endured a rogue partner, concerns over our practice activities around the world, and a flawed process to replace the leaders, which led to greater tensions between Montreal and Toronto. Add to that a chairman who stayed in his official position for too long and a compensation committee process that upset partners, all capped by terrible economic conditions just as management had changed. And, as the final straw, a leadership deadlocked over what to do about the growing crisis.’
Norman Bacal emerges as both a wise legal and business philosopher as well as a superb storyteller. His wisdom is peppered with humor and his writing style invites readers to think, consider, and learn while witnessing one insider’s memoir that is sure to become a lasting resource for understanding the impact of human relations – in business and in life. Highly recommended.
Canadian author Norman Bacal stands tall as both an attorney and an entertainment world advisor. A graduate of McGill University’s Faculty of Law he joined the prestigious law firm of Heenan Blaikie, founding the Toronto office and propelling that firm as the national co-managing partner to become Canada’s most visible and respected law firms. His expertise as a tax attorney aided the financial foundations of Canadian films and television as well as his becoming an advisor for Warner Bros, MGM and Lions Gate Entertainment. Fortunately for the reading public, Norman has retired from these endeavors and devotes his time to writing – using all of his experience to share the BREAKDOWN of a major business in a manner that pleads for a cinematic version!
In defining the core subject of his book, Norman states, ‘This is a story of a young lawyer’s growth: how I evolved from law student to successful lawyer and then leader. In some ways it is the potential story of every student graduating from university, a real-life case study of the skills required to survive in the business world. This story is also a journey through the building of a remarkable enterprise. It represents my perspective on the birth, adolescence and maturity of a business from its infancy as a small, regional firm through to its glory days as a recognized international brand and ultimately to its shockingly swift demise.’ As succinct and finely written as this overview is, the book that follows is a unique memoir of the emergence of Norman Bacal as not only the preeminent legal mind in North America, but also an important chronicler of just how businesses birth and mature, and the internal flaws that hamper ultimate success.
Norman details his own life steps, from salesman to law student to becoming a part of and ultimately a leader of the most prestigious law firm in Canada, and the now infamous demise of that firm. He offers the most insightful evaluation of why that happened and in doing so provides a manual for ALL businesses, no matter the size or subject, on what determines success. As he states, ‘I discovered early on that in dealing with people, words, actions, and even facial expressions matter. Things we say and do, and the way we say and do them, are being observed, evaluated, and judged on a daily basis by superiors and subordinates. The higher we rise in the organization to positions of mentorship, leadership, or other forms of authority, the more the attitudes of the entire organization will key off the subtle cues we give out about who we are. We are continually on display as role models, and every word, every gesture, every omission can carry weight.’
Getting to know the players - Roy Heenan, Peter Blaikie, Donald Johnston and Danny Levinson (‘the conscience of the firm’) - as intimately as Norman details brings understanding and appreciation for the acumen of the author. Why did Heenan Blaikie fail? ‘Did it really happen as quickly as it appeared to outsiders? In my view the cracks in the foundation began to appear shortly after we opened the Paris office in 2011. We endured a rogue partner, concerns over our practice activities around the world, and a flawed process to replace the leaders, which led to greater tensions between Montreal and Toronto. Add to that a chairman who stayed in his official position for too long and a compensation committee process that upset partners, all capped by terrible economic conditions just as management had changed. And, as the final straw, a leadership deadlocked over what to do about the growing crisis.’
Norman Bacal emerges as both a wise legal and business philosopher as well as a superb storyteller. His wisdom is peppered with humor and his writing style invites readers to think, consider, and learn while witnessing one insider’s memoir that is sure to become a lasting resource for understanding the impact of human relations – in business and in life. Highly recommended.
August 15, 2019
Author Norman Bacal’s finely-crafted memoir and history, “Breakdown,” details and documents the slow and steady rise of the Canadian law firm Heenan Blaikie to the seemingly sudden and shocking collapse of that partnership in February of 2014. Born in 1956, Bacal graduated from McGill University’s Faculty of Law in 1980 and gradually rose to become one of North America’s most innovative and successful entertainment lawyers. All of this is set against the backdrop of the many varied and colorful personalities Bacal worked with and for, along with the firm’s evolution into one of Canada’s most highly-respected, prestigious law firms. “Breakdown” is an intriguing look behind the scenes and inside the boardrooms as it details the tragic story of Heenan Blaikie’s infamous demise. Along the way, Bacal explains his own personal successes while he details the key missteps and conflicts that led to his firm’s abrupt ending.
Norman Bacal is a gifted storyteller and he delightfully details his personal odyssey from his “soft-spoken” and humble early days to the heights of becoming the legal firm’s national co-managing partner and one of Canada’s top tax attorneys in the entertainment business. His conversational and witty writing style make “Breakdown” a fascinating and compelling read from start to finish. Throughout the book, we are introduced not only to the colorful personalities of the individuals the author worked with at Heenan Blaikie – including two former Canadian prime ministers – but also to the intricate changes in the Canadian tax system. Bacal’s hard work and creativity is evident on nearly every page as he rises through the ranks of the prestigious law firm over the course of four decades.
Among his accomplishments, the author used his creative thinking to come up with innovative new strategies to attract clients interested in producing films in Canada. Through this thinking “outside the box,” he helped finance countless Canadian films and television shows. He even acted as an advisor for studios like Warner Brothers and MGM and was a member of the board of directors for Lions Gate Entertainment for nearly a decade. His stories of dealing with high-profile clients in Hollywood are captivating indeed.
As to the firm’s fall from grace, Bacal points to several key factors over the years as the primary reasons for the law firm’s demise, including changes in leadership that led to increasing hostility and tension between the Toronto and Montreal offices, as well as conflicts between the top brass at Heenan Blaikie itself. In recounting the story of this legal monolith, we see both its strengths and its weaknesses – and ultimately the surprising fragility of any such business.
The reader witnesses the heady, glory days of the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s, as well as many of the internal and external incidents and trends that caused the “cracks in the foundation” at Heenan Blaikie. As a new Paris office is opened in 2011, the law firm begins experiencing rough waters and struggles to replace leaders. At the same time, economic conditions conspire to affect the firm’s mission and journey. Every one of these factors is recounted and reconsidered in this thoughtful account of what happens when individuals ignore a company’s original professional vision.
“Breakdown” is essential reading for anyone interested in legal matters, but it is also an exceptionally well-written tale about the impact of culture and leadership in business. Norman Bacal proves in his first foray into writing a remarkable ability to spin a yarn that is both highly enjoyable and intensely edifying.
“Breakdown” is an instant classic.
Norman Bacal is a gifted storyteller and he delightfully details his personal odyssey from his “soft-spoken” and humble early days to the heights of becoming the legal firm’s national co-managing partner and one of Canada’s top tax attorneys in the entertainment business. His conversational and witty writing style make “Breakdown” a fascinating and compelling read from start to finish. Throughout the book, we are introduced not only to the colorful personalities of the individuals the author worked with at Heenan Blaikie – including two former Canadian prime ministers – but also to the intricate changes in the Canadian tax system. Bacal’s hard work and creativity is evident on nearly every page as he rises through the ranks of the prestigious law firm over the course of four decades.
Among his accomplishments, the author used his creative thinking to come up with innovative new strategies to attract clients interested in producing films in Canada. Through this thinking “outside the box,” he helped finance countless Canadian films and television shows. He even acted as an advisor for studios like Warner Brothers and MGM and was a member of the board of directors for Lions Gate Entertainment for nearly a decade. His stories of dealing with high-profile clients in Hollywood are captivating indeed.
As to the firm’s fall from grace, Bacal points to several key factors over the years as the primary reasons for the law firm’s demise, including changes in leadership that led to increasing hostility and tension between the Toronto and Montreal offices, as well as conflicts between the top brass at Heenan Blaikie itself. In recounting the story of this legal monolith, we see both its strengths and its weaknesses – and ultimately the surprising fragility of any such business.
The reader witnesses the heady, glory days of the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s, as well as many of the internal and external incidents and trends that caused the “cracks in the foundation” at Heenan Blaikie. As a new Paris office is opened in 2011, the law firm begins experiencing rough waters and struggles to replace leaders. At the same time, economic conditions conspire to affect the firm’s mission and journey. Every one of these factors is recounted and reconsidered in this thoughtful account of what happens when individuals ignore a company’s original professional vision.
“Breakdown” is essential reading for anyone interested in legal matters, but it is also an exceptionally well-written tale about the impact of culture and leadership in business. Norman Bacal proves in his first foray into writing a remarkable ability to spin a yarn that is both highly enjoyable and intensely edifying.
“Breakdown” is an instant classic.
October 22, 2020
When initially starting this book last year, I made it to just shy of the halfway mark before being side-tracked and failing to read it through to completion. Perhaps because I had a lot going on with work at the time... but this book was a little too slow for my appetite.
... and then I recently decided to give it another go and man oh man, am I glad I did.
This book comes HIGHLY RECOMMENDED - especially to lawyers - as perhaps the greatest source of insight into the highs and lows of a top law firm. If I wasn’t a lawyer myself, I probably would have given this a 4-star but given the biases, I hold it much higher because of its influence.
This book is an invaluable source of insight into the management of a successful firm environment. I cannot think of a single author in our industry that has achieved what Norman has with this book... and for that, I am extremely grateful.
... and then I recently decided to give it another go and man oh man, am I glad I did.
This book comes HIGHLY RECOMMENDED - especially to lawyers - as perhaps the greatest source of insight into the highs and lows of a top law firm. If I wasn’t a lawyer myself, I probably would have given this a 4-star but given the biases, I hold it much higher because of its influence.
This book is an invaluable source of insight into the management of a successful firm environment. I cannot think of a single author in our industry that has achieved what Norman has with this book... and for that, I am extremely grateful.
May 15, 2017
A remarkable achievement.
It is highly unusual to get inside a story like this. Bacal's ability to achieve a balance between his role as a prime actor and that of wise and insightful commentator is stunning.
A "must read" for ever law firm. Then again, everyone working in a corporate enterprise, current and aspiring leaders in particular, would do well to study the lessons it delivers. IT eloquently makes the point that coming together to do anything at all is a process fraught with risk. Things can come apart so easily, so quickly, so irrevocably.
Bacal's second career as an author is off to an excellent start. I look forward to whatever he writes next.
It is highly unusual to get inside a story like this. Bacal's ability to achieve a balance between his role as a prime actor and that of wise and insightful commentator is stunning.
A "must read" for ever law firm. Then again, everyone working in a corporate enterprise, current and aspiring leaders in particular, would do well to study the lessons it delivers. IT eloquently makes the point that coming together to do anything at all is a process fraught with risk. Things can come apart so easily, so quickly, so irrevocably.
Bacal's second career as an author is off to an excellent start. I look forward to whatever he writes next.
January 28, 2020
I recently had the opportunity to read Bacal's Breakdown. It is a beautifully crafted, hard-to-put-down story of one of Canada's greatest law firms . I felt his triumph in being part of and helping to build such a monumental enterprise and his heartbreak in its demise. The story was riveting from beginning to end. A real life thriller. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a story of deep substance. Congratulations to Bacal!
November 15, 2017
I liked this book but I think it was mostly because I had real life former HB lawyers giving me a counterpoint to nearly every story in this book. Recommend with a HB size grain of salt.
March 18, 2019
This was an eye opening education in law firm leadership.
December 30, 2021
Insightful account of the demise of a professional services firm. Confidence in your partners and the future is so important.
September 26, 2023
When things fall apart but on a corporate level. I learned about the workings of law firms. This is not my usual genre, but it was interesting.
dnf-or-rain-check
March 1, 2025march 1 2025: raincheck, i will get back to it when im in the mood
April 9, 2017
A number of interesting warnings for other professional services firms.
June 2, 2017
Starts a little slow but great book to read in order to get a good understanding of law firm management.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews