Canadian Lawyer

www.canadianlawyermag.com 9 Tom O'Reilly remembered as a storyteller, gentleman Q&A Tom O'Reilly Thomas O'Reilly was a founding partner of Cox & Palmer and had a distinguished career litigating in insurance and corporate/ commercial law, among other areas. In a statement the firm released following his death on Nov. 16, the firm said O'Reilly was "mentor to countless partners and associates at Cox & Palmer." What was Mr. O'Reilly's mentoring style? O'Neill While his personal achievements are too numerous to count off, his greatest successes . . . were seeing others around him succeed. He was very supportive. And he shared his passion for the law. He was a great storyteller. So, that was how he taught. He brought you in and told you the story, and I think . . . his success in life and success in the courtroom came out of being a great storyteller. He'd bring you into the story and bring you along by fitting the pieces of the evidence and the law all together. And before you knew it, you arrived at the place [in which] he wanted you to arrive. He encouraged you, so you rose to the occasion. He challenged us and pushed us outside our comfort zone a little bit — and just enough to show you how great you could be. Evans He has literally been the mentor or a mentor for gener- ations of lawyers, both in Newfoundland and, as time goes on, lawyers who practise across the country. Where in your practice can you see his effect? O'Neill He was a marvelous storyteller. That for sure is one of Some legal matters require bigger solutions than others. Try on our Right-sized Thinking® and we'll help you hit the ground running. 2019-20 TOP 10 O N TA R I O R E G I O N A L F I R M One Size Does Not Fit All Right-sized Thinking® • 1-800-323-3781 • pallettvalo.com the places where I strive to be like him. And as a storyteller, I'll never get there. But I know that you have to lift yourself out of the minutiae of the law and the evidence and really relate to a per- son or relate to the court or opposing counsel or the mediator . . . through your communication. Evans Treat others like you'd like to be treated. Confrontation is one thing, but there are ways to conduct oneself and doing it in a respectful, courteous manner is something that, in my experience, Mr. O'Reilly always did. Can you name achievements or signifi- cant events that stood out in his career? O'Neill His name would be sprinkled throughout the case law in this jurisdiction. Building Cox & Palmer, as a regional firm, he would probably rank that highly as an achieve- ment because he brought together firms that were former competitors. There's a number of people who once carried his bags but are now sitting behind a bench. I know that he took great pride in knowing that he played a role in getting them where they are in their careers. I'm sure that they, too, would provide a tip of the hat to him, saying that they had really benefited from their time with him. He had great community involvement. His client relationships were very strong and the personal relationships I think that he developed with his clients within the legal community and within the firm. I know that that that's what kept him coming back, day after day after day. Kathleen O'Neill Partner Labour and employment Civil and Litigation Cox & Palmer St. John's Mark Evans Practice lead, litigation and dispute resolution group Co-global lead, fraud and asset recovery Dentons Toronto

• Cover