Business Profile · Fall 2026
Photo by Thomas Fricke
Fillmore Riley is part of the growing momentum of Portage and Main
LAWYERS at Fillmore Riley LLP who went on vacation in early July could be excused for any temporary confusion when they returned to the office.
That’s because the Winnipeg-based law firm may have executed the fastest-ever corporate relocation across Winnipeg’s most famous intersection when it shut down its office at 360 Main at noon on Friday, July 17.
Less than 72 hours later, Fillmore Riley was up and fully operational on the 17th, 18th and 19th floors of the Richardson Building.
The move was two years in the making as the firm’s brain trust started looking at a variety of real estate options for when its lease expired this year. But when it came down to it, the choice was obvious for a number of reasons.
“We wanted to be downtown. We think it’s important that we still have our offices at Portage and Main,” says Stuart Blake, the firm’s chief executive officer and managing partner.
The growing momentum at Portage and Main — including the multi-million-dollar renovation of the Fairmont Hotel, the overhaul of the former Bank of Montreal building by the Manitoba Métis Federation, not to mention last year’s reopening of the intersection to pedestrian traffic — played a role, too, says Jody Langhan, the firm’s executive chair.
“We see ourselves as a regional, full-service Manitoba firm committed to the Manitoba market,” he says. “It’s very exciting to be part of what is hopefully a renewal of our downtown post-COVID. I think IG Wealth Management’s recent announcement to relocate headquarters to 360 Main Street is great. The more bodies we can have at Portage and Main, the better. It brings more people downtown and hopefully that will benefit all the small business owners in the area.”
“Our focus has never been to have a certain number of lawyers. Our goal is always to provide exceptional legal services and to meet the needs of our clients. As those needs expand and get more sophisticated, we want to make sure we can deliver. The new office supports this goal.”
— Stuart Blake, the firm’s chief executive officer and managing partner
It certainly helped that one of the not-so-small businesses in the neighbourhood — James Richardson & Sons, Limited, one of Canada’s largest and oldest family-owned private corporations — is one of Fillmore Riley’s longtime clients.
“It made so much sense,” Blake says. “We do a lot of work for them in a variety of areas and they happened to have space.”
FILLMORE Riley is far from the only tenant in the building to have a relationship with JRSL. Its operating company, Richardson International, and subsidiaries Richardson Pioneer Limited, Tundra Oil and Gas and Richardson Wealth as well as its insurance company Wynward Insurance and its banker, CIBC, all call the 34-storey skyscraper home. Fillmore Riley has the second-biggest tenant footprint in the building.
“They’re filling their building with a group of their businesses and strategic partners, and we really appreciate being a part of that group,” Langhan says.
Fillmore Riley has been in business since 1883, making it one of the longest serving law firms in Manitoba. It has about 80 lawyers, including 36 partners.
The new 39,000-square-foot space, which was stripped down to the concrete before the renovations began, is much more efficient as the firm now has 18 additional lawyer offices in the same square footage as its previous space.
“Our focus has never been to have a certain number of lawyers,” Blake says. “Our goal is always to provide exceptional legal services and to meet the needs of our clients. As those needs expand and get more sophisticated, we want to make sure we can deliver. The new office supports this goal.”
The move across the street wasn’t done without serious consideration.
“This was a significant, long-term investment and the client relationship added a layer of complexity,” says Langhan. “At the same time, we’ve worked with them for decades and there was a mutual trust and respect that went back and forth, so the process went very smoothly.”
It’s a homecoming of sorts for Fillmore Riley as the firm operated out of the Richardson Building for a decade before moving into what was then called the Trizec Building when it was christened in 1981. (It was named 360 Main in 2010.)
FILLMORE Riley focuses on high-end corporate commercial work and litigation. Langhan says the firm differentiates itself from the competition with its entrepreneurial spirit.
“We minimize bureaucracy and let our lawyers practise law,” he says.
Blake adds that if you look at the firm’s practices, you’ll find lawyers widely regarded as regional leaders in their fields. Their knowledge is being passed down to the up-and-coming lawyers, ensuring continuity of client service.
Fillmore Riley will continue to be a regional powerhouse in business law and complex litigation, but the firm’s also known for its strength across sectors such as agribusiness, manufacturing and transportation.
Fillmore Riley is also doing an increasing amount of Indigenous work, particularly on the economic development side, for the likes of the Manitoba Métis Federation, Treaty One Nations Inc. and the Swampy Cree Tribal Council.
“We’re partnering (with First Nations and Indigenous organizations) to create companies and build employment, capacity and economic wealth. It’s absolutely been identified as a growth area. It’s important work. There have been so many decades of oppression to overcome. Seeing First Nations and Indigenous organizations gain some economic sway and to meaningfully participate in a substantial way in the renewal and development of downtown Winnipeg and across our province is exciting. It’s an honour to play a role in that,” Langhan says.
Fillmore Riley is well-positioned to support that growth, right from the corner where it all started.
Photos by Darcy Finley
