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. […]
Creating a new legal department can be daunting and fraught with challenges
Giselle Basanta says GCs need to control the money if they are to control legal services By Julius Melnitzer | May 25, 2023 The Association of Corporate Counsel’s guide on establishing an in-house law department begins with a warning. “Whether the attorney hired to create the organization’s first in-house legal department has served as in-house counsel […]
FLO’s Chief Legal and Public Affairs Officer Travis Allan has a broader job description than most
Allan says scaling the legal team as his company grows is his greatest challenge By Julius Melnitzer | May 24, 2023 It’s fashionable to observe that good general counsel are integrated with their organization’s business. If that’s so, Travis Allan’s position at FLO Services Inc., the Quebec City-based operator of one of North America’s largest electric […]
Giselle Basanta on becoming one of only a few Black females leading a legal department in Canada
By Julius Melnitzer | May 18, 2023 There are very few Black females leading legal departments in Canada. Giselle Basanta, a latecomer to the law after the better part of two decades as a public servant, is one of them. She is only aware of four others. When George Brown College went looking for a […]
Christine Silversides’ small team at York University is a lesson in maximizing resources
Christine Silversides says teamwork, hard work, dedication, creativity, and training are key to managing the demanding workload By Julius Melnitzer | May 13, 2023 In 2006, Christine Silversides joined York University’s Office of the Counsel as director of legal services, becoming the fourth lawyer on the team. Thirteen years later, Silversides became general counsel. As it […]
BMO legal department’s pro bono efforts cross borders
Theresa Ducket says it’s not difficult to get buy-in for pro bono from her team By Julius Melnitzer | April 21, 2023 Law firms seem to do a much better job touting their pro bono work – not to mention themselves – than do in-house legal departments. Surprising it may be, then, to discover that more […]
Rusty Juma lives his dream as Volkswagen’s new general counsel
Success in automotive industry isn’t that different from success in professional services, he says By Julius Melnitzer | April 12, 2023 Rusty Juma has spent his entire in-house career with professional services firms; he’s also been a car aficionado all his life. So, his new job as general counsel and corporate secretary to Volkswagen Group Canada Inc. and […]
Dow’s Lorne O’Reilly relishes being a one-person show
He’s the only in-house lawyer involved in the construction of the world’s largest ethylene cracker By Julius Melnitzer | April 5, 2023 When you think of Dow Chemical, you think big, which makes it somewhat surprising that Lorne O’Reilly is the only lawyer in Dow Chemical Canada’s legal department. But he relishes the opportunities his job […]
LSO revokes license of ‘ungovernable’ Hamilton lawyer
Gavin MacKenzie says a penalty for ungovernability other than revocation is hard to justify By Julius Melnitzer | October 24, 2022 In a rare finding, the Law Society Tribunal has revoked the license of Hamilton lawyer Gerald Culliton on the ground that he was “ungovernable.” “Often, ungovernable lawyers are found guilty of other serious professional […]
The LSO denies a paralegal license to an ex-police officer who masterminded a $3.1 million robbery
Bill Trudell says the profession believes in second chances By Julius Melnitzer | October 5, 2022 Ontario’s Law Society Tribunal has refused a paralegal license to an ex-police officer who masterminded a $3.1 million armoured vehicle heist in 1998. “Any applicant with problems in their past, including a criminal record, needs to have as clean […]