Firm History

On his return in 1919, from serving as a junior officer in the Canadian Expeditionary forces in France, Reginald J. Waterous, a lifelong resident of Brantford, attended Osgoode Hall Law School to complete his studies interrupted by the outbreak of World War I. Although a member of a family of manufacturers, Reg had decided to follow in the footsteps of his Grandfather, George Robinson VanNorman, the first Crown Attorney of Brant County, who was appointed as such immediately after the formation of the County in 1853.

Upon his call to the Ontario Bar in 1921, Reg Waterous established the law practice that later developed into the most extensive practice in Brant County and its surrounding area, now conducted by Waterous Holden Amey Hitchon LLP. Reg was appointed King's Counsel and was thrice elected Mayor of the City of Brantford, in 1937, 38 and 39. He resigned before the end of his last year in that office to take part in Canada's contributions to the Allied war effort in the Second World War as Director of Human and Material Resources. In that office he worked with the late C.D. Howe, Canada's "Minister of Everything" in the MacKenzie King war-time cabinet. Amongst his notable responsibilities, Reg set up "Selective Service" that saw to the allocation of Canada's scarce war-time labour resources. He was also in charge of the strategic allocation of Canada's minerals, metals, energy and other important material resources amongst the Country's industries.

At the outbreak of World War II, Reg's only law partner at the time, Frank Wallace, joined the Judge Advocate General's Branch of the Canadian Army, and did not return to private practice at the war's end. During Reg's war time service the conduct of the practice was entrusted to a young lawyer recently called to the bar. Reg resumed the practice on returning to Brantford from Ottawa and carried on the practice with one or two associates until his sudden death in 1955.

Reg's son, Richard N. Waterous, was called to the Ontario Bar three weeks after his father's death. Dick immediately assumed responsibility for the practice, which he carried on with his father's associate, Gordon Will, until Clark Holden joined him on Clark's bar call in 1959. Gordon then left to commence practice on his own.

Dick and Clark then set about taking the firm aggressively in new directions. Together they have contributed over the years to the development of the firm's large business law practice. Both remain active in the practice, Dick becoming Counsel to the firm and Clark becoming its Senior Partner in 2003.

Burton H. Kellock, who had been a classmate of Clark's at McMaster University and who was then well recognized as an upcoming litigator with a well known Toronto firm, was persuaded to come to Brantford in 1965 to assume management of the firm's growing litigation practice.

To provide suitable quarters for an expanding staff, the rather young partners with considerable foresight purchased a significant residence at 20 Wellington Street which, along with five other later-acquired adjacent properties and a half dozen additions to these handsome offices, has been home to the firm's practice for close to 40 years.

Burt Kellock remained with the firm for 14 years during which the Partners were also joined by James C. Kent, now the Regional Senior Justice for the Superior Court of Justice, Central South Region. For a number of years, the Honourable Roy W. Kellock, a retired Judge of the Supreme Court of Canada and Burt's father, acted as Counsel to the firm. On Burt Kellock's decision to return to practice in Toronto, Paul Amey, who had served as Clerk to the Chief Justice of the County and District Courts of Ontario, became the senior member of the firm's litigation practice and remains as such today.

Waterous Holden Amey Hitchon LLP has been fortunate to attract a number of other able lawyers to the firm. Timothy Sheldon, Patrick Corless, Kevin Davis and Deborah Ditchfield, all of whom are now Partners, joined the firm at the times of their respective bar calls.

In 1984 a significant addition was made when Peter Forbes, James Hitchon and Peter Quinlan, who had already developed a substantial practice, merged their firm with the Waterous Holden Amey practice. Shortly afterwards, Lorne Parkhill brought his mature real estate practice to the firm.

Since Clark joined Dick, the firm's professional and support staff has grown from 6 to over 60 in number, who now provide a wide spectrum of legal services to individuals, businesses and institutions.

Waterous Holden Amey Hitchon LLP is proud of its dynamic history, stability and capability. It is proud of its role in the satisfactory resolution of numerous issues and the successful completion of many major transactions of importance to the community. The firm is positioned to continue to play a leading role in the legal affairs of Brantford and the surrounding region.