Brad Davis was an outstanding lawyer,” Chris Bredt says. “But more than that, he was just a wonderful guy to work with.” Davis, Bredt’s colleague at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, died in late January after a short battle with cancer. A born politico, Davis served as an advisor both on Michael Ignatieff’s campaign for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada, and later on Stephane Dion’s staff.
“What breaks your heart is that he would have played a huge role in the public life of our country,” Ignatieff says. Davis, who worked at Stikeman Elliot LLP for nearly a decade before going to Ottawa, returned to Toronto last fall to work at BLG. A routine surgery in December revealed that Davis had cancer.
“Brad was such a positive, uplifting figure,” Bredt says, adding that even though
Davis’ prognosis was grim, his intelligence and dedication were irrepressible. “When I went to visit him, he wanted to know how the cases were doing,” Bredt says. “He was always looking forward.”
Davis died on January 24, 2008, leaving his wife Alissa, and sons Jonah, 3, and Liam, 1. The Brad Davis Trust has been established by Brad’s legal and political colleagues to support the education of his children. Donations are encouraged, and can be sent to:
Borden Ladner Gervais
Attn: Chris Bredt re: Davis Trust
Scotia Plaza
40 King St. W.
Toronto, ON
M5H 3Y4
Make cheques payable to “Borden Ladner Gervais LLP in trust for the Davis Family”.