11 Nov How We Got Started
Daniel and Jasdeep have been friends since they met in law school. Their friendship is one that truly epitomizes the Canadian dream and embodiment of the best this country has to offer. This may sound cliché, but it’s nothing short of true. Both are first-generation Canadians, whose parents came here with next to nothing to offer their children a brighter future. Both grew up in humble households and witnessed first-hand what hard work and perseverance meant. As they grew older, so did their standards of living. Both saw the value that their parents placed on having them attain a strong education, and thus found themselves as colleagues. Though their cultures might as well have been – quite literally – worlds apart, it is the similarities of people across the globe who seek out a better life for future generations that brought them together under one classroom. It is the similarities that their families shared, not their differences, that brought them together.
Growing up, Daniel and Jasdeep had the pleasure of hearing their immigrant parents complain about inefficiencies – whether such inefficiencies be in traffic, regulation, or in standard business practices. They were constantly reminded that efficiency is one of the most prized components in providing a service, and people always respond positively to it – even if they don’t know it.
After law school, Daniel worked at a large corporate law firm, where he participated in major corporate transactions. He then left the legal world altogether to pursue a career in finance at a major American bank. Jasdeep, upon graduating law school, worked at various major litigation law firms. Both Daniel and Jasdeep gained invaluable experience by working at some of the top firms in Canada, but they also witnessed the shortcomings and inefficiencies of the industry – inefficiencies that were especially prevalent in large, bureaucratic institutions.
Jasdeep and Daniel understood that adapting to modern client demands in today’s fast-paced and rapidly-evolving world was vital to success, and an alternative approach to providing legal services in a more efficient manner was needed. The rigid, inflexible approaches provided by these major institutions were often frowned upon and even ridiculed by clients and prospective clients alike. Companies such as Google and Facebook revolutionized the ways in which their teams worked and collaborated, and even after witnessing their success, the law and finance industries simply refrained from embracing change.
It is under this context that Guardian Legal Consultants was born; with two long-time friends with vastly different, yet strikingly similar backgrounds, venting about the inefficiencies of law over dinner (and perhaps a few drinks). Jasdeep and Daniel started this firm to provide a better, more efficient way of offering legal services. They left their safe, steady careers to take a risk and pursue this venture, since they understood that if nobody else would address the demand for efficiency, then they would.
Guardian Legal Consultants – as the name implies – is not just a typical law firm. Guardians have a mandate to serve their clients’ needs and protect their clients’ interests. Lawyers all too often forget that this industry exists to protect their clients to the fullest extent under the law, and it is under this mantra that Guardian Legal Consultants exists. Guardians see themselves as legal consultants, rather than simply lawyers, because this day and age often requires consultations to determine the best course of action. Guardian Legal Consultants seeks to always provide a plan of action – in the same manner as any consultant would offer – in order to ensure that the client understands the best course of action to pursue.