Garry Hoy, a respected lawyer at Holden Day Wilson, lost his life in a bizarre accident that has sent shockwaves through the Toronto legal community. Hoy, 38, was giving a group of law interns a tour of the firm’s 24th-floor office in the Toronto-Dominion Centre when the incident occurred.
Hoy was demonstrating the purported unbreakability of the building’s large glass windows by repeatedly slamming his body against them. This act, which he had performed without incident on previous occasions, tragically went awry. On this fateful day, as Hoy attempted the stunt a second time, the glass frame gave way, causing him to fall to his death. The glass itself remained intact, but the frame could not withstand the force of his impact.
Witnesses described the scene inside a small conference room where the accident took place, noting the profound impact it had on the interns and staff. The incident was promptly investigated, and a structural engineer noted that the building codes did not account for such an extreme test of the glass’s durability. The Globe and Mail later reported that despite the glass’s survival, the frame’s failure led to Hoy’s fatal plunge.
Peter Lauwers, the managing partner at Holden Day Wilson, addressed the media, expressing the firm’s deep sorrow over Hoy’s death. He described it as a “freak accident” and praised Hoy as a “bright light” within the firm who was known for his generosity and dedication. In response to the tragedy, the firm engaged a crisis team from the Clarke Institute of Psychiatry to offer counseling to the affected employees and Hoy’s colleagues.
Hoy, a graduate of the University of Toronto, specialized in corporate law and was described as a talented and dedicated professional. At the time of his death, he was separated from his wife and had no children. His passing was officially ruled as “death by misadventure.”
The aftermath of this tragic event had a profound effect on Holden Day Wilson. The firm struggled to cope with the psychological and operational impact of the incident, leading to significant staff departures. Within three years, nearly 30 lawyers had left the firm, and Holden Day Wilson closed its doors in 1996. This closure was the largest law firm dissolution in Canada at that time, with the Globe and Mail attributing the firm’s demise to the lasting trauma of the accident and subsequent financial difficulties.
