Mills & Mills LLP was founded in 1884 when Alexander and George Mills opened our first office at the corner of Church & Front Street in Toronto.
Alexander and his brother George both became lawyers because of the perseverance and guidance of their brother, Dr. James Mills, who in no small way played a very important part in the founding of Mills & Mills LLP.
George was born on August 30th, 1850, and spent his early years on the family farm. In 1874, he graduated from Victoria College in Cobourg with highest honors and two scholarships. He then taught at Brantford Institute between 1875 and 1876 but returned to college and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1878.
He took his legal education at Osgoode Hall Law School and was called to the Bar in1881. From 1881 to 1884, he lived in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He served as deputy Attorney General for Manitoba and returned to Toronto in 1884, where he entered into partnership with his brother, Alexander, under the name Mills & Mills.
Alexander Mills was born on January 2nd, 1856, and like his brother, he spent his early years on the family farm. He moved to Brantford in 1876 and studied law between 1878 and 1882. He was a medalist at Osgoode Hall in 1884 and was called to the Bar. He then joined his brother, George, in the practice of law under the name Mills and Mills.
The firm has undergone several name changes in its first hundred years but there has been a continuous presence of the Mills family in the firm — now in its fourth generation — the longest-standing such tradition for a law firm in Canada.
After George and Alexander Mills, other family members include Paul Hubert Mills Q.C (1921), Ralph Shaw Mills Q.C (1928), Donald Stewart Mills Q.C (1959), John Paul Mills K.C (1969) and David A. S. Mills (2000), who is currently the Managing Partner at Mills & Mills LLP.
The firm was founded on the fundamental principle of providing every client with excellent legal services — a value that has remained with the firm throughout its existence and continues today. As a result, Mills & Mills LLP has enjoyed the trust and confidence of its clients for a long time, many into multiple generations.
Throughout its history, the firm’s lawyers have distinguished themselves in many ways within the practice of law and beyond: one was Deputy Attorney General of Manitoba; one was the Premier of Ontario; two others served as the Attorney General of Ontario; another was the Treasurer of Ontario; one was the Toronto City Solicitor; and others have become High Court Judges. Ralph Shaw Mills, Q.C. was one of the last Canadian lawyers to appear before the Privy Council in the United Kingdom shortly before appeals from the Supreme Court of Canada to it were abolished.
Given the large number of legal practitioners in Ontario and the huge range of choice in representation, we take pride and are grateful that our clients consistently turn to Mills & Mills LLP for all their legal needs.
At Mills & Mills LLP, our lawyers regularly help clients with a wide range of legal matters including business law, real estate law, estate law, employment law, health law, and tax law. For over 140 years, we have earned a reputation amongst our peers and clients for quality of service and breadth of knowledge. Contact us online or at (416) 863-0125. The material provided through the Mills & Mills LLP website is for general information purposes only. It is not intended to provide legal advice or opinions of any kind.
2 St Clair Ave West
