Profile
“I’m so proud to see that through my hard work and that of my team, we have built trust with our industry partners”
Victoria Coster,
Credit Fix Solutions
Allan Ritchie began his journey with Loopstra Nixon LLP as an articling student, where his enthusiasm for the firm only deepened over the years.
Ritchie grew up in Porcupine, a small town in Northern Ontario, where hockey, naturally, was his main interest. His passion for local politics and government took hold as his competitive hockey career wound down.
Pursuing a law career seemed a natural segue to staying connected with his interests. At 17, he committed to becoming a lawyer and worked diligently to make his dream a reality.
Since becoming managing partner at Loopstra Nixon in 2017, Ritchie has focused on building upon the firm’s strong foundations, leading it through a period of record-breaking growth and overseeing the successful execution of the largest law firm combination in Toronto in over a decade with Macdonald Sager LLP and Feige Nawrocki LLP in 2023.
He leads a highly engaged and creative seven-member executive committee of partners and a professional management team of experienced experts in law firm operations, technology, finance, HR and marketing.
Canadian Lawyer named Ritchie to its Top 25 Most Influential Lawyer’s list of 2024 for his standout achievements in the past 18 months, including his instrumental role in doubling the law firm’s size through successful mergers and advancing its position in the legal marketplace.
“I hope that looking back on my career, I will be recognized for contributing to building a great law firm, with great people who love what they do and love their clients,” Ritchie reflects. “If that ends up being the case, it will only be because of the incredible people who have chosen to get on this journey with us.”
He acknowledges that leadership in a partnership is unique, as managing partners are not CEOs. They have influence but very little power and can only be effective to the extent that they can build consensus among their fellow partners.
“This makes change and transformation impossible unless the partners are aligned and engaged,” he says. "I am supported by an excellent executive committee and management team comprised of partners and business professionals who contribute to our vision every day and work tirelessly to communicate ideas and build the consensus required to take risks and effect change.”
His insatiable curiosity drives him to try to learn as much as he can about the world and the people in it. New ideas, new clients, and new people energize him. These professional qualities enable him to stand out in a dynamic and changing legal and business environment where innovative approaches and experimentation are rewarded with success.
“Our motivation for growth has been driven by the success of our clients and the obvious need in the market for a fresh perspective on what a modern law firm is and how it approaches its relationships with clients,” he says.
Ritchie’s enduring love of the challenge and excitement of law practice keeps him eager to see what each new day will bring. His positive and informal attitude inspires the law firm team to understand that while their work is serious, it is okay to have fun while they are doing it.
Clients have come to rely on the firm for going above and beyond, always adding that “little bit extra,” whether in the form of additional strategic advice, a creative solution, or a better-than-expected result.
“I’ve come to believe that the sincerest form of satisfaction and gratitude is when a client returns and asks again for your help,” he notes. “I have found that this is best achieved by focusing singularly on the clients’ best interests and working hard to improve their situation in any way possible.”
Ritchie and his team will continue strengthening the firm's growth mindset, recognizing the benefits of growth and scale in the markets it serves.
"Our people and history will continue to drive our great culture,” he says.
Richmond-Adelaide Centre, 130 Adelaide Street West, Suite 2800, Toronto, Ontario, M5H 3P5
416 748 4754
aritchie@LN.Law
linkedin.com/in/allanritchie
LN.LAW
Allan Ritchie
Managing Partner
Loopstra Nixon LLP
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Milestones
“I’m genuinely keen to keep bettering myself”
Victoria Coster,
Credit Fix Solutions
2003
2017
2020
2023
2024
Joined Loopstra Nixon as a 1L summer student. The firm had 12 lawyers.
2003
Elected managing partner at Loopstra Nixon . The firm had 45 lawyers. It opened satellite offices in Buffalo and New York City.
2017
Named Lexpert Top 40 Under 40. The firm had 60 lawyers.
2020
The firm merged with Macdonald Sager LLP and Feige Nawrocki LLP. It was composed of 100 lawyers.
2023
Named Canadian Lawyer Managing Partner of the Year. The firm has 115 lawyers.
2024
Assistant Vice President and Senior Broker at MJ Hall & Company since 2018
Present
Milestones
Aug 2022
Milestones
Sept 2021
Feb 2022
Apr 2022
Jul 2022
Aug
2022
Suncorp Bank introduces Solar Home Bonus offer for customers who are choosing renewable energy for their homes
Sept 2021
Month-on-month market share growth commences
Feb 2022
Suncorp Bank wins the Canstar award for most outstanding value in investment loans
Apr 2022
Suncorp Bank wins Money Magazine’s Bank of the Year and Business Bank of the Year awards for the fifth year in a row
Jul 2022
Suncorp Bank’s turnaround times are the lowest they have ever been. The lender becomes Australia’s first certified carbon neutral bank for both its operation and transaction services
Aug 2022
Milestones
Coster brings depth and breadth of experience to her current position, having joined the industry as a mortgage processor before leaping into broking. She later honed her credit reporting education and credit repair skills for several years while working directly for various brokers.
“Starting Credit Fix Solutions was a deliberate move, as I saw there was a niche in ‘no win, no fee’ credit repair that the industry didn’t currently offer,” she says.
As a CEO, Coster learned through business coaching that there are no challenges in business, only opportunities to learn and grow. She wholeheartedly adopted that perspective, enabling her to overcome the obstacles inherent in team management and implement new and improved systems. She employs several strategies for challenging situations, such as following routines, forward planning, sleeping well and exercising.
“If I make sure I look after myself, have a plan of action, and I’m organised, then I can overcome any challenge (opportunity to learn) if and when it presents itself,” Coster says.
A firm believer in the power of leadership, Coster strives to set an example that the next generation of women and men can look up to. She prides herself on her reliability and trustworthiness and is the first person to show up and the last to leave the workplace.
“I’m genuinely keen to keep bettering myself,” she says. “Even now, at the top of my game, I’m still always learning.”
Guided by her favourite quote, “It’s better to be green and growing than ripe and rotting”, Coster constantly stokes her curiosity and keeps an open mind about life and business. Her kindness, positive attitude, business acumen and dedication to her profession make her a trusted and valuable partner to her peers and the mortgage industry.