A Family Tradition that Wins!"

Editorial by: Robert Mensies


 At the law firm of Chapman Goddard & Kagan, success has always been something of a family affair. When George Chapman’s father founded the firm in 1923, the neighbourhood of St. James lay outside Winnipeg’s city limits, bordered by a racetrack that occupied the current Polo Park site. The elder Chapman was the municipal solicitor for what was then the Rural Municipality of St. James, and so when it came time to open his own firm, a building at the corner of Parkview and Portage seemed like the perfect place to set up practice within the community.

Taking cues from their father’s profession, George and younger brother Cecil both took a shine to law.  Their father had been practicing on his own until 1948, when he was joined by another lawyer. But his sons’ interest sparked the need to move to more spacious environs.  ”In 1949 when I decided to go to law school, my father decided to buy the building we’re in at the present time,“ says George, who was called to the bar in 1954, followed by Cecil in 1956.


Joining up with their father’s practice to form the partnership of Chapman Chapman & Chapman, the brothers operated out of the aptly named Chapman Building at 1864 Portage. Originally sharing the building with other business units, the firm expanded as clientele boomed. In 1980, the three Chapmans began using the entire building.


In the early 1980’s, both Cecil and the senior Chapman retired, leaving George as the sole original member of the firm. To round out his practice, he established a partnership with Alan Goddard and Donna Kagan, and later expanded to include two other partners and three associate lawyers.


Working with his father allowed George the opportunity to gain inspiration from the veteran lawyer. ”My father had a good work ethic. He took an interest in community and community activities,“ he says. ”I think my father’s integrity is a significant part of our reputation.“


That sense of community service has remained a vital part of the Chapman Goddard & Kagan ethic. Partners at the firm are active with community builders as diverse as the YMCA and the Chamber of Commerce, building what Chapman terms ”a record of service to the community“ that undoubtedly earns the respect of the firm’s loyal clientele. ”I think it is an important part,“ he says. ”It has created an awareness.“


With such deep roots in the community, George has seen a great deal of change in St. James over the years. Through working and living in the area for seven decades, he has watched the area’s business and residential community grow. But while change never comes easily, the lawyer sees it as a positive evolution.


”We talk about the ‘old village’ part, and at one point, it was really a village,“ he says. ”When you got to Polo Park, that was the end of the city, so it was really a separate community. After the war, it was really built up. I think most people who have been around a long time see that it’s changed radically, but it’s all been for the better. It’s different, it’s better, and I love the place.