community contributions

• September 2010 - McMillan has committed to donate $300,000 in support of Osgoode Hall Law School's building campaign project. McMillan's gift will support the renovation of the lower reading room of the law library, located on the ground floor of the building. In recognition of McMillan's support, the lower reading room will be named the "McMillan LLP Reading Room"
• In September 2002, Queen's University Law School launched the new "McMillan Classroom" in recognition of our $300,000 donation for enhancements to the law school faculty building
• In 2002, we established McMillan Scholarships at University of Windsor, University of Western Ontario, Queen's University and University of Ottawa, to supplement our existing scholarship endowment at the University of Toronto and Osgoode Hall Law School
• In 1999, we donated $300,000 to Osgoode Hall Law School, creating a $600,000 scholarship endowment with government matching funds
• In 1997, we donated $333,000 to the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, which grew to a $1,000,000 scholarship endowment with government and university matching funds

pro bono work

Our lawyers devote their time and legal expertise to many organizations including Algoma Highlands Conservancy, ALCASE Canada (Alliance for Lung Cancer Support, Awareness and Education), The Arthritis Society, B2ten, Basilian Fathers of Toronto Lay Advisory Committee, Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada, Canadian Arthritis Network, Canadian Cancer Society, Canadian Centre for Ethics and Corporate Policy, The Canadian Hearing Society, Canadian Landmine Foundation, Canadian Macedonian Federation, Child Abuse Survivor Monument Project, Child Advocacy Project, The Cathedral Church of St. James, Clinic Resource Office for Ontario Legal Aid, Daily Bread Food Bank, Eva's Initiatives, Foodshare Toronto, Framework Foundation, Friends of HMCS Haida, Friends of Round Square Canada, The Geoffrey H. Wood Foundation, The Hearing Foundation of Canada, Holy Theotokos Convent, Law Foundation, The Learning to Listen Foundation, The Learning Partnership, Macedonian Human Rights Movement of Canada, National Cancer Institute of Canada, St. Michael's Hospital Foundation, Sharelife, Shepherds' Trust (pension fund for priests of the Archdiocese of Toronto), Toronto Symphony Orchestra, University of Windsor, Wellspring Foundation and The Writers' Trust of Canada. 

McMillan is actively involved in providing pro-bono services to support individuals and communities in need. This year, Max Mendelsohn was a recipient of the 2012 Lexpert® Zenith Awards: Celebrating Leadership at a gala ceremony held in Toronto on October 11, 2012. This award celebrates leadership through change, the award acknowledges lawyers who've been change-agents for forty or more years, for their clients, firms, companies, departments, faculties, profession, colleagues and/or communities.

charitable events and organizations

We are dedicated to contributing financial support and our firm members' time to many charitable organizations. Some of the charitable events and organizations we proudly support are:

United Way Campaign . The Annual United Way Campaign is the most widely supported charitable initiative at our firm. Last year, through early bird draws, our annual lunch where senior partners serve firm members, raffle prizes, a kick-off breakfast, and hard work by our team of 44 canvassers, McMillan raised nearly $119,000. Several firm members participated or sponsored participants in the CN Tower Stair Climb. For our firm's size, our partners are recognized for their leadership donations. The firm was nominated for the United Way's spirit award, which recognizes the extraordinary talent, creativity and dedication shown by organizations and thousands of volunteers throughout Toronto.

LEAF Persons' Day Breakfast . McMillan is proud to be an ongoing sponsor of the annual Women's Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF) Persons' Day Breakfast. One of the firm's founding partners, Newton Rowell, was instrumental in the victory of the "Persons Case" in 1928; Rowell represented Judge Emily Murphy, Nellie McClung, Irene Parlby, Louise McKinney and Henrietta Muir Edwards all the way to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in Britain which decided that women were "persons" within the meaning of the British North America Act and so could be appointed to the Canadian Senate. Rowell's grandaughter, Nancy Ruth, was one of the founding members of the Women's Legal Education and Action Fund.

The Weekend To End Breast Cancer . McMillan has entered a team in this special event uniting up to 5000 women and men in the fight against breast cancer. Each participant will raise a minimum of $2,000 and walk 60km over two days. Net proceeds are donated to the Princess Margaret Hospital, home of one of the most advanced and comprehensive cancer treatment centres.

Daily Bread Food Bank . The Daily Bread Food Bank Foundation has awarded McMillan the Chair's Special Award for "exceptional long-term involvement". "Lawyers at McMillan LLP have provided valuable pro bono legal services for many, many years - an exceptionally generous and vital service.

Salvation Army . McMillan has supported the Salvation Army's Circle of Caring Campaign to raise money for a residential addiction treatment centre, a supportive/transitional housing facility with on-site medical, dental and psychiatric services, and a long term care facility for seniors. Each year over the holidays, we have a "toy drive" in support of the Salvation Army's efforts in the community. One of our partners is a member of the Army's Toronto Advisory Board.

Shaw Festival . McMillan is a performance sponsor of the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake and the Shaw Festival Gentleman's Boxing Evening fundraising event at the Fairmont Royal York each spring.

The Learning Partnership - Passport to Prosperity . McMillan has joined forces with the Learning Partnership, which focuses on increasing students' work experience. Designed to increase employer involvement in school-to-work programs for secondary students, Passport to Prosperity offers them alternative ways to learn about work and gain valuable experience. On arrival at our firm, each student participates in a firm tour and a half day of job-shadowing. Since its inception, McMillan's program has accommodated grade 10 students from area high schools in departments throughout the firm, including Human Resources, Client Development, Accounting and Corporate Financial Services.
 
Take Our Kids To Work Day . In conjunction with The Learning Partnership and the Government of Ontario, we also participate in Take Our Kids To Work Day, where ninth-grade children and relatives of our firm members visit the firm for a day. The visiting children participate in a mini-orientation and breakfast, firm tour, job shadowing, lunch, mock interview sessions and many other activities.

Big Brothers/Sisters . Each February, firm member teams bowl in the "Bowl for Kids Sake" event in support of the Big Brothers and Sisters of Toronto by putting together teams and bowling on a Saturday afternoon.
 
Molson Indy Spin for Kids . McMillan sent a team to participate in this relay stationary cycling event to raise money for children's charities.

Heart and Stroke Foundation . Each year, we participate in the Heart and Stroke Foundation's Paint the Town Red Campaign.

Diabetes Research Foundation. We support the Diabetes Research Foundation by participating in both the "Walk to a Cure" and "Ride for a Cure" programs.

Clean Air Commute . We participate in this popular event each June by encouraging firm members to use environmentally friendly ways to commute to work. Last year's involvement was a particular success with our employees saving 21,133,298 grams of pollutants from being released into the atmosphere.
 
Second Harvest . Second Harvest helps feed over 3,000 people every day through Toronto's social agencies. To support Second Harvest, our catering department packages and sends all remaining food from breakfasts, lunches and events, to Second Harvest's facility for distribution.

Canadian Cancer Society . Each year, our firm members participate in daffodil sales and the Terry Fox Run.

CNIB . We support CNIB by participating in its annual crocus sales.

Parkinson's Disease Foundation . We participate in the Parkinson's Disease Foundation's tulip sales.

Canadian Association for Aids Research . We support the Canadian Association for Aids Research through contributions to AidsBeat.