Breakdown: The Inside Story of the Rise and Fall of Heenan Blaikie

Breakdown takes readers into the boardroom during the firm's 40 years of growth, exposing tensions between Toronto and Montreal offices and among the lawyers themselves. More than a story about a legal partnership's fragility, it's a cautionary tale about leadership, culture, and vision. Perfect for readers interested in Canadian business, law firm management, and leadership strategies.

Norm Bacal founded the Toronto office of Heenan Blaikie in 1989, and within the next 25 years grew it to an office of over 200 lawyers. In 1997 he became the national co-managing partner of the firm and helped it become one of Canada’s best-known law firms. As one of Canada’s leading tax attorneys in the entertainment business, he helped to finance countless Canadian films and television shows and many Hollywood studio pictures filmed in Canada. He also advised studios such as Warner Bros and MGM and was a member of the board of directors of Lions Gate Entertainment for almost 10 years. At the end of 2012, Bacal retired as managing partner. Born in 1956 in Montreal, Bacal graduated from McGill University’s Faculty of Law in 1980. He lives in Toronto with his wife, Sharon, a portrait artist. They have four children.