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26 www.canadianlawyermag.com TOP 25 MOST INFLUENTIAL LAWYERS 2026 75th anniversary gala this November. Over the past 18 months, he has led disability- related planning sessions for more than 100 organizations, including the Ontario Bar Association, and served as one of 12 expert advisors on the Canada Revenue Agency's Disability Advisory Committee. What he'd tell another firm Asked what another firm would need to get right to build something similar, Pooran doesn't hesitate. For him, it starts with the right people, including Cheryl Wiles Pooran, his partner in life and work, with whom he has shared the vision and journey of building the firm. Q&A with Brendon Pooran PooranLaw, Toronto, ON Q: What made you decide to fully fund the I Decide Law Program yourself, instead of seeking outside funding for it? A: If you truly believe in an idea, some- times you have to be willing to invest in it yourself. We knew there was a gap in access to legal services for people with intellectual disabilities, but we also knew that waiting for funding could mean waiting years while people continue to be excluded from deci- sions affecting their own lives. By funding the program ourselves, we had the freedom to build it around the needs of the people we serve, rather than the priorities of a funder. It allowed us to inno- vate, to learn, and to refine the model quickly. For us, it wasn't a business decision. It was a values decision. Our firm has spent years advocating for disability rights, and this was simply the next step in ensuring those rights are meaningful in practice. Q: What would you change first for people with intellectual disabilities if your legal capacity standard becomes national policy? A: If we were able to impact legal capacity laws in the various provinces, and even at a federal level, the biggest change would be a shift in how people are treated. Too often, people with intellectual disabilities are defined by what they can't do, instead of what they can do with the appropriate supports. Law reform would recognize that legal capacity isn't about a diagnosis. It's about providing the support people need to make and communicate their own decisions. In practical terms, it's a shift from making decisions for people to supporting them to make their own decisions. That's what true autonomy looks like. Q: In your experience, what's the biggest barrier you run into trying to make banking and disability benefits more accessible? A: The challenge is changing systems that were designed around a binary choice, that being either a person can make decisions independently, or someone else steps in to make a decision for them. There is another path, and that is supporting people to make their own decisions, and that's what our laws and institutions need to embrace. So many people make decisions with support from trusted family members, friends, and profes- sionals. That's true for all of us. But our legal systems often don't recognize supported deci- sion-making very well. Q: If another firm wanted to build some- thing like the I Decide Law Program, what would you tell them is essential to get right? A: I'd say there are three things. First, solve a real problem with the right people, REPORT HIGHLIGHTS: THE TOP 25 ACROSS CANADA Toronto is home to more than half of this year's Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers in Canada Category breakdown by city for the 2026 winners Business Changemakers Government, non-profits, associations & judiciary Human rights, advocacy & criminal Toronto Calgary Ottawa Montreal London Halifax Vancouver 13 4 3 2 1 1 1 In-house Winners cluster in seven cities. Toronto alone accounts for 13 of the 25 winners (52%), weighted heavily toward human rights, advocacy & criminal, and in-house categories. The other three categories are spread across the remaining six cities. 2 2 2 4 4 2 SPECIAL REPORT