How Baker's unexpected path to leadership is shaping the firm's next chapter
Denise Baker didn’t begin her legal career with an eye on a leadership position — her sights were set firmly on the practice of land development law — but as her path unfolded, she seized with both hands opportunities to expand beyond the scope of her practice.
After discovering a deep love of teaching as a sessional professor at the University of Waterloo and welcoming a seat at the table on WeirFoulds LLP’s management committee, Baker was ready for the challenge of stepping up as co-managing partner beside Wayne Egan. As she leaned into navigating the organizational impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, that, as they say, was that.
“I realized how much I enjoyed the business of law, as well as the practice of law, and how well it suited my skill set,” Baker explains. “Things organically progressed from there.”
Client focus and deep strategic thinking
Beginning on Jan. 1, Baker stepped into the role of Chair at the firm. Already instrumental in developing WeirFoulds’ strategic business plan out to the end of 2030, Baker puts it simply: she’s excited to turn that vision into reality. She calls this new frontier a natural transition, with the biggest difference being that while previously she and Egan juggled full practices along with management, she’ll now have a more dedicated focus on the business side.
“Time was our greatest enemy,” Baker explains. “One of the big impetuses for my move to Chair is the opportunity to take the time, alongside our Leadership Committee to do the deep strategic thinking that’s needed to guide a law firm in 2026.”
A regional mid-sized firm with a 165-year legacy behind it, WeirFoulds has always kept clients front-and-centre. As the legal market shifts, Baker says the priority is to focus on client service and continue to enhance the firm’s excellence in the provision of legal services — something that’s defined WeirFoulds throughout its history.
“There’s an increasing investment in client service, talent and technology, to ensure we’re meeting the needs of our clients both today and into the future,” Baker says.
Connecting people and purpose
As someone who enjoys building consensus but is also unafraid to make the hard decisions, Baker is moving forward with a leadership style she defines as “a combination of compassion and sometimes having to have the tough conversations.”
Communication is paramount, as Baker has learned over the course of her career that everything ties back to people and culture. To successfully carry the firm’s reputation of excellence into the future, having the best talent is non-negotiable. Baker is the first to admit that her job is significantly easier because of the calibre of her colleagues.
From the lawyers and support staff to our clients, the people are one of WeirFoulds’ biggest differentiators and a large component of what’s kept Baker at the firm and invested in its continued success.
Reflecting on her own experience, Baker considers herself fortunate to work alongside — and have come up under — female trailblazers such as Lisa Borsook, Clare Burns, and Lyn Townsend, all of whom she calls “accomplished women and fabulous mentors who were instrumental in the development of my career and shaped my ability to step into this role.”
Their example, Baker adds, informs her own approach to collaboration and paying it forward to the next generation of lawyers. Her advice to those up‑and‑coming is simple: honing skills and serving clients with integrity are table stakes, but you also must find the fun. Work will quickly feel like drudgery if you don’t enjoy what you do — so don’t stop looking until you find the place that lets you do both.
A “just the right fit” firm
Baker likens herself to Goldilocks as her career journey saw her try her hand at a large, full-service Bay Street firm, a small boutique firm that specialized in land use planning law, and in a municipality. None of those were the perfect fit.
But once Baker landed at WeirFoulds, she hasn’t looked back.
“We can do fabulous legal work almost anywhere but given my past experiences, I say this with some level of authority: WeirFoulds is special and, for me, it’s just the right fit,” Baker sums up. “Taking on the Chair role is a great honor and one that I take very, very seriously. I appreciate that leading a firm in this legal landscape is tough work; I'm ready to roll up my sleeves, dig in, and ensure we continue to be as successful as we have been for the last 165 years.”
This article was produced in partnership with WeirFoulds LLP
