Lawyer, arts patron Roy Heenan has died

CTV Montreal: Roy Heenan dies age 82 Lawyer ond philanthropist Roy Heenan was a founding partner of Heenan Blaikie

One of the founders of the well-known and now defunct law firm Heenan Blaikie has died.

Roy Heenan died Friday at the age of 81.

More than 40 years ago he, along with Donald Johnston and Peter Blaikie, founded the law firm in Montreal with little more than a handshake.

Over four decades the firm grew to employ 500 people in eight offices across the country, specializing in entertainment and contract law.

The firm recruited several former prime ministers, including Pierre Trudeau and Jean Chretien, as well as former Quebec premier Pierre-Marc Johnson.

Then it suddenly collapsed in 2014 when the partners voted to dissolve the company.

Even though the company was earning tens of millions of dollars in profit, several partners could no longer trust each other.

At the time Heenan said interpersonal squabbles just became too unruly.

Heenan was born in Mexico City and moved to Canada in 1947.

He studied law at McGill University before founding the firm that bore his name.

He was also a patron of the arts, serving as chair of the board on the Montreal Museum of Contemporary Art, and on the board of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.

Heenan's personal collection included many pieces bought directly from painters such as Greg Curnoe and Gathie Falk.

He was named to the Order of Canada in 1998 in part because of his support of the arts.

A visitation for Heenan will take place on Thursday Feb. 9 at Kane and Fetterly funeral home on Decarie Blvd.

His funeral service is Friday Feb. 10 at 1 p.m. at St. George's Anglican Church.