Registration and virtual orientation
Opening remarks
Speaker:
The Honourable James F. Diamond, Superior Court of Justice
Strategies to enhance and build your profile as a thought leader
As young lawyers advance in their careers, positioning themselves as industry thought leaders is critical to opening new opportunities, deepening existing relationships and increasing the profile of their practices. Developing true credibility to establish yourself as a thought leader can be a timely and complex process – ultimately it is your potential client base who make this decision. What are some of the practical strategies and tactics young lawyers can use to build their profiles as thought leaders? What role can social media play?
- Examine how a well-defined thought leadership strategy can increase your profile
- Building versus inheriting a practice/book
- What are some of the most effective search methods clients use when seeking expertise?
- How to choose the right channel and message to reach your target audience
- Ensuring thought leadership is differentiating and value-added
- Using pro bono and low bono advocacy to enhance your profile
Moderator:
Faren Bogach
Partner , Weirfoulds LLP
Panelists:
Angie Andich
director of communications and profile , Dentons
Gillian Hnatiw
principal , Gillian Hnatiw & Co
Anne Ristic
co-managing partner , Stikeman Elliott LLP
Barbri
Practical advice for assessing and mapping your options as you advance in your practice
As young lawyers move forward in the legal profession, understanding their career options is critical to growing their practices. Whether part of a small practice, large firm or in-house legal department, working remotely or in the office, navigating the way forward can be challenging and at times obscure. What are some of the options available to young lawyers as they advance? How can rising lawyers ensure the choices they make are the best for their career aspirations? What should a young lawyer do if the path they have chosen is not the right one?
- Examine the path and process for advancing in different-sized firms
- What is the career trajectory for working in-house or in government?
- Utilizing your competitive advantages to get ahead
- Negotiating compensation and considering alternative options to traditional models
- Building internal allies and seeking help from your organization
- Understand the unique challenges of working in small firms
- Changing your career path and ensuring you make an informed decision
Sylvia Yong
barrister and solicitor , KPMG Law LLP
Jennifer L. Hunter
partner , Lerners LLP
Pamela Shin
associate director, legal counsel , Mastercard Foundation
Aris Daghighian J.D.
legislative policy advisor , Government of Canada
Refreshment break
A conversation with tomorrow’s legal leaders: What does it mean to be an effective lawyer in 2021?
Join us for a lively discussion on the new skillsets young lawyers need to have to effectively serve clients in an era of a rapidly changing legal profession. How can one adapt to be both agile and innovative while meeting clients evolving expectations? What will the profession look like in 5 years and what should young lawyers be doing today to ensure they are prepared?
Industry sponsor
Assessing the latest technologies to develop, build and enhance your network and client relationships
Building and refining your client base and making meaningful connections is a continual process of hard work and may not always be a comfortable experience for young lawyers. Fortunately, advances in technology, accelerated by the pandemic, can make this process easier and more efficient. This session will examine technologies for reaching new clients and enhancing existing relationships. How can you improve your social media presence? What are the advantages and risks for young lawyers when engaging digitally with some of these new technologies?
- Ensuring your tech choices align with your client base and business objectives
- What specific tech options best fit your practice
- Cloud versus in-house
- Choosing the right platform
- Capturing and using data effectively – triaging initial client engagement
- Examples of how social media has increased client reach and maximized referrals
Moderator:
James Cote
legal technology and innovation specialist , Bennett Jones LLP
Panelists:
Ryan Edmonds
employment lawyer , Ryan Edmonds Workplace Counsel
Edona Vila
senior associate , Borden Ladner Gervais LLP
Monica Goyal
director of legal innovation , Caravel Law
Lunch break
Practical guide to delivering an effective pitch (even in a remote environment) – Perspectives from both sides
Understanding your client’s business needs, ensuring you have the relevant team to address their situation, and being able to provide creative solutions are critical to a successful pitch. What goes into a winning pitch? How do you ensure a pitch matches the needs and expectations of a prospective client? This session will offer practical tips and advice from seasoned lawyers from both sides to ensure your next pitch is a winning one.
- What defines and goes into an effective law firm pitch?
- Understanding the do’s and don’ts of a good pitch
- What are some common mistakes? How do you follow up with a client after delivering a bad pitch?
- What role can technology play in enhancing delivery of a pitch?
Moderator:
Andy Chan
managing partner, Vaughan and Markham , Miller Thomson LLP
Panelists:
Judith McKay
Chief Client and Innovation Officer , McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Jon Domanko
Head of Legal, Canada for Tim Hortons®, Popeyes®, and Burger King® brands (Restaurant Brands International) , The TDL Group Corp., an affiliate of Restaurant Brands International Inc.
Top 10 things to make your day more productive in an age of constant disruption and remote work
As young lawyers grow their practices, expand their books or assume additional in-house duties, satisfying clients’ needs can be increasingly challenging. In an age in which clients’ demands are 24/7 and social media is a constant presence, tackling your workload may seem impossible. What are some of the top ways to maximize time and resources?
- Focusing on core tasks, having strong internal processes and setting client expectations in advance
- Understanding how you currently utilize time and where efficiencies can be created
- How can technology be harnessed to increase efficiency?
- Key lessons from real-life examples that can be leveraged immediately. What are some of the most common time-wasters?
Graham Hood
Partner , Smart & Biggar
Ian Hu
Associate , Carroll Heyd Chown LLP
Networking break
Strategies for young lawyers to manage and take charge of challenging workplace relationships
Punishing workloads, large egos, poor internal communication, working in silos, lack of time – these are just a few of the challenges that can strain workplace relations and add to the stress loads of a rising lawyer. How can young lawyers improve communications? What are the ways they can exert more control over relationships? How can they better manage strong personalities in their practices?
- Typical causes and triggers of poor communications and conflict
- Methods and practical ideas for improving different levels of communications
- Working with different personality types – high performers; introverts versus extroverts
- How to manage relationships with emotional intelligence
- Learning to say no without saying no
- Setting expectations and conducting effective performance reviews and mentoring programs
Moderator:
Pamela Shin
associate director, legal counsel , Mastercard Foundation
Panelists:
Margaret M. Kim
associate , Bennett Jones LLP
Andrea Fellows
Vice President, Corporate Legal , Oxford Properties Group
Tory Hibbitt
Associate , Carbert Waite LLP
Aaron Bains
Associate , Aird & Berlis LLP
Pragmatic steps for young lawyers and practices to better balance personal and family needs with a growing practice
Juggling the needs of a growing practice while tackling the responsibilities of a young family, caring for elderly parents or contributing to the community, especially while working remotely, means being creative in managing what seems an impossible goal. Recognizing this challenge, as well as the need to attract a gender and multiculturally diverse talent pool, organizations are responding with new and accommodating flexible work arrangements. A panel of practitioners and law firm leaders share their practical tips, advice and lessons learned.
- Examining how law firms are innovatively responding to the work-life challenges of young lawyers
- Maternity and paternity leave options
- Ensuring the needs of young lawyers in a diverse, gender-balanced firm are addressed as they grow into positions of leadership
- Practical ideas to better navigate work-life balance and a busy practice
- How to advocate for yourself in setting appropriate boundaries
- Keeping in top mental health
Moderator:
Tim Wilbur
editor-in-chief – Law , Key Media
Panelists:
Sudevi Mukherjee-Gothi
Partner , Pallett Valo LLP
Konata T. Lake
Partner , Torys LLP
Rebecca Jaremko Bromwich
Manager, Diversity and Inclusion , Gowling WLG