FACILITYCalgary

November 10, 2015

What, or rather who, is he? Open, sharing. He provided lunch, we met in his firm’s board room and we ran out of time. I’ve known him a long time, but not well. I found him as friendly as I remember, more conservative than I expected, more private too. Still, he gave me lots of insight:

His resume is impressive – as is his firm Jensen Shawa Solomon Duguid Hawkes LLP, known as JSS Barristers, a boutique litigation firm.

Glenn Solomon is eclectic. Dare I say driven? Human. Bites his nails. Plays drums and sings in a band. And percussion. He’s tried guitar but isn’t very good, though he easily brags that his son is awesome on the guitar. Plays hockey. He brags: that his son and daughter are incredibly normal and well adjusted – both attending UBC. And his wife of twenty-two years Jackie Halpern, best friend – “best person I’ve met in my life”. She’s a litigator too, best friends through school they didn’t date until under-grad days. Eloped to Vancouver after law school. And he practices law. His firm – thirty-two lawyers, thirty-five staff …

When Glenn was fifteen, he and his older sister moved with their family to Calgary. Born in Montreal suburb of Chomeday-Laval. Poor. Parents met post-war. Mom’s family were holocaust survivors who went to Austria, it was safer, then came to Canada. Dad’s background was Ukrainian. He was born in Canada. Accountant and bookkeeper. The came to Calgary for better work and still work in that field. Glenn and his sister remain very close, though not with their parents. “Our paths haven’t crossed in a long time.” As I pressed for ‘explanation’, Glenn said ‘it’s hard’ and we left it that …

Prior to arriving in Calgary all of Glenn’s schooling was in French, though he spoke English well too. He attended Henry Wise Wood High School, got his B.A. in Political Science at the University of Calgary, got his law degree at the University of Alberta – he went there because of a strong interest in constitutional law and, ‘they accepted me first’. After graduation he clerked for the Alberta Court of Appeal, then finished his articles at Bennett Jones where we worked for eight years until leaving to join his law school friends in the firm now known as JSS Barristers.

His bucket list Masters degree, should be coming soon. He’s one-paper-away from completing that degree at Osgoode Hall.

Why are you successful? “I’m fair to people. I bring value to the table and people recognize that. I’m an excellent communicator – and a hard worker.”

What has held you back? “I would be more successful in business if I was prepared to be more flexible. And, I’m not prepared to get rich at the expense of my friends.”

Given Glenn’s substantial and long standing political involvements I couldn’t leave without discussing his views – and asking what he thought of the recent Trudeau election victory: “Lets wait and see. I suspect there is more substance there than he’s been given credit for. He has a cabinet with some very impressive resumes. Hopefully they’ll make good use of talents and experience in the bureaucracy.”