Our firm is the proud successor of one of the oldest law firms in the Edmonton area. Our origins date back to June 1895, when the Honourable Alexander Cameron Rutherford arrived from Ontario and established a law office at the railhead of the Calgary and Edmonton Railway, then known as South Edmonton, District of Alberta, Northwest Territories. Alexander Rutherford was the first lawyer on the south side of the river, an area later to become known as Strathcona.
We look back with great satisfaction to the results we have achieved for our clients in the past – clients with local, national and international interests. We are proud of our established tradition of dedication, performance, and community service. The present members of our firm are committed to carrying forward this tradition into “our second century of service”.
For you, our present and future clients, we believe we must be innovative and constructive. Our emphasis is on serving you by providing the highest quality service in a cost effective and timely fashion. The “old fashioned” values of professionalism and service are now combined with our modern technology and current legal knowledge to provide you with the effective representation you need.
Our firm has a proud past. Our firm is richly endowed with a tradition of service to clients and to the community. Our firm seeks to live by that tradition.
1895
Our founder, Alexander Cameron Rutherford establishes a law office in South Edmonton, District of Alberta, Northwest Territories, becoming South Edmonton’s only lawyer
1899
South Edmonton is incorporated as the Town of Strathcona and Alexander Rutherford becomes the first Secretary-Treasurer of Strathcona
1902
Alexander Rutherford becomes the Deputy Speaker of the Territorial Legislative Assembly
1905
Alberta becomes a Province and Alexander Rutherford becomes the first Premier of the Province of Alberta
1905
Our firm becomes a member of the Edmonton Board of Trade (which was renamed the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce in 1928)
1952
Louis Desrochers graduates from the Faculty of Law at the University of Alberta and articles with the firm
1952
Stanley McCuaig becomes President of the Law Society of Alberta
1970
Louis Desrochers is elected chancellor of the University of Alberta
2016
Thomas W. Achtymichuk, Partner, is appointed a Judge at the Provincial Court of Alberta.
Present
Now in its second century, McCuaig Desrochers LLP is proud to continue its long tradition of dedicated service to its clients and community
1911
Alexander Rutherford’s law practice opens an office on the north side of the North Saskatchewan River, and he is later joined in practice by his son-in-law Stanley McCuaig
1925
The firm changes its name to Rutherford, Rutherford and McCuaig
1944
Stanley McCuaig becomes the President of the Alberta branch of the Canadian Bar Association
1948
Stanley McCuaig becomes the National President of the Canadian Bar Association
1948
Eric McCuaig articles with the firm, joining his father in the practice of law
1971
The firm changes its name to McCuaig Desrochers
1972
Eric McCuaig becomes President of the Law Society of Alberta
1974
David C. McDonald, Partner, is appointed to the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta and is later elevated to the Alberta Court of Appeal
1993
Sidney Wood, Partner, is appointed to the Alberta Provincial Court
1995
McCuaig Desrochers moves its offices on the 24th floor in the TD Tower
2001
Frans Slatter, Partner, is appointed to the Court of Queen’s Bench and is later elevated to the Alberta Court of Appeal
2002
Tom Achtymichuk, Partner, becomes President of the Canadian Bar Association’s Alberta Branch
2005
John Gill, Partner, is appointed to Court of Queen’s Bench
Image courtesy of Peel’s Prairie Provinces, a digital initiative of the University of Alberta Libraries.
