Announcing Obiter: A New Podcast from McKenzie Lake Lawyers

We are thrilled to announce the launch of Obiter, an original podcast hosted by our lawyers, Melissa Won and Patrick Clancy, and produced by McKenzie Lake.

The name of the podcast is a play on obiter dictum, a Latin phrase meaning “by the way.” This phrase also refers to a judge’s remarks that are said in passing and not essential to their decision.

Obiter is interested in true stories, law stories, stories about the people behind the practice. “There are a lot of lawyers at the firm who have interesting, entertaining law stories from their career that risk not getting passed on,” notes Co-Host and Business Lawyer Patrick Clancy. “[Obiter] will humanize lawyers in a way that people might not expect…I think some people think we are just robots, programmed to execute on the law for our clients.”

“That’s just one piece of the puzzle, everyone has brought their unique, diverse backgrounds to this,” notes Jim Elsley, a lawyer at the firm.

“The hope, at the end of the day, is that people find lawyers a bit more relatable, a bit more accessible,” says Co-Host and Franchise and IP Lawyer Melissa Won.

The podcast kicks off with the Lawyer Series, with hosts Melissa and Patrick sitting down with lawyers at McKenzie Lake to discuss their careers, personal life and anything in between: all to introduce listeners to the human being behind the lawyer.

Episode 1 is a conversation with Michael Peerless, the firm’s managing partner, a leading class action lawyer, and triathlete. “It’s not a stretch to say that Mike laid the groundwork for Canadian class proceedings as we know them today,” notes Patrick. “He orchestrated the first-ever class action to be certified in Canada.”

Episode 2 is a conversation with John McNair, a commercial litigator with over 35 years of experience and the head of the firm’s litigation department. John shares tales about his past life as an international prosecutor in the Middle East and other interesting moments from his long, storied career.

With more episodes to come, Obiter is a great listen for lawyers, and anyone interested in a behind the curtain glimpse at the practice of law. Most of all, it’s a podcast for people who love good stories. We have many to tell.

Listen to Obiter, a new, original podcast from McKenzie Lake Lawyers