Tim Hortons’ Jon Domanko heads up a relatively small but very expert in-house team for a big job
Jon Domanko believes law firms provide essential training grounds for lawyers who want in-house careers By Julius Melnitzer | July 5, 2023 When Jon Domanko decided he liked the in-house counsel’s job better than his boss’, he set out on an unwavering course that took him to his current position as Tim Hortons’ top lawyer in […]
Shifting in-house from cost centres to strategic centres should be consultants’ consuming objective
Mark Le Blanc says leaders must expand their teams’ skill sets and approach management anew By Julius Melnitzer | June 28, 2023 Shifting legal departments from cost centres to strategic centres should be consultants’ consuming objective in advising in-house leaders, says Marc Le Blanc, a former general counsel turned consultant at Toronto-based Simplex Legal LLP, affiliated […]
Sheila Ritson-Bennett says a creative mindset at Corus Entertainment bodes well for her ESG program
Sheila Ritson-Bennett says Corus culture has a level of courage about new ideas By Julius Melnitzer | June 26, 2023 The creative and entrepreneurial mindset at Corus Entertainment Inc., says Sheila Ritson-Bennett, the company’s first head of environment and sustainability, governance, bodes well for the goals she is striving to achieve. “People are very open and […]
Mastercard’s Marvin Mikhail: good in-house counsel are ‘sponges’ who soak up business from inside
When in-house teams are doing their job properly, legal services are not a commodity, says Marvin Mikhail By Julius Melnitzer | June 21, 2023 Marvin Mikhail, vice president and senior managing counsel for Mastercard in Canada, likens his role to that of a sponge. “Successful in-house lawyers are most valuable when they advise their companies from […]
Stepping out of her comfort zone is the key to success for Isabelle Durand, CLO at iA Financial
Isabelle Durand had much to learn when she moved to the highly regulated financial services sector By Julius Melnitzer | June 16, 2023 When Industrial Alliance Insurance and Financial Services Inc. asked Isabelle Durand to step out of her comfort zone and become the company’s vice president and chief legal officer, she jumped at the opportunity: […]
WorkSafeNB’s GC David Luther cleared a 9-month, 400-case backlog in six weeks
By Julius Melnitzer | June 14, 2023 Within six weeks of implementing general counsel David Luther’s recommendations in June 2022, the Decision Review Office of WorkSafeNB, the New Brunswick crown corporation charged with administering the province’s workers’ compensation regime, had eliminated its 400-case, 9-month wait backlog, implemented core service standards and automation, and lowered operational costs. […]
In-house lawyers will not solve their problems by improving legal service delivery: consultant
Peter Connor says there’s a difference between being a business partner and partnering in business By Julius Melnitzer | June 12, 2023 In-house lawyers will not solve their problems by improving legal service delivery. They must change their work and how they do it, says Peter Connor, the founder and CEO of Alternatively Legal. With 40 […]
David Forsayeth always wanted back into a business role, and he got it in spades in-house at Flipp
Building internal processes for working with the legal group is among David Forsayeth’s proudest accomplishments By Julius Melnitzer | June 6, 2023 After graduating with a bachelor of commerce degree, David Forsayeth, general counsel at Flipp Corp., always imagined himself in a business role. Law school intervened, as did four years as a private mergers and […]
Boards must have a long-term risk management strategy in light of global crises: experts
Clemens Mayr says businesses must strengthen and generate trust in distrusting times. By Julius Melnitzer | June 1, 2023 Beginning with COVID-19, crises and disruptions – geopolitical uncertainty, the Ukraine war, supply chain issues, workplace upheaval, inflation, interest rates, energy transition – seem to be de rigueur. The upshot is that may be time to revisit […]
Farah Ismail and Fasken form unique partnership to create in-house department for SE Healthcare
Farah Ismail By Julius Melnitzer | May 27, 2023 Good general counsel know that “at the beginning” is frequently the best time to call in the troops from their trusted law firms. But “before the beginning” taxes the imagination – unless you happen to be Farah Ismail, senior vice-president and chief legal, privacy and compliance officer […]