Anthony (Tony) Merchant, a prominent attorney and former Saskatchewan Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA), has passed away. His son, Evatt Merchant, confirmed that the 81-year-old died at his residence in Regina on Thanksgiving Monday, Oct. 13. A funeral is planned to take place in Regina next week.
Merchant commenced his distinguished legal profession after being admitted to the Saskatchewan bar in 1968. Subsequently, he gained admission to the Alberta bar in 1976 and the British Columbia bar the following year. He later established his own law firm, Merchant Law Group, which currently maintains offices in British Columbia, Ontario, Alberta, Quebec, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan.
In 1975, he was elected as an MLA in the Regina Wascana constituency and served under the Liberal Party of Saskatchewan until 1978. According to Gord Kuski, a close friend and lawyer of Merchant, he possessed an entrepreneurial drive that facilitated his entry into class-action lawsuits. Kuski highlighted Merchant’s strong work ethic and fearlessness in legal battles, describing him as a dedicated advocate for his clients.
Merchant gained recognition as Canada’s “class-action king” due to his success in securing substantial settlements for his clients. Notably, his law firm represented former residential school students in a class-action lawsuit against the Canadian government, resulting in the historic Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement in 2006, which amounted to nearly $2 billion, one of the largest class-action settlements in Canadian history. More recently, Merchant’s firm achieved a $6-million settlement in a case against Ticketmaster earlier this year.
Throughout his extensive career, Merchant faced controversy, including his involvement in high-profile cases such as the representation of Colin Thatcher in a custody battle. Despite his legal achievements, Merchant encountered professional challenges, including a temporary suspension by the Law Society of Saskatchewan in 2020 for pressuring a residential school survivor to allocate settlement funds to cover unrelated legal expenses. This suspension was later overturned by the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal.
Merchant, who was married to former Liberal senator Pana Merchant, was known for his resilience in the face of adversity and legal scrutiny. Despite facing multiple accusations of unprofessional conduct, he continued his legal practice and garnered various accolades, including the Queen’s Decoration, Queen’s Golden Jubilee Decoration, Saskatchewan Centennial Medal, and Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal. He was appointed as a Queen’s Counsel in 1995.
Merchant’s legacy extends to his family, as he is survived by his wife Pana and their three sons, all of whom pursued careers in law following their father’s footsteps. His passing marks a significant change in Saskatchewan’s legal landscape, as he was widely regarded as one of the most prominent figures in the province’s legal community.
