Yan Liu

I completed three law degrees in Beijing, at the University of Toronto, and at the University of Southampton in the UK, followed by a Master’s in the International Lawyer Program at the University of Toronto. I’ve always aimed to stand out and excel. After graduating at the top of my class, I was selected for an internship at Heenan Blaikie LLP, one of Canada’s top ten Bay Street law firms, and was the only candidate offered a return position even before being called to the Bar. That was the moment I felt my legal career had truly taken flight. But life has a way of keeping us grounded. Two years later, I witnessed the historic collapse of Heenan Blaikie LLP, the first major Bay Street law firm to dissolve. Overnight, I went from working above the clouds at the Shangri-La to a small real estate boutique in Cabbagetown. From accompanying former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien on an official visit to China to running daily errands to the bank, I experienced the full spectrum of the legal profession. And it was in those humbling years that I learned what it truly means to practice law, not just to advise but to serve. In 2015, I founded Y. Liu Law Firm, the first Mandarin-speaking Chinese law firm on Bay Street. My vision was to build a firm that captured the excellence and spirit of Heenan Blaikie but with a distinctly diverse and community-centered foundation. Today, nearly ten years later, Y. Liu Law has grown steadily. We are now a team of multiple lawyers and paralegals, working together to serve Toronto’s diverse and dynamic communities with professionalism, empathy, and integrity. I share this story so you understand the vision that drives everything I do, a vision rooted in resilience, excellence, and community. Y. Liu Law Firm — your first choice, and always the right choice.