CL Talk

Mesha Donaldson on building Tandem Law her own way

Sep 01, 2026

In this episode of CL Talk, Canadian Lawyer managing editor Tim Wilbur speaks with Mesha Donaldson, founder and managing partner of Tandem Law P.C., a family law, real estate, and wills and estates firm in Pickering, Ontario. Called to the Ontario bar in 2011 after graduating from the University of Windsor, Donaldson made partner at her previous firm within three years, then launched Tandem in 2016 and got it fully operational in less than 24 hours. In this conversation, Donaldson talks candidly about how she has built and leads a team in a small firm environment: hiring deliberately for personality and culture fit ahead of credentials, researching the market to pay competitively despite operating one GO Train stop from Bay Street, tying team bonuses to firm performance, and holding a firm line on no after-hours or weekend client emails to protect the team's mental health. She also shares why she remains skeptical that AI will replace a good clerk or lawyer, and what she would tell any lawyer considering going solo. Donaldson will bring these perspectives to the panel "From Hiring to High Performance: Rethinking Legal Talent Strategy" at Canadian Lawyer's Canadian Legal Summit on October 14 at The Carlu in Toronto. Register now: https://events.canadianlawyermag.com/canadian-legal-summit