AGENDA

All times in ET

• 2:30 PM

  Registration

• 2:55 PM

  Opening remarks from chairperson

  

  Lisa Danay Wallace

  Partner
  WeirFoulds LLP

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  Lisa Danay Wallace

  Partner
  WeirFoulds LLP

  Lisa Danay Wallace is a partner in the information technologyand intellectual property law practice group at WeirFouldsLLP. She acts for clients when procuring and selling softwareand technology related services.She works with companies from all industries in order to assist them with their contracting, privacy andother compliance needs.Early in her career, Lisa had hands-on in-house experience with a rapid-growth startup and a paymentnetwork.

  As the foundation for her career, this has made Lisa a pragmatic and business focusednegotiator. Lisa’s practice has her providing strategic advice and drafting and negotiating a wide arrayof complex agreements. She works independently and can leverage her team to provide cost effectivelegal services.

• 3:00 PM

  Opening keynote fireside chat: How young lawyers can maximize the value of mentorship & sponsorship opportunities in a hybrid environment

  Finding a mentor or sponsor is a crucial tool for young lawyers, as mentors play a critical role in making decisions about practice areas and career paths, assisting in professional development, and negotiating firm politics. However, the changing work environment has had an impact on traditional mentoring and sponsorship practices. This keynote fireside chat will explore best practices for young lawyers looking to establish mentor/sponsor relationships in a hybrid environment and how to derive maximum benefits to advance your career. 

  • Key considerations in choosing a mentor/sponsor 
  • How to make yourself an attractive mentee candidate: What senior lawyers look for in a mentee 
  • Beneficial questions that will advance a mentor/mentee relationship 
  • Maximizing relationships in a hybrid work environment 
  • Benefits of formal mentoring programs vs establishing “informal mentors” 

  • Best practices for using a mentor relationship to refine skills, build a network, navigate your career, or transition to new roles 

  

  Hilary Hennick

  Director, Legal Counsel
  Cineplex

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  Hilary Hennick

  Director, Legal Counsel
  Cineplex

  Hilary Hennick is currently the Director, Legal Counsel at Cineplex Entertainment where she specializes in commercial real estate and corporate/commercial legal matters. Previously, she was an associate lawyer in the Business Law Group of McMillan LLP, assisting both private and public companies with general corporate commercial matters and merger and acquisition transactions. Hilary received a combined Juris Doctor and Masters of Business Administration degree from Osgoode Hall Law School and the Schulich School of Business, and a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Sociology from Western University. Hilary sits on the Board of Directors and is a member of the Nominating and Board Governance Committee of Canada’s National Ballet School. In her spare time, Hilary actively participates in community fundraiser initiatives including co-chairing the annual “Koffler Couture” designer vintage clothing sale benefitting Koffler Centre of the Arts from 2014 to 2016, and organizing “Turning the Page Together” in 2020, an anti-racism initiative focusing on inclusion and diversity education for parents and children. Hilary’s most important role is being a mom to her two young children.”  

  

  Ewa Krajewska

  Partner
  Henein Hutchison LLP

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  Ewa Krajewska

  Partner
  Henein Hutchison LLP

  Ewa is a civil litigator and a partner at Henein Hutchison LLP. She practices in civil litigation, public and administrative law, appellate advocacy, and estates disputes. As a skilled advocate with excellent judgment, Ewa knows how to handle sensitive and high stakes matters. She has appeared on leading cases at all levels of court including the Supreme Court of Canada, the Court of Appeal for Ontario, and the Federal Court. Ewa was a Partner at a national law firm where she represented both institutions and individuals in difficult and sensitive disputes and was the Co-Chair of the Appellate Advocacy Group. She also served as a law clerk to the Honourable Justice Rosalie Silberman Abella of the Supreme Court of Canada. Ewa is respected by her peers and her clients for her ability to resolve issues and get to the heart of a matter. She has received numerous awards and recognitions. Ewa is recognized in 2022 edition (since 2020) of Best Lawyers Canada (Appellate Practice) and in 2022 (Admin & Public Law), she is also recognized in 2021 edition of Lexpert Special Edition: Litigation and in 2021 as a Lexpert Rising Star: Leading Lawyer Under 40. Ewa also received recognition in 2021 edition of The Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory (Estate & Personal Tax Planning). 

   Ewa is extremely committed to contributing to the legal profession. She is an active member of The Advocates’ Society and is a member of the Education and 10+ Standing Committees. She enjoys speaking and teaching on current legal issues and advocacy related topics. As an adjunct professor at the Osgoode Faculty of Law, Ewa relates her practical experience on constitutional litigation. She is also dedicated to mentoring lawyers and articling students. 

  Ewa believes in the importance of using her legal skills to advance legal issues for those with less economic means. She has acted as pro bono counsel both for public interest groups and individuals on issues of importance, including on the interpretation of Henson Trusts for persons with disabilities and how sealing orders affect those who are vulnerable. 

    

   

   

• 3:35 PM

  Panel: Navigating your career while achieving work-life balance and avoiding burnout

  Navigating the intensity of the legal profession can be challenging for young professionals. Juggling the needs of a growing practice while tackling personal life responsibilities requires creatively managing what seems to be an impossible goal.  This panel will discuss best practices for effectively achieving work/life balance – and how to navigate the journey to finding career success without burnout. 

  • How to advocate for yourself in setting appropriate boundaries: being comfortable saying “no” 
  • Understanding how you currently utilize time and where efficiencies can be created   
  • Strategies to adapt to the stressful nature of legal practice: Addressing systemic problems behind burnout 
  • Advice for managing expectations of partners 

  • Best practices for making effective use of face time and building relationships with senior leaders 

  Moderator

  

  W. Michael G. Osborne

  Chair, Canadian Competition (Antitrust) Practice
  Cozen O’Connor

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  W. Michael G. Osborne

  Chair, Canadian Competition (Antitrust) Practice
  Cozen O’Connor

  Michael Osborne is a partner in the Litigation and Competition & Foreign Investment Groups at Cassels. Michael advises and defends clients in inquiries and proceedings commenced by the Competition Bureau, including criminal matters, abuse of dominance, and marketing and advertising matters. He defends clients in private proceedings under the Competition Act, including price fixing class actions. Michael acts for and advises parties in a wide range of commercial disputes, including contractual disputes, shareholders’ disputes, commercial fraud, and employment matters. He also offers experience in a range of regulatory and white-collar crime matters. Michael has acted as trial and appellate counsel before all levels of court across the country, the Competition Tribunal and other administrative tribunals, and arbitral tribunals in international and domestic arbitrations, both institutional and ad hoc. 

  Michael’s cases include: 

  • Generic drugs price fixing: defending two US-based generic drug manufacturers in this proposed class action filed in the Federal Court of Canada 
  • Optical disk drives price fixing class action: Defending an optical disk drive manufacturer 
  • Capacitors price fixing class actions: Defending a capacitors manufacturer 

  • Visa / MasterCard interchange class actions & related litigation: Acting for a Schedule III bank and its acquirer subsidiary 
  • Commercial arbitration: acted for vendor accused of fraudulent misrepresentation by seller 
  • MD Financial Management v. RBC Dominion Securities (obtained judgment at trial on liability for breaches of non-solicitation clauses) (2017 ONSC 2772) 

  Michael has held numerous positions in the CBA Competition Law Section, most recently as editor of the Canadian Competition Law Review. He was also a member of the working group that assisted in preparing the new Competition Tribunal Rules. He is a Vice-Chair of the Books and Treatises committee of the ABA’s Antitrust Law Section. Michael regularly speaks and writes on competition and commercial litigation topics. 

  Michael is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and a member of ICDR Canada’s roster of arbitrators. He is also a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America. 

  Panelists

  

  Christine Ing

  Partner
  McCarthy Tetrault LLP

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  Christine Ing

  Partner
  McCarthy Tetrault LLP

  Christine is an equity partner and leader of the firm’s National Technology Law Group and co-leader of the FinTech Group. She is nationally recognized as an expert in commercial transactions involving information technology, data security, intellectual property and supports a wide-range of clients with unparalleled knowledge and industry expertise. 

  For over twenty years, she has helped clients in connection with complex technology transactions, including outsourcing, cloud computing, SaaS and other strategic procurement arrangements, software development and systems implementation (including agile methodologies), licensing, data sharing and joint ventures. She has particular expertise in the area of  information security and third party vendor risk management. Christine has assisted clients across a broad spectrum of industry sectors, with a focus on banking and other regulated industries. In all of her mandates, Christine prioritizes educating clients, offering deep insight into the commercial realities of technology transformation. 

  As a leading voice on a range of emerging technologies, including big data, artificial intelligence and blockchain, Christine will play a key role in market leading FinTech initiatives and build upon McCarthy Tétrault‘s innovative fast-growth initiatives. She has recently been involved in a number of “open data” and alternative data projects, and has advised on a number of strategic collaborations between incumbents and disruptors.” 

  

  Arun Krishnamurti

  Counsel
  Google Canada

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  Arun Krishnamurti

  Counsel
  Google Canada

  Arun is an experienced technology lawyer with a track record of practical, business-oriented legal advice.  After having worked at a leading Canadian law firm, and now in-house at Google Canada, Arun’s well versed in analyzing and responding to complex (and frequently cross-border) legal issues, including product launches, cloud services and other outsourcing agreements, consumer protection and many other commercial and regulatory topics.  Arun currently sits on the board of the Canadian Technology Law Association and the South Asian Bar Association of Toronto, and remains actively involved in his communities, taking on roles in mentoring, as well as supporting diversity and equity seeking groups more broadly.  In recognition for this work, Arun was named to Lexpert Rising Stars: Leading Lawyers Under 40 and recognized by the South Asian Bar Association of North America as a Rising Star. 

   

  

  Keri Wallace

  Senior Counsel
  Uber

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  Keri Wallace

  Senior Counsel
  Uber

• 4:20 PM

  Panel: Growing your career in the new workplace - Strategies to enhance and build your profile

  As young lawyers advance in their careers, strategies for building a strong profile, both in and outside of the firm, proves essential for success. Self-advocacy and branding are key to achieving these goals, as they introduce new opportunities, deepen existing relationships, and increase awareness of yourself and your practice. In this panel, gain advice on how to best develop your personal brand as an authentic and professional leader and how it can be the key differentiator in your legal career. 

  • Common mistakes young professionals experience when building their personal brand  
  • Improving your digital footprint: leveraging popular social platforms like LinkedIn to market and build your brand, increase client reach, and maximize referrals  
  • Maximizing opportunities outside of your day-today to enhance your profile 
  • Best practices for sharpening professionalism and practice management skills 
  • Building internal allies and seeking help from your organization  

  Moderator

  

  Bianca Thomas

  Associate General Counsel
  Shopify

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  Bianca Thomas

  Associate General Counsel
  Shopify

  Bianca Thomas is an Associate General Counsel on the Partnerships Legal Team at Shopify. Prior to joining Shopify, Bianca was Senior Counsel & Director at BMO Financial Group in Capital Markets Legal where she worked on complex precious and base metals transactions, as well as equity derivatives transactions. Bianca has a litigation background, and practised commercial, professional negligence and insurance litigation at two boutique litigation firms prior to going in-house. 

  Bianca obtained her Juris Doctor from the University of Toronto, and her undergraduate degree from Bocconi University. In 2020, she was a recipient of the Lexpert Rising Star Award: Leading Lawyers Under 40.  

  Bianca is active in the legal community. Currently, she is a member of the Ontario Bar Association Board of Directors, as the Regional Director for Toronto. She is also a CPD Liaison on the Canadian Corporate Counsel Association Ontario Branch Section Executive and a member of the Women Lawyers Forum executive. Bianca is a passionate advocate for women’s initiatives. She is a past chair of the OBA Women Lawyers Forum, and she is currently a member of the Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic’s Fundraising Committee.  

   

  Panelists

  

  Derek Bell

  Partner
  DLA Piper (Canada) LLP

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  Derek Bell

  Partner
  DLA Piper (Canada) LLP

  Derek Bell is a key member of the firm’s Litigation, Arbitration and Investigations group. His practice focuses on Commercial List litigation, which ranges from public company disputes, to merger and acquisition litigation, securities litigation, competition litigation, cross-border litigation, to insolvency matters. He has also acted as lead counsel on international commercial arbitration matters around the world. 

  Derek has been responsible for the successful resolution of many “bet-the-company” litigation mandates and has been at the forefront of many of the most important litigation mandates in Canada over the last two decades. Well known for his innovative approaches in dispute resolution, Derek represents a wide variety of industries and business sectors, including public issuers, individual directors and officers, banks, securities dealers, manufacturers, and private and public investment funds. He has appeared at all levels of court and administrative tribunals in Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, the Federal Court of Canada, and the Supreme Court of Canada. 

  Derek has led the charge in innovative approaches to law, charting a path that others follow. Derek was lead counsel on the first reported case in the history of Canada where a public issuer merger was successfully blocked at a fairness hearing. He was lead counsel for the issuer in Canada’s first Material Adverse Effects (MAE) case, in the context of COVID-19. He was lead counsel for the Commissioner of Competition, successfully obtaining the largest monetary penalty awarded to date. He is a member of the Commercial List User Committee, responsible in part for developing model orders in corporate and insolvency proceedings. 

  Derek also has an active practice involving governmental affairs and public interest mandates. He has acted for a Prime Minister of Canada, a premier of a province, multiple members of parliament, the Commissioner of Competition, and others. He has acted on numerous constitutional cases, including the most recent challenge to Bill 5 in Ontario, relating to the composition of Toronto city council. He has acted on a number of petitions to the federal cabinet. Derek’s experience on governmental mandates extends beyond Canada, as he has developed significant experience dealing with, and litigating against, the government of the People’s Republic of China and its state-owned enterprises. 

  Prior to being called to the Bar, Derek clerked with the Honourable Justice Charles D. Gonthier at the Supreme Court of Canada. 

  

  Jonathan Leibtag

  Senior Corporate Counsel, Corporate, External & Legal Affairs, CPS Pursuit Team, Americas
  Microsoft

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  Jonathan Leibtag

  Senior Corporate Counsel, Corporate, External & Legal Affairs, CPS Pursuit Team, Americas
  Microsoft

  

  Rahool P. Agarwal

  Partner
  Lax O’Sullivan Lisus Gottlieb LLP

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  Rahool P. Agarwal

  Partner
  Lax O’Sullivan Lisus Gottlieb LLP

  

  Tara Vasdani

  Managing Partner & Founder
  Remote Law Canada

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  Tara Vasdani

  Managing Partner & Founder
  Remote Law Canada

   

  Tara Vasdani is the Principal Lawyer and Founder of Remote Law Canada, a law firm specializing in civil litigation, employment law, real estate, and remote work. In 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022, Tara has been nominated for Canadian Lawyer’s Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers in Canada. In 2020, 2021, and 2022, Tara has been awarded the Employment Law Firm of the Year Award, by Canada’s Prestige Awards.  

  Tara has led the remote legal landscape since 2019, and excelled in advising corporations, law firms, and law schools on remote work and remote advocacy in the COVID-19 pandemic. Tara primarily assists businesses and organizations with developing functional remote work policies, employment agreements, independent contractor agreements, and meeting legislative and common law requirements when operating hybrid workforces. In 2022, Tara was named a LinkedIn Top Voice in Remote Work, and in 2021, she was recognized as one of the Top 10 Remote Work Advocates and Leaders across North America.  

  In 2021, Tara spoke to the Canadian Bar Association, the Ontario Bar Association, the Canadian Property Tax Association, Microsoft, RBC, ShieldGEO, Torre, the Law Firm Summit, Oyster Hour, CBC, and appeared on 4 podcasts, including Darin Thompson’s riveted continuing professional development podcast, Law Actually, about remote advocacy and legal tech. Tara also spoke to 9 law schools about career development and tech leadership, including the University of Toronto, McGill University, Osgoode Hall, the University of Ottawa, Queen’s University, Ryerson University, Thompson Rivers University, Western University, and McMaster’s DeGroote School of Business. In February 2021, Tara joined Barbara Kincaid, General Counsel at the Supreme Court of Canada, to speak to New Brunswick lawyers at the CBA Mid-Winter Series on legal tech and remote trials. Finally, Tara volunteered as a mentor to both the Civil Resolution Tribunal in British Columbia, and the Legal Innovation Hackathon in Ottawa, Ontario.  

   

   

• 5:00 PM

  Closing remarks from chairperson

  

  Lisa Danay Wallace

  Partner
  WeirFoulds LLP

  ×

  

  Lisa Danay Wallace

  Partner
  WeirFoulds LLP

  Lisa Danay Wallace is a partner in the information technologyand intellectual property law practice group at WeirFouldsLLP. She acts for clients when procuring and selling softwareand technology related services.She works with companies from all industries in order to assist them with their contracting, privacy andother compliance needs.Early in her career, Lisa had hands-on in-house experience with a rapid-growth startup and a paymentnetwork.

  As the foundation for her career, this has made Lisa a pragmatic and business focusednegotiator. Lisa’s practice has her providing strategic advice and drafting and negotiating a wide arrayof complex agreements. She works independently and can leverage her team to provide cost effectivelegal services.

• 5:05 PM

  Networking Drinks Reception