Age: 38
Occupation: Partner, Brownlee LLP
During his fifth birthday party, Nabeel Peermohamed’s parents asked him on video what he wanted to be when he grew up. He said “a lawyer.” Three decades later, he has not only made good on that statement, but is one of the youngest equity partners at Brownlee LLP, a Western Canadian firm founded in the 1930s.
Peermohamed is an insurance defence litigator, representing insurance companies and the entities they insure. Over the past decade, he has successfully defended lawsuits that have shaped the courts’ interpretations to dismiss cases under the Occupiers’ Liability Act and the Municipal Government Act, thus protecting commercial and municipal entities from liability.
Peermohamed was on the inaugural Canadian Bar Association National Board of Directors from 2017 to 2019. At Brownlee, he fosters a culture of mentorship as chair of the Student Committee for the Calgary office. He also spearheaded Brownlee’s volunteer work with the Calgary chapter of the Civil Claims Duty Council, collectively providing approximately 100 hours of free legal advice per year to self-represented litigants since 2015. “Pro bono work provides a good balance for any lawyer. It helps refresh your memory about why you entered the profession, and re-establishes parts of the oath that you take as a lawyer to do good,” he says.
His drive stems from a need to honour the sacrifices his family made moving from India to East Africa and then to Canada. At seven, he began volunteering with the Ismaili Volunteer Corps; during law school, he volunteered as a Saturday School teacher; then was principal at one of the Saturday Schools from 2019 to 2022. “I’m always striving to be better,” he says. “I’m building on what I have done so far; continuing to grow, being a stronger mentor and leader, continuing to serve my clients, and staying focused on family values.”
Thank yous
“Sheerin Hai for nominating me; my parents for all the support; and my brother for providing me with the healthy competition to succeed.”
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