CCCA Magazine - Spring 2015 by CCCA Magazine

CCCA

Spotting Issues Early: Tips for Avoiding Land Mines and Time Bombs

magazine spring 2015 printemps | Vol 9, No. 1

Leading Corporate Counsel Le conseiller juridique d’entreprise – Droit devant

Jennifer Jones, In-House Counsel & Olympic Gold Medalist

PM 42929530 — Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Canadian Corporate Counsel Association, 1210 – 20 Toronto Street, Toronto, ON M5C 2B8

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spring 2015 printemps | Vol 9, No. 1

is published quarterly by

In this issue… Features 16 Spotting Issues Early: Tips for Avoiding Land Mines and Time Bombs

CANADIAN CORPORATE COUNSEL ASSOCIATION L’ASSOCIATION CANADIENNE DES CONSEILLERS(ÈRES) JURIDIQUES D’ENTREPRISES 1210 – 20 Toronto Street Toronto, ON M5C 2B8 Tel: 416-869-0522 Email: ccca@ccca-cba.org CCCA Chair / Présidente de l’ACCJE Heather Innes: Chair@ccca-cba.org Managing Editor / Rédactrice en chef Lynne Yryku: LYryku@ccca-cba.org Associate Editor / Rédactrice associée Karen Sadler: KSadler@ccca-cba.org DESIGN / CONCEPTION ARTISTIQUE Hume Media Inc. Editorial Board Jim Rossiter (Chair/Président) Leila Gosselin Sébastien Guénette Wendy King Simon Kupi ISSN No. 1913-0562 Publications Mail Agreement No. 42929530 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Canadian Corporate Counsel Association 1210 – 20 Toronto Street Toronto, ON M5C 2B8

All rights reserved. Contents may not be reprinted without permission. The opinions expressed in articles are not necessarily those of the publisher. Information presented is not legal advice and should not be relied upon as a substitute for review of your specific situation with legal counsel. Every effort has been made to provide accurate information; however, the publisher assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions. Tous droits réservés. Le contenu du magazine ne peut pas être reproduit sans autorisation. Les opinions exprimées dans les articles ne sont pas nécessairement partagées par l’éditeur. Le contenu du magazine ne constitue pas un avis juridique et vous ne devriez pas vous en servir pour évaluer votre situation particulière. Nous avons tout mis en œuvre afin de fournir des renseignements exacts. Cependant, l’éditeur n’assume aucune responsabilité en cas d’erreurs ou d’omissions.

In-house counsel must act as both legal advisors and strategic business partners. However, it can be challenging to stay abreast of everything that is happening—especially in large, multinational companies. Find out how top in-house lawyers stay ahead by networking, predicting and acting decisively. By Jim Middlemiss

24 From Lawyer to Leader: Challenges and Solutions

Personality traits that make you a good lawyer may be hindering your capacity as a leader. Find out where you can improve in order to become a more effective leader within your department and organization. By Julie Sobowale

30 Her Path to the Top: In Conversation with Monique Mercier

In this first of a series of articles on top women in-house counsel, Monique Mercier of TELUS shares her success story, the role of mentors and how others can follow in her footsteps. By Kirby Chown and Carrie Mandel

columns

departments

5 From the Editor Leaders focus on the quality of their work and the relationships they cultivate. 7 From the Chair In-house counsel can drive change by ensuring we continue to contirbute and collaborate.

8 Performance in the Law Department Legal leaders must continuously adjust their priorities and practices to meet current business and economic realities. Critical success factors can help. By Richard G. Stock

10 Profile: Jennifer Jones Jennifer Jones, in-house counsel and one of the most successful skips in Canadian curling, shares her winning strategy. By Michael Dempster

13 Career Management Mentoring is more than the transfer of advice, knowledge and insights. The relationship offers reciprocal benefits for mentors willing to invest their time in developing another professional. By Karen Sadler

36 Spotlight On… Mondaq Advice Centres Mondaq Advice Centres, a new benefit of membership, provide comprehensive legal information and expertise from marketleading firms.

14 Strategic Management In-house and external counsel must work together to ensure the integrity of the profession. By Ronit Dinovitzer, Hugh P. Gunz and Sally P. Gunz

40 CCCA News CCCA National Conference, Proposed New Joint Policy Statement on Audit Inquiries and the Business Leadership Program for In-House Counsel.

43 Legal Innovation When deciding whether to grant instructions to bring a motion, in-house counsel must consider value, cost and timeliness in the context of the big picture. By Atrisha Lewis

44 Leadership Effective leaders work with their teams to provide motivation and guidance. By Hugh Arnold

46 Inside Edge You are accountable for your own career success. Learn how to ask for what you want and prove you deserve it. By Bindu Cudjoe

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{ From the Editor / Mot de la rédactrice }

The Not-So-Secret Behind Success

Le secret de Polichinelle du succès

By Lynne Yryku

Par Lynne Yryku

n the fall, I attended an OBA Women Lawyers Forum session where top in-house counsel, high-profile partners and judges shared their success strategies. The common advice from all panelists applies to all types and levels of lawyers: Enjoy what you do, look for ways to improve, be open to other viewpoints and network. If your goal is to play a leadership role in your organization, being successful means participating in the decision making and taking risks. Even if you are not there yet, make an effort to understand the discussions and get to know the people involved to develop your presence. Follow the lead of Karen Jackson at the University of Calgary: When she was hired, her first order of business was to personally introduce herself to the deans of each faculty. She worked to earn their trust. Now they involve her in issues before they arise. In-house counsel have the unique opportunity to engage with people across the different functions of the organization and take on a leadership position. It is up to you to take the initiative, establish those connections and build those relationships—and learn from those people and their varied experiences. Networking with fellow in-house counsel in similar companies and industries is also beneficial. It helps you not only personally to know people who truly understand what you do but also professionally to have others to call on for help. One of the most important attributes of a strong GC is good judgment. It is hard to teach, but it can be practised and you can learn from your and others’ experiences—both good and bad. Especially early in your career, having mentors makes a big difference, says Monique Mercier of TELUS. “Not only do they help you and serve as a sounding board, but they also give you confidence by identifying your strengths and weaknesses.” Mentors do not need to be from the same background or industry. You can still learn a lot from them. As a prime example, look at Jennifer Jones, in-house counsel and Olympic champion. She applies a lot of what she has learned from curling to her day job to stay focused and keep from being overwhelmed. She would inspire anyone to overcome obstacles and bring out the best in themselves and their teams. Keep reading to gain insight on developing your own strategies for “gold medal” success! ❚

’automne dernier, j’ai participé à une séance du Forum des avocates de l’ABO avec de grandes juristes d’entreprise, des partenaires de haut niveau et des juges afin d’échanger sur les stratégies qui mènent au succès. Leurs conseils aux avocates de tous les secteurs et niveaux vont dans le même sens : aimez ce que vous faites, cherchez des moyens de vous améliorer, prêtez oreille aux autres points de vue et constituez un réseau. Lorsqu’on aspire à jouer un rôle de leadership au sein de l’organisation, il faut participer au processus décisionnel et prendre des risques pour réussir. Même sans nécessairement viser le leadership, il faut faire l’effort de comprendre les discussions et d’apprendre à connaître les personnes impliquées pour développer sa présence. En cette matière, Karen Jackson de l’Université de Calgary est un modèle à suivre : lorsqu’elle a assumé ses fonctions, son premier geste a été d’aller se présenter aux doyens des facultés afin de gagner leur confiance. Le juriste d’entreprise occupe une position privilégiée qui lui permet s’allier avec des gens de différentes fonctions au sein de l’organisation et d’assumer un rôle de leadership. C’est à vous de prendre l’initiative, de créer ces liens, de bâtir ces relations – et d’apprendre au contact de ces gens et de leurs expériences diversifiées. La constitution d’un réseau de collègues juristes dans des industries et des organisations similaires est également profitable. Ce réseau vous fera connaître des gens qui comprennent ce que vous faites et que vous pourrez appeler à l’aide en cas de besoin. Le jugement est une des qualités les plus importantes d’un bon avocat-conseil général. Il ne s’enseigne pas, mais il s’apprend par l’intermédiaire de ses propres expériences et de celles des autres. Avoir des mentors fait une grande différence, surtout en début de carrière, comme l’explique Monique Mercier de TELUS : « Ils servent non seulement de conseillers et vous aident, mais ils vous donnent aussi confiance, car ils reconnaissent vos forces et vos faiblesses. » Peu importe que vos mentors n’aient pas les mêmes antécédents que vous : vous apprendrez quand même beaucoup à leur contact. La juriste d’entreprise et championne olympique Jennifer Jones est un bon exemple : elle applique ce que le curling lui a appris à son emploi afin d’éviter de se laisser déborder. Elle serait une bonne source d’inspiration pour quiconque voudrait faire ressortir le meilleur en soi et en son équipe. Poursuivez votre lecture : vous découvrirez d’autres moyens de développer vos propres stratégies pour décrocher la « médaille d’or » du succès! ❚

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{ From the Chair / Mot DE LA PRÉSIDENTE }

Leading Change

Des moteurs de changement

By Heather Innes

Par Heather Innes

he CCCA is constantly assessing what we are able to offer members, looking for opportunities to help you maximize your personal and professional growth, and become a leader in your current and future positions. Over the last few weeks, I have met with members across the country from both the public and private sectors to share our new strategic vision, and hear first-hand what opportunities and challenges lay before us. Only by listening to you can the CCCA be the voice of Canadian in-house counsel regardless of geography, industry or sector. We are truly unique in this regard. As I continue this tour, I look forward to meeting many more of you. A significant opportunity presents itself with the CBA ReThink. The ReThink is a comprehensive review of the CBA and its operations in order to update its mission and develop strategies to ensure it is relevant to today’s challenges. As part of the CBA community, the CCCA fully supports this initiative and will be affected by the outcome. One of our strategic objectives is to ensure CCCA members and their unique needs are properly represented. The CCCA holds a distinct position within the CBA. The in-house bar is one of the fastest-growing areas of the legal profession, ensuring consistent membership growth. As both clients and service providers, our members bring an objective and multi-dimensional perspective to community, advocacy and educational issues; and provide important strategic, governance and organizational knowledge to the CBA. Another exciting project, the CBA Futures Initiative, provides in-house counsel with a strong, supportive vehicle to make real changes in how we provide value to our clients, and how our outside providers deliver products and services to us. The CBA is shaping the future of the legal profession in Canada through its recommendations in the report, Futures: Transforming the Delivery of Legal Services in Canada, and in-house counsel have the opportunity to have a strong voice in that discussion. Whether it is looking at innovation, alternative business structures (ABS) or the education of students, in-house counsel can drive change. By ensuring we continue to find ways to collaborate with our private practice colleagues and fellow members at the CBA, we can help lead the way to a new and stronger future. Currently, the CCCA is actively engaging with our private practice colleagues, exploring ways in which we can work together to deliver higher value, produce more legal service products and create stronger collaboration. I invite you to participate in these discussions and welcome any thoughts you may have on the ReThink and the Futures Initiative. You can email me at Chair@ccca-cba.org. ❚

’ACCJE réévalue constamment son offre de services aux membres et elle est toujours en quête d’occasions de favoriser au maximum leur croissance personnelle et professionnelle afin de les aider à devenir des leaders. Au cours des dernières semaines, aux quatre coins du pays, j’ai rencontré des membres issus du secteur public et du secteur privé. Tandis que j’ai discuté avec eux de notre nouvelle vision stratégique, ils m’ont pour leur part renseignée sur les opportunités et les défis qui se présentent à nous. C’est en vous écoutant que l’ACCJE réussit à s’imposer comme porte-parole des juristes d’entreprise canadiens, quelle que soit leur situation géographique, leur industrie ou leur secteur d’activité. C’est ce qui fait que nous sommes vraiment uniques. Parlant d’opportunités, Réinventer l’ABC en est justement une importante. Cette réinvention se veut un examen en profondeur de l’ABC et de son fonctionnement afin de reformuler sa mission et d’élaborer des stratégies qui établiront sa pertinence face aux défis d’aujourd’hui. En tant que membre de la communauté de l’ABC, l’ACCJE est en plein accord avec cette initiative. Un de nos objectifs stratégiques consiste à faire en sorte de représenter adéquatement les membres de l’ACCJE et de veiller à ce qu’il soit tenu compte de leurs besoins uniques. La situation de l’ACCJE dans le cadre de l’ABC est singulière. Au sein de la profession, le secteur des juristes d’entreprise est celui qui connaît la plus forte croissance, ce qui est de bon augure pour l’augmentation de notre effectif. À la fois clients et fournisseurs de services, nos membres apportent à l’ABC une perspective multidimensionnelle sur le plan des questions communautaires, de plaidoyer et de formation, donc d’importantes connaissances stratégiques, organisationnelles et de gouvernance. Un autre projet emballant de l’ABC, Avenirs en droit, donnera aux juristes d’entreprise un mécanisme solide qui les encouragera à véritablement changer les choses par rapport aux moyens d’offrir une bonne valeur à la clientèle et à la façon dont les fournisseurs externes nous offrent leurs produits et services. L’ABC veut façonner l’avenir de la profession juridique au Canada avec les recommandations formulées dans son rapport Avenirs en droit : Transformer la prestation des services juridiques au Canada et les juristes d’entreprise ont la possibilité de se faire entendre dans ce débat. Que ce soit en matière d’innovation, de structures commerciales alternatives ou de formation des étudiants, les juristes d’entreprise peuvent être des moteurs de changement. En continuant de trouver des moyens de collaborer avec nos collègues en pratique privée et nos confrères et consœurs de l’ABC, nous pouvons contribuer à paver la voie vers un avenir meilleur. Je vous invite à participer à ces discussions en me transmettant le fruit de vos réflexions sur Réinventer l’ABC et sur Avenirs en droit. Vous pouvez me joindre par courriel à Chair@ccca-cba.org. ❚

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{ Performance in the Law Department }

Comfortable— or Condition Critical? By Richard Stock

In recent months, the Canadian economy has been stressed. The oil patch has significantly reduced its capital programs and laid off employees. From Target to Tim Hortons, from the Governments of Alberta and Quebec to the Government of Canada, employers are making structural, operating and financial adjustments in response to economic realities.

mployees are feeling vulnerable too. Law departments in every setting must adjust their priorities, practices and resources—better to do so in anticipation of (rather than as a defensive reaction to) change. Law departments have come into their own over the last few decades. Internal clients are used to having them around, as part of the fabric of the company. But are they nimble enough? Are they just tending goal or on the front line seeking out ways to add value? In many cases, the law department has become too “comfortable” with what it is doing and how it is doing it. It has been nearly 15 years since two dozen GCs gathered in New York City to set out what they then considered to be the Critical Success Factors (CSFs) for a progressive law department. Their 17 CSFs were anchored by 52 constituent elements or statements. Although the factors and elements need a little upgrading, they are still relevant in many ways. In tough economic times and difficult working environments, the Chief Legal Officer (CLO) must ensure the business plan for the law department is up to the test. Six of the CSFs are particularly relevant to Canadian legal leadership. These factors are equally important and worth considering along with their supporting elements.

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Each CSF should be assessed for compliance on a 10-point scale by scoring its constituent elements. My report card follows.

CSF: There are trusting and effective working relationships with the CEO, executive officers and clients. Five elements support this factor: ■■ The CLO has frequent dialogue with the CEO. ■■ Executive officers are briefed on the steps the law department is taking to align itself with company objectives and business. ■■ The CLO creates opportunities for lawyers to work with executive officers. ■■ The CLO monitors the quality of the relationships between lawyers and executive clients. ■■ Client satisfaction surveys are conducted. In general, I would not give Canadian law departments a higher score than 4 for this CSF. The highest mark is awarded for monitoring working relationships with executive clients. Client surveys are conducted by fewer than half of law departments—on an irregular basis. The other elements of this CSF are informal at best and rarely documented. In summary, law departments are much too passive in managing internal relationships. They must take the time and effort to do so.

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CSF: There is an effective strategy for integrating lawyers with client/user management teams. Four elements support this factor: ■■ Significant business unit management teams include a lawyer as a participating member. ■■ Lawyers have a formalized role in new product development processes. ■■ Lawyers review and contribute to annual business plans. ■■ Legal teams review major policy decisions before they are announced. Law departments score better on this factor than they did three years ago. Increasingly, business units have in-house counsel attend their meetings and review major policy decisions. However, they are seldom called upon to contribute to the units’ annual plans on a systematic basis. The main barrier is the limited availability of inhouse counsel for projects other than urgent legal work. Overall, Canadian law departments score no more than 6 out of 10.

CSF: The annual and long-range plans of the law department are closely aligned with corporate objectives. Three elements support this factor: ■■ Written annual and long-range plans with objectives are explicitly linked to corporate objectives. ■■ Evidence exists that the legal team works with clients to identify a joint long-range plan. ■■ The assumptions about legal issues driving the business environment are identified in the plan. Most law departments have written annual plans. However, fewer than 20% also have written long-range plans and only some objectives are closely aligned with

{ Performance in the Law Department }

“

Law departments have come into their own over the last few decades, but are they nimble enough? Are they just tending goal or on the front line seeking out ways to add value?

those of the organization. Planning assumptions are rarely documented and not supported by multi-year forecasting of the demand for legal services by volume, type and complexity. While law departments complete corporate planning forms, they remain poorly aligned to corporate objectives and reactive in deploying their resources—deserving only 5 out of 10.

CSF: The law department has effective budgeting processes and financial reporting systems in place. Three elements support this factor: There is agreement on a comprehensive reporting format for financial reporting by the law department to its clients. ■■ Procedures and systems are in place for the law department and external counsel to collaborate on budget management. ■■ Clients monitor legal spending and provide input. Few law departments record time by matter and clients. Even without this law-firm type of activity, quarterly reporting to clients of the consumption of legal resources seldom occurs. Legal project management and budgeting with external counsel remain in their infancy. Overall, law departments score only 3 out of 10 for failing to move beyond discounted hourly rates with external counsel. ■■

”

CSF: There is a strategic sourcing approach to external counsel retention and management.

Two elements are sufficient for this factor, given the hard-wired, relationshipbased nature of law departments with external counsel: ■■ The law department retains external counsel based on strategic alliances, competitive bidding and performance evaluations aligned with core competencies used to evaluate inside counsel. ■■ Billing data is used to identify and reinforce the use of best practices. GCs tend to avoid competitive processes to retain external counsel. They are not comfortable preparing specifications, drafting RFPs, developing alternative fee arrangements, managing projects and negotiating with preferred counsel. This is in part because they fail to examine billing data, intervene in law firm business practices or make the time to do so. Banking, governments and their agencies, and multi-nationals tend to be more structured in sourcing professional services. However, even with these, there is precious little innovation and risk/reward sharing with multi-year partnering agreements. Law departments receive 4 out of 10.

CSF: Professional development initiatives are focused on current and future core competency requirements. Four elements support this factor: Development is focused on core competencies for lawyers and paralegals. ■■ Future talent requirements are forecast. ■■ Career path plans and management/leadership skills development tracks exist. ■■ There is multi-source feedback on individual performance. Public companies and most levels of government benefit from strong HR support for this factor. This is less true in other settings. Core legal competencies are not identified by experience level. Law department demographics are poorly aligned with work type and complexity. Multi-source feedback, especially client feedback, tends to be of the “walk-about” variety. Best practices warranting a perfect score of 10 can be found in Canadian law departments, but for the most part, GCs do not invest enough time to develop their own competencies and those of the law department, defaulting instead to a “survival of the fittest” form of professional development. The overall score is 5 out of 10. With scores like these, the condition of many law departments is critical. There is much work to be done. ❚ ■■

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Richard G. Stock, M.A., FCIS, CMC, is a partner with Catalyst Consulting. The firm has been designated the Preferred Provider for Legal Department Consulting by the CCCA for the past 19 years. Richard can be contacted at 416-367-4447 or rstock@catalystlegal.com.

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{ Profile }

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{ Profile }

Gold Medal

Performance Jennifer Jones lives for big moments and when pressure, even anxiety, threatens to affect her performance, she takes a minute—and remembers to smell the ice. By Michael Dempster

t’s a trigger, a way to cope, Jones says. As in-house counsel, an Olympic champion, frequent flyer and mom to a twoyear-old daughter, stress is part of her daily life. Whether it’s throwing the final rock to win the 2014 Olympic gold medal in women’s curling or working with little sleep on a major file with deadlines looming, smelling the ice brushes away negative feelings like the fear of failing. “It takes me back to curling as a kid,” Jones says. “It’s a reminder of how much I love the game and to appreciate what I get to do. On major files, it’s helped me break down the work into smaller pieces. Thinking one step at a time clarifies matters, keeps me from being overwhelmed by the magnitude of some things.” This spring, Jones will be a keynote speaker at the 2015 CCCA National Conference in Toronto, April 19 to 21. When her peers leave the keynote, she hopes they will take away a greater passion for living in the moment, a life skill she’s sharpened in recent years.

“A lot of us [lawyers] are perfectionists at heart and we can beat ourselves up,” she says. “If we can just be our best and not fear failure… that takes away so much of the stress.” Millions of Canadians have witnessed Jones at her peak, unflappable in pressure-packed situations. She is best known as the skip who has won the Olympics, the World Championship and four national titles. Fewer people across the country know her as a lawyer, the Senior Legal Adviser and Corporate Ambassador at National Bank Financial in Winnipeg. And only a small group knows the back story. How almost everyone told her bluntly that she couldn’t possibly dream of being both a lawyer and champion curler. Jones didn’t give in. Instead she followed the example set by Carol, her mother, an oncology nurse. She had an energy about her, Jones says, an ability to enjoy every moment and she believed I could do anything.

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{ Profile }

“ Her parents never pressured Jones or her sister to excel but they did enrol their “honours everything” daughter in sports to help her make new friends and gain confidence. “I was the kid who had her head held low, never wanted to have a birthday party because I didn’t want to be the centre of attention. I was super shy. It’s still my natural tendency. But it’s interesting. I love motivational speaking and can talk to thousands of people. I love it. It gives me energy. To me it’s amazing how much you can change if you’re surrounded in a great environment.” At the University of Manitoba, she found the perfect situation. Jones studied law, curled, trained and held down jobs to support herself. “It wasn’t easy. But I’ve been able to figure out a way to surround myself with people who believed in me, who trusted me. That’s the key, the trust. And get the work done.” During law school, “wonderful” professors encouraged her. Aikens Law in Winnipeg did the same, hiring Jones after being called to the bar in 2000. Her work never took a back seat to curling, says Jim Ferguson, an Aikens partner, who coached Jones on mergers and securities, being efficient and ensuring that demanding clients’ needs were met. He remembers receiving work emails at 2 am from Jones after bonspiels. She managed to balance business and competition seamlessly, with dexterity, Ferguson says.

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“It became apparent early on that Jennifer had drive, intellect and personality. It was a fabulous combination,” he says. “You look at Olympic-calibre athletes and they have to abandon everything. Their pursuit becomes their full-time job. Jennifer was still able to use all her skill and training as a lawyer and become an Olympic athlete, which is phenomenal.” Jones calls Ferguson an amazing mentor who shaped her professional career. But in 2005, after winning her first Canadian championship she made the difficult decision to leave private practice. Entrepreneur Charlie Spiring loved her story. He had formed Winnipeg-based wealth management firm Wellington West and approached Jones about moving in-house. It wasn’t full-time. But it was a new challenge and provided her the flexibility she needed. As Wellington’s first in-house counsel, Jones operated on the governance side, tackling employment and contractual matters. When National Bank Financial bought Wellington, she moved to its compliance department and, in late 2014, became the bank’s Corporate Ambassador. The new role involves corporate development, client events, speaking for the bank, brand awareness and work on ad hoc legal projects. “It’s perfect for me. I love the law and I want to keep my legal brain working. But I also enjoy the corporate side, being involved in some corporate strategy and being out speaking to people. It’s the best of both worlds for me.” Elaine Dagg-Jackson, the women’s national curling coach since 2003, says Jones will thrive in any role and marvels at her focus, determination and complete commitment to excellence. “She has the discipline and extraordinary will to search for the next level of performance. She applies this not just in sport but in every area of her life. There is only one way to do something—the very best you can—period.”

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”

If we can pick out those great things that each individual brings, it will lead to success.

Jones strongly believes that the key, as a skip or leading a business team, is drawing out the strength in people when it matters most. “Leadership is about leading by example. To understand the benefit and the energy of each individual and accept people’s differences. If we can pick out those great things that each individual brings, it will lead to success.” Jill Officer has known Jones since she was 16. She’s been a permanent team member since 2003, playing second in all their major curling championships. She describes Jones as genuine, passionate and inclusive, a person who’s considerate of everyone around her and who goes the extra mile trying to please people. Her ability to tap into individual and team strengths, her game planning and attention to detail has elevated the team, Officer says. It was Jones’s leadership that led to Olympic gold in Sochi, Russia, the first women’s team to go undefeated in Games’ history. The win was particularly sweet, as the team had twice failed to qualify for the Games when it was favoured to do so. “When we qualified, we were not going to let a moment pass us by where we didn’t enjoy this experience,” Jones explains. “I wanted to smell the ice, remember the crowd. We weren’t afraid to lose, there was no pressure, no fear, because we just wanted to do our best.” In Sochi, Jones also shared her Olympic dream with Brent Laing, her fiancé and an elite curler. The couple will be married this June and are parents to Isabella. Jones had wanted a family for a very long time. Brent and Isabella, she says, are her biggest dream come true. “Isabella’s just awesome,” Jones says. “Whenever I’ve been away and I come home, she’s so precious and pure and excited to see me. It just melts me every time.” ❚ Michael Dempster is a writer based in Calgary.

{ Career Management }

Creating a Culture of Mentorship in your Legal Department By Karen Sadler

“If we don’t live together, we’re going to die alone.” Any Lost fans? The show’s protagonist, Jack Shephard, says this line during an impassioned speech to the recent survivors of a plane crash on a deserted island, implying that the only way they will survive is by helping each other. And though your legal department is not necessarily the same as a band of castaways on an island, there is a nugget of truth in the phrase that can be applied to any group of people working as a unit. At a time when inclusivity, reciprocity and teamwork in the workplace are more valued than ever, it’s important to think of mentoring as more than just a one-hour appointment in your calendar every few months. These days, mentorship should be a permanent part of your at-work philosophy and a natural extension of leadership, helping to build a stronger, more efficient legal team. So how can you start creating a culture of mentorship within your own department?

It’s a never-ending, two-way street. As mentoring becomes less a formal arrangement and more an organic experience, it’s valuable to think of mentoring as both an ongoing journey and a two-way street. Specifically, mentoring should never stop—you’ll always have more to learn and more to share with peers. You’ll also realize that it’s optimal to be both a mentor and a mentee at the same time. In her 2008 Harvard Business Review article, “Give a Gift: 4 Tips for More Effective Mentoring,” author Tammy Erickson suggests creating a “gift culture” in your workplace: “Encourage anyone and everyone to give freely of their time and insight to help colleagues. Make this common practice throughout the organization.”

Encouraging this behaviour will help ensure that your legal department grows and strengthens together, increasing informal knowledge sharing and feelings of collegiality.

What’s good for the goose is good for the gander. Most in-house counsel move to the legal department from a law firm—traditionally a more competitive, aggressive environment. In a legal department, the success of one reflects positively on the entire team, so the more skills and perspectives each lawyer develops, the better for the department as a whole. In his 2012 Forbes article, “New Research on Making the Most of Mentoring Relationships,” Drew Hansen cites a study done on mentoring in which the authors interviewed 54 faculty members at the Departments of Medicine at the University of Toronto and University of California. It showed that successful professional relationships “were marked by reciprocity, mutual respect, clear expectations, personal connection, and shared values.” A culture of mentorship promotes all of these traits, resulting in a higher-performing and happier legal department.

Begin with the CCCA. The CCCA’s Mentoring Program, Counsel Guiding Counsel: The Path to Excellence, is a free benefit for all in-house counsel members. Features include customized training for mentors, a confidential matching process, a structured-yet-flexible meeting schedule, resources for mentors and mentees, and support from a program advisor. To learn more, contact mentoring@ccca-cba.org. ❚

Top Mentoring Tips Chris Gouglas, Chair of the CCCA Mentoring Committee and Vice President of Legal Services and General Counsel at Best Buy Canada Ltd., shares his top tips for effective mentoring: 1 Mentoring is a conversation: Gone are the days of the wise, older employee doling out advice to a younger, inexperienced employee. Mentoring today is about both the mentor and mentee engaging in meaningful conversations, discussing past situations and experiences, and applying the lessons learned to current challenges. 2 Mentoring involves setting goals: The first mentor-mentee meeting should be about establishing a relationship, getting to know each other and creating a judgment-free zone. However, after that initial meeting, it is important to set goals and desired outcomes to keep both parties on track. 3 Mentoring is about listening: Being a mentor is not always about solving problems. Often, it’s helpful for a mentee to have someone simply listen to them and act as a sounding board. 4 Mentoring is about helping others take a leap: Junior in-house counsel sometimes hold themselves back. Mentors can provide that gentle push, encouraging a mentee to take the next step in his or her career, whether it be seeking a promotion, joining a committee, taking on new responsibilities or speaking at an event.

Karen Sadler is the Marketing and Communications Coordinator at the CCCA.

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{ Strategic Management }

In-House and Outside Counsel:

Working Together to Uphold the Profession By Ronit Dinovitzer, Hugh P. Gunz and Sally P. Gunz

Ever since scholars began writing about the differences between in-house and outside counsel, there has been a strong sense that one form of practice can only succeed at the expense of the other.

n 1985, for instance, Chayes and Chayes provided their forecast for in-house counsel and its effect on big law firms: “… whatever the future form of the elite law firm, its relation to big business will have been profoundly altered. The vast bulk of the legal work for America’s leading corporations will be performed in corporate law departments.” 1 Certainly, at the time the Chayes were writing, in-house counsel were often treated as the second-class citizens of the legal profession, with little obvious justification—but those days are long since over. Both forms of practice continue to have a relationship of interdependency. Each must react to the ebb and flow of the economy, and how they—and their clients—do so inevitably impacts the allocation of legal services between them. Trends, however, have seldom been permanent. Our academic work comes at these issues from a rather different perspective. For many years, we have studied the ways professionals address ethical dilemmas. The news is regularly punctuated with examples of managers engaging in fraudulent and unethical activities. Yet, for the most part they do so only with the active

assistance of skilled professionals, such as lawyers and accountants. What pressures do these professionals face? What leads often otherwise highly principled individuals to bend to the wishes of less than scrupulous managers? Often subtle organizational factors affect how individual professionals assume their role. In our work with in-house counsel, for example, we have seen that some counsel who become highly integrated into management decision-making roles may become more inclined to resolve ethical dilemmas as would a manager than a lawyer. 2 This appears to result from their refocusing what would otherwise be a professional identity to one more aligned with that of a manager. However, by doing so, they risk losing the value that flows from being independent professionals—the very quality for which they are hired. Does that then imply it is better for the client to use outside counsel? We would answer, definitively, “no.” Instead, our work suggests that outside lawyers face their own organizational pressures, which may lead to equivalent impacts on ethical decision making if left unrecognized and unmanaged.

Abram Chayes & Antonia H. Chayes, “Corporate Counsel and the Elite Law Firm” (1985) 37 Stanford Law Review, 278 at 300.

ugh Gunz & Sally Gunz, “Hired Professional to Hired Gun: An Identity Theory Approach to Understanding the Ethical H Behaviour of Professionals in Non-professional Organizations” (2007) 60:6 Human Relations 851

or full reports on our findings, see Ronit Dinovitzer, Hugh P Gunz & Sally P Gunz, “Reconsidering Lawyer Autonomy: The F Nexus Between Firm, Lawyer, and Client in Large Commercial Practice” (2014) 51:3 Am Bus LJ 661; Ronit Dinovitzer, Hugh P. Gunz & Sally P. Gunz, “Unpacking client capture: evidence from corporate law firms” (2014) 1:2 J Professions & Organizations 99; Ronit Dinovitzer, Hugh P. Gunz & Sally P. Gunz, “Corporate lawyers and their clients: walking the line between law and business”, online: (2014) Intl J Leg Profession www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09695958.2014.977792.

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In our most recent study, we interviewed over 100 lawyers at major commercial law firms across Canada. 3 This work provided deep insights into their relationship with in-house counsel. There were two trends that directly reflect current demands of clients. First, outside counsel commonly explain the probability of career success in terms of delivering legal services in a “businesslike” manner—they must understand and meet client needs. However, that same lawyer must also be independent and willing not to deliver advice that crosses ethical boundaries. Consider these obligations in the context of the career pressures in major law firms and the necessity to retain a healthy flow of billings in particular. What happens to the ability to identify ethical boundaries and withstand inappropriate client pressure? The second affects all legal service providers: the need to deliver advice 24/7 and quickly. While lawyers must be time sensitive, sound ethical decision making may be jeopardized without the ability to reflect and, where necessary, seek additional advice. Even well-grounded lawyers may fail to see ethical traps. From this study, we learned a number of important lessons relevant to in-house counsel. We highlight the following six: ■■ Outside counsel are well sensitized to the needs of in-house counsel and the client firm, and what the latter two expect of them. If they don’t demonstrate this understanding, in-house counsel has every right to ask why. ■■ Outside lawyers face their own vulnerabilities. In-house counsel’s job has to be to assist in imposing reasonableness upon the demands of management.

{ Strategic Management }

■■

Both sets of lawyers ultimately have common professional obligations. Always remember your client is the organization, not management. This is no different for outside counsel. If outside counsel blurs the distinction, you must ensure they refocus. Legal advice is of no value (and may even be harmful) if it is delivered without the requisite independence. Outside counsel have considerable respect for your role. But you must expect your lawyer to be independent of you. Lawyers in our study expressed concern for those in-house counsel who wish to carry the matter but still call upon them as outside counsel for snippets of advice. Without relevant context, they cannot provide sound legal advice or exercise good judgment. Outside lawyers do not generally have a problem with supporting you in situations where management is unlikely to take your word alone. However, ensure outside lawyers know your posi-

tion and understand that they may not agree with it. Once more, you are not the client. ■■ Finally, be aware that outside counsel may be subject to pressure from many different directions within your corporation. While the focus in studies of ethical decision making has typically been placed on the direct relationship between the lawyer and their client, our research suggests that undue client influence may emerge in other ways, for instance through partners in the law firm who have other contacts within your organization. As legal departments grow, these complex relationships will become more common, such that it will no longer be sufficient to be vigilant solely regarding your direct relationship with outside counsel. In sum, in-house counsel must manage costs, and ensure effective and efficient delivery of outside legal services—law firms by and large understand this role

“

as well as the pressures in-house counsel face. Lawyers in private firms also have their own career pressures that, as with in-house counsel, may determine their career success and even survival. Ultimately, however, both sets of lawyers must meet the same fiduciary and professional obligations. Both in-house and outside lawyers add value to their client and society if they ensure compliance. This will be best achieved when each understands and respects the pressures the others face. Fundamentally, each is not hired to be a business person. Rather, they are there, at considerable expense to the client, because of their professional designation. ❚ Ronit Dinovitzer is an Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Toronto and a Faculty Fellow at the American Bar Foundation. Hugh P. Gunz is a Professor of Organizational Behaviour at the University of Toronto, and Sally P. Gunz is a Professor of Business Law and Professional Ethics at the University of Waterloo.

Always remember your client is the organization, not management… Legal advice is of no value (and may even be harmful) if it is delivered without the requisite independence.

”

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Sp tting Issues Early Tips for Avoiding Land Mines and Time Bombs By Jim Middlemiss

Karen Jackson learned early in her career that not everyone in a company likes in-house lawyers. In the 1980s, when she was “young and not terribly experienced,” a property developer hired Jackson as its first female lawyer. The chief financial officer promptly told her that he saw lawyers as “beavers in the stream of commerce, always building dams.” l

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“You want them to trust you. You want them to come to you early before something becomes a land mine.” Karen Jackson, GC, University of Calgary

t was the best thing he ever said to me,” Jackson reflects. She vowed never to be a dam in the flow of business, but rather, to always have a backup plan or solution that gets around the problem presented. That experience also taught her the importance of reading people and spotting issues early in an organization, and highlighted the need to earn and build trust with work colleagues if she wanted to survive. Fast forward to 2012, when Jackson joined the University of Calgary as General Counsel after a long career at Stikeman Elliott. One of the first things she did was to meet personally with the deans of the different faculties because “they would be equivalent to the heads of business units. You want them to trust you. You want them to come to you early before something becomes a land mine.” There is no shortage of land mines waiting to trip up organizations. They can be internal, such as employees engaged in nefarious conduct, or external, such as contractual clauses that carry time bombs, bad deals, threats from changing market conditions, new legislation or aggressive competitors looking to eat your company’s lunch. Making matters worse is that many companies operate as silos, where information doesn’t flow freely among different divisions, making issue spotting more difficult. However, that creates opportunities for savvy in-house counsel. According to Maura Lendon, Vice-President, Chief General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Primero Mining Corp., “Lawyers are really in a unique position in a company to cut through that ‘silo-ization.’ We have a unique opportunity to provide cross-functional integration and we do engage with people across the different functions.” However, simply keeping up with the workload and pace of change can be a daunting task for in-house lawyers, and spotting an issue early may seem like looking for a needle in the haystack.

“In terms of staying on top of issues, it’s always a struggle because there is so much going on,” Jackson says. But there are ways in-house lawyers can mitigate risk by leveraging resources, building out their networks and maximizing their information flow. Here are seven maxims that will improve your information flow, make you a better in-house lawyer and help spot issues early in your organization, before they blow up. They’re based on discussions from successful in-house lawyers working in a variety of organizations, from big companies with large legal departments to small, fast-growing operations. They touch on things that lawyers can do from business operations, career development and compliance standpoints.

1 Know your business It sounds trite, but your ability to spot issues and avoid land mines is only as good as your knowledge and understanding of the business. Experts say lawyers don’t learn about their company by sitting behind a desk sending emails. They need to walk the shop floor to see how it operates and connect with fellow employees. “For me, it’s all about making sure I stay close to what’s happening in the business, not just the legal department,” explains Gordon Currie, Executive Vice-President and Chief Legal Officer at food giant George Weston Limited. He says in-house lawyers need to understand what the company does and where it wants to go in order to monitor issues effectively and get in front of any storms that may arise. “You don’t know what things to focus on if you don’t know where the business is going or where it wants to get to.” He relies on his direct reports to keep him informed with regular meetings and weekly reports. “It’s not something you can accomplish from your desktop. You have to engage with people.”

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{ Feature } “Lawyers are really in a unique position in a company to cut through that ‘silo-ization.’ We have a unique opportunity to provide cross-functional integration and we do engage with people across the different functions.” Maura Lendon, VP, Chief GC & Corporate Secretary, Primero Mining Corp

Getting to know the business is one of the toughest things inhouse lawyers take on, especially if they are joining a new industry. The level of effort required depends not only on the industry, but also on the organization’s size and geographic disposition. “The larger the company, the bigger the challenge,” says Currie. Getting to know your organization requires an investment in time and effort while juggling everyday challenges. Take Melissa Krishna, Deputy General Counsel, Special Projects, at publicly traded Pacific Rubiales Energy Corp., which has its corporate office in Toronto but its operations in South America. When she joined in 2010, every six weeks she would take a trip to Colombia to get to know the operations team and its employees, and she still travels there frequently. For companies with cross-cultural operations, Krishna says it’s important to “make sure the lines of communication are open and that the information flow is steady.” By visiting frequently and becoming part of the operations fabric, employees “know us and get comfortable calling us,” which is critical to staying on top of developments before they spin out of control. “It makes your job easier. In our job, the most important thing is information and how you get access to it. There is no better way to do it than by creating those relationships.” Krishna is also learning Spanish. “If you know the language, it helps them warm up to you much quicker.”

2 Know your industry Knowing your company is only part of the equation. Knowing your industry and competitors is equally important for spotting issues because chances are you are not alone. If your firm faces financing issues or competitive challenges, or is struggling with new regulations or a reputational management issue, others in your industry likely face similar hurdles. You can learn from their mistakes and accomplishments. Trade industry associations are invaluable for staying on top of trends and new developments within sectors, says Jim Nikopoulos, Vice-President and General Counsel at fast-growing Element Financial Corporation, an equipment-financing firm. He attends leasing conferences that keep him up to date on developments in this niche industry.

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“One of the best things to do is develop a group of friends and peers in similar companies or similar industries,” Nikopoulos says. That serves a couple of purposes. Not only does it keep counsel informed about potential issues, but it also benefits deal flow. “When you know the [lawyer] on the other side, it makes the deal go that much smoother.”

3 Be at the table One of the best methods for spotting issues early is finding a way to embed yourself in strategy development and management decision-making circles. “The first thing is to be at the table,” says Daniel Desjardins, Senior Vice-President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at manufacturing giant Bombardier Inc. Desjardins notes he’s lucky. “Legal as a function is always present in the strategy and business discussions [at Bombardier]. We are really close to the business.” The lawyers are embedded within the various business units around the world in a decentralized manner. Desjardins also chairs the corporate social responsibility committee, which is responsible for overseeing environmental and health and safety matters—hot buttons for a manufacturing company. Having that view at the 50,000-foot level allows legal to assess and manage the various risks as they arise, he explains. However, he cautions, a company’s management structure “depends on the culture of the enterprise and the type of business it’s in. I don’t think there is one single answer, but this works well for us.”

4 Ask the right questions When it comes to spotting issues, Hartland Paterson, General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer and Secretary of CAE, which trains people using simulation technology in sectors like aviation and healthcare, warns that “sometimes things are presented in an innocuous way,” which means an in-house counsel needs to develop a “nose” for trouble. “It’s about asking the right questions in the right way. People will conveniently neglect to mention some of the warts.” It means he hammers away at a matter and resolves information gaps until he reaches his comfort level and fully understands the nature of the problem and solution being proposed.

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He says companies often get themselves into a pickle by glossing over negative aspects of contracts or providing unrealistic terms. For example, he cites the instance of Nortel, which in some contracts agreed to guarantee the quality of its phone switch in perpetuity. “It smacks of desperation,” he says, adding “nobody would sensibly do that” beyond a three-year term, at which point a service charge should kick in to protect the company and make it economically viable.

5 Develop strong policies and procedures Lawyers say the policies and procedures a company has in place around approvals can also provide early warning signs of trouble. For example, Paterson says CAE, which derives 90% of its revenues from outside Canada, has policies that the executive committee, which includes the CEO, the CFO and the CLO, approve any material contracts. “That gives me visibility on large contracts, M&A and joint ventures.” Policies mandate that the legal department must also vet material terms in contracts, such as non-compete agreements, indemnity and liability provisions, and IP rights. What that does, he says, is sets up the legal department to be enablers in deals. Employees know that they will need the blessing of the company’s lawyers to get major contracts through, so they are encouraged to engage legal early with their problems. “It’s not my job to stop deals; it is to make sure that the risks

are properly identified and to the extent possible quantified and priced into the deal.” So if there is currency risk, it needs to be identified to decision makers early and not after the fact.

6 Create a stable legal team Corporate knowledge is golden and gets lost when people come and go too frequently. “Try not to churn your team too often,” Paterson suggests. The lawyer that drafted a joint venture agreement is valuable when a JV later blows up or underperforms, which global consulting firm McKinsey estimates happens in 40-60% of joint ventures within seven years of the ink drying. Academic studies suggest about half of all mergers fail. Continuity in your legal team is critical for later troubleshooting that will surely arise.

7 Don’t reinvent the wheel The last—and most obvious—maxim is that information tools at an in-house lawyer’s disposal are free legal resources. Most law firms now publish reams of information about legal developments, and aggregators, such as Mondaq, try to bring it all together in one place. The challenge is keeping up with the flow. Eeva White, Legal Counsel, Corporate Secretary and FOIP Co-ordinator at the Market Surveillance Administrator, Alberta’s regulator that oversees the wholesale and retail electricity and natural gas markets, says she copes with the challenge of issue spotting by staying on top of her inbox.

“One of the best things to do is develop a group of friends and peers in similar companies or similar industries.” Jim Nikopoulos, VP & GC, Element Financial Corporation

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“In our job, the most important thing is information and how you get access to it. There is no better way to do it than by creating those relationships.” Melissa Krishna, Deputy GC, Special Projects, Pacific Rubiales Energy Corp.

“I am the only lawyer. If I am not on top of it, we are in big trouble,” says White, who works in a small organization. “I have a huge inbox and I use it to identify issues.” So she constantly monitors websites and blogs dealing with electricity and natural gas markets, and stays on top of law firm literature related to her field. She also keeps an eye on business schools and seminar firms, which often highlight new trends or issues. “I get a lot of email. It really helps me keep abreast of what’s going on.” Remember, despite your best efforts, appreciate that you are only human and won’t identify every potential bomb in a company, nor will every single one blow up. Paterson says “you have to expect the unexpected” and “be agile. You won’t catch everything.” But by getting to know your business and industry, staying close to the decision makers, building better relationships and developing an information pipeline, you will lessen the likelihood of being caught off guard. Most importantly, Jackson says, follow your intuition. It’s probably right. “If you have that gut feeling that [your organization] shouldn’t be doing this, then you shouldn’t be doing it. It usually means it’s not going to turn out well.” ❚ Jim Middlemiss is a writer based in London, Ontario.

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Sept règles pour

éviter les

bstacles Karen Jackson a appris très tôt dans sa carrière que ce n’est pas tous les employés d’une compagnie qui sont des amateurs de conseillers juridiques d’entreprise. Dans les années 1980, lorsqu’elle était « jeune et pas terriblement expérimentée », un promoteur immobilier a embauché Me Jackson comme première femme avocate de l’entreprise. Le chef des opérations financières a spontanément annoncé à la nouvelle venue que pour lui, les avocats sont comme des « castors pour des opérations commerciales : toujours en train d’ériger des barrages ».

’est la meilleure chose qu’on ne m’a jamais dite », estime l’avocate. Elle a juré de ne jamais devenir ce barrage dans le flot commercial, mais plutôt de toujours avoir une solution de rechange pour contourner les problèmes qui se présentent. Cette expérience lui a aussi appris l’importance de savoir bien comprendre les gens et d’anticiper les obstacles, en plus de souligner l’importance de bâtir la confiance de ses collègues. Trente ans plus tard, en 2012, Me Jackson a joint l’Université de Calgary comme avocate générale, après une longue carrière chez Stikeman Elliott. L’un de ses premiers gestes a été de rencontrer personnellement les doyens des différentes facultés. Ils « sont l’équivalent des dirigeants des différents secteurs d’une entreprise, dit-elle. Vous voulez qu’ils vous fassent confiance. Vous voulez qu’ils viennent vous voir rapidement lorsqu’il y a un problème qui se dessine ». Ces problèmes susceptibles de nuire à une organisation sont légion. Ils peuvent être internes, comme des employés aux conduites néfastes, ou externes, comme des clauses contractuelles sous forme de bombes à retardement, de mauvaises transactions, des menaces posées par les conditions du marché, de nouvelles lois ou des concurrents agressifs qui ont les yeux sur vos profits. Le fait que les différents départements d’une entreprise opèrent souvent en vase clos n’aide pas les choses. Par contre, tout cela crée des opportunités pour le conseiller juridique à l’affût. Selon Maura Lendon, vice-présidente, avocate générale principale et secrétaire corporative chez Primero Mining Corp, « les avocats sont vraiment dans une position unique au sein d’une compagnie pour couper cette “silo-lation“. Nous avons une opportunité unique de favoriser une intégration entre les différentes fonctions. »

Voici sept règles qui visent à améliorer le flot des affaires, à vous rendre un meilleur conseiller juridique d’entreprise et à aider à anticiper les problèmes plus tôt dans votre organisation. Elles sont basées sur des discussions avec des conseillers juridiques d’entreprise qui travaillent dans une variété d’organisations, comme des grandes compagnies aux vastes contentieux ou des plus petites entreprises en pleine expansion. Elles décrivent des gestes que les juristes peuvent poser au niveau des opérations commerciales, du développement professionnel et de la conformité.

1 Connaissez votre entreprise. Ça peut sembler évident, mais votre capacité à identifier des problèmes potentiels dépend largement de votre compréhension de l’organisation et de ses activités. Ce n’est pas en restant assis derrière un ordinateur qu’on en apprend sur une compagnie. Les juristes doivent aller sur le terrain, pour voir de leurs propres yeux comment l’entreprise opère et rencontrer leurs collègues. « Pour moi, il s’agit de rester au fait de ce qui se passe au sein de l’entreprise, pas seulement du département juridique », explique Gordon Currie, vice-président exécutif et chef du contentieux chez le géant de l’alimentation George Weston Limited. Me Currie estime que les conseillers juridiques internes doivent comprendre ce qu’une entreprise fait ainsi que ses objectifs pour être capable de surveiller les enjeux de manière efficace et anticiper les tempêtes potentielles. « Vous ne savez pas ce que vous devez surveiller si vous ne savez pas ce que l’entreprise fait et les objectifs qu’elle souhaite atteindre. »

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« Vous ne savez pas ce que vous devez surveiller si vous ne savez pas ce que l’entreprise fait et les objectifs qu’elle souhaite atteindre. » Gordon Currie, vice-président exécutif et chef du contentieux, George Weston Limited

2 Connaissez votre industrie. Connaître votre compagnie n’est qu’une partie de l’équation. Connaître votre industrie et vos concurrents est aussi important que d’identifier des difficultés potentielles, parce que vous n’êtes sans doute pas les seuls à y faire face. Vous pouvez apprendre de leurs succès et de leurs erreurs. Les différents regroupements d’une même industrie sont très utiles pour rester au fait de ses tendances et derniers développements, note Jim Nikopoulos, vice-président et avocat général au sein d’Element Financial Corporation, une compagnie d’équipement financier en croissance rapide. « L’une des meilleures choses à faire est de développer un groupe d’amis et de collègues dans des compagnies ou industries similaires », dit l’avocat. C’est utile pour plusieurs raisons : non seulement cela permet de se tenir informé sur des enjeux potentiels, mais cela aide aussi au flux des transactions. « Quand vous connaissez l’avocat de l’autre partie, ça aide à la négociation », dit-il.

3 Soyez à la table. L’une des meilleures façons d’anticiper des problèmes potentiels est de vous impliquer dans les cercles décisionnels et de développement de stratégie. « La chose la plus importante est d’être assis à la table », note Daniel Desjardins, vice-président principal, affaires juridiques et secrétaire de la Société chez Bombardier Inc. Il souligne qu’il est luimême chanceux : « La fonction juridique est toujours présente dans les discussions de stratégie et d’affaires chez Bombardier. Nous sommes très près des opérations de l’entreprise ». Les avocats sont intégrés dans les différentes unités d’affaires à travers le monde. Me Desjardins préside aussi le comité de responsabilité corporative, qui est responsable de superviser les questions d’ordre environnemental et de santé – des sujets chauds au sein d’une entreprise manufacturière. Cette vision générale des opérations permet d’évaluer et de gérer les risques lorsqu’ils se manifestent, dit-il. « Je ne crois pas qu’il y ait une solution unique, mais cela fonctionne bien pour nous. »

4 Posez les bonnes questions. Quand vient le temps d’anticiper les problèmes potentiels, Hartland Paterson, avocat général, chef de la conformité et secrétaire corporatif chez CAE prévient que « parfois, les choses sont présentées de 22

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manière anodine », ce qui veut dire que les conseillers juridiques doivent développer un certain flair pour prévoir les obstacles. « Il s’agit de poser les bonnes questions dès le départ. Les gens vont souvent passer sous silence certains des éléments moins favorables », dit-il. Il veille donc à s’attarder à toute question laissée en suspens et à combler le manque d’informations jusqu’à ce qu’il soit confortable et qu’il comprenne pleinement la nature du problème et la solution proposée.

5 Développez des politiques et procédures solides. Des juristes estiment que les diverses politiques et procédures qui visent à gérer les approbations au sein d’une compagnie peuvent aussi permettre de gérer les signes avant-coureurs de difficultés. Me Paterson donne l’exemple de CAE, dont 90 % des revenus proviennent de l’extérieur du Canada, et qui a des politiques qui exigent que ce soit le comité exécutif, qui inclut le PDG, le chef des opérations financières et le chef des opérations juridiques, qui approuvent tous les contrats. « Cela me donne de la visibilité sur des contrats importants, des fusions et acquisitions et des partenariats », dit-il. Des politiques exigent aussi que le département juridique approuve des clauses contractuelles, comme des clauses de non-concurrence, d’indemnité et de responsabilité, ainsi que de propriété intellectuelle. Le département juridique devient donc un facilitateur dans le cadre de ces ententes. Les employés savent qu’ils auront besoin de son approbation, donc cela les encourage à inclure le contentieux tôt dans le processus. « Ce n’est pas mon travail d’empêcher des ententes; c’est plutôt de m’assurer que les risques sont bien identifiés et dans la mesure du possible, quantifiés et pris en compte dans la valeur de l’entente », précise l’avocat.

6 Créez une équipe juridique stable. La mémoire corporative se perd lorsque le taux de roulement est trop élevé au sein d’un département. « Essayez de ne pas remanier votre équipe trop souvent », suggère Me Paterson. L’avocat qui a rédigé une entente de coentreprise peut être utile plus tard, lorsqu’une organisation semblable explose ou performe mal. La firme McKinsey estime que cela arrive dans 40 à 60 % des cas dans les sept années suivant l’entente initiale. Des études démontrent aussi que la moitié des fusions échouent. La continuité au sein de votre équipe juridique est critique pour la gestion éventuelle de ces difficultés, qui ne manqueront pas de survenir.

CORPORATE DRAFTING. FINANCIAL LITERACY. PERSUASION.

7 Ne réinventez pas la roue. Le dernier outil – et le plus évident – se retrouve dans les ressources juridiques gratuites à la disposition des conseillers d’entreprise. La plupart des firmes publient et utilisent une foule de renseignements sur les récents développements juridiques, et des agrégateurs comme Mondaq, pour tenter de garder tous ces renseignements au même endroit. Le défi est de rester au fait de cette avalanche d’information. Eeva White, conseillère juridique et secrétaire corporative au Market Surveillance Administrator, l’organisation albertaine responsable de superviser les marchés de l’électricité et du gaz naturel, dit qu’elle gère ce défi en prenant soin de contrôler sa boîte de réception de courriels. « Je suis la seule avocate. Si je ne suis pas alerte, nous avons un problème », dit Me White, qui travaille au sein d’une petite organisation. « J’ai une immense boîte de réception et je m’en sers pour identifier des problèmes. » Ainsi, elle surveille constamment des sites Web et des blogues qui portent sur les marchés de l’électricité et du gaz naturel, et reste au fait de la littérature liée au secteur. Elle garde aussi un œil sur les facultés de commerce et les firmes qui offrent des séminaires et conférences, qui signalent souvent de nouvelles tendances ou enjeux. « Je reçois beaucoup de courriels. Cela m’aide vraiment à rester au fait de ce qui se passe. » Souvenez-vous que malgré tous vos efforts, vous n’êtes qu’un humain et vous n’identifierez pas toutes les difficultés potentielles pour une compagnie, et que ce n’est pas toutes ces bombes à retardement qui finiront par exploser. « Vous devez vous attendre à l’inattendu », dit Me Paterson. « Soyez agile. Vous n’attraperez pas tout. » Mais en apprenant à connaître votre entreprise et votre industrie, en vous tenant près des preneurs de décision, en bâtissant de meilleures relations et en développant un système de renseignements efficace, vous diminuez la probabilité d’être pris au dépourvu. Encore plus important, insiste Karen Jackson : faites confiance à votre intuition. Vous avez sans doute raison. ❚

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From Lawyer What makes a great leader? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a question that plagues organizations. Who is the right fit? More importantly, how can leaders be better? Leadership is the art of having people follow your vision. For in-house lawyers, leadership will become part of their careers. Whether leading teams or managing legal departments, lawyers must add new skill sets to be effective. What makes a good lawyer doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t necessarily translate into a good leader. With the right training and development, lawyers can learn about themselves and gain the people skills they need.

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to Leader Challenges and Solutions By Julie Sobowale

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Leadership 101

Before becoming a leader, a person must understand the job. Most people think of leadership as managing people and workloads, but it requires much more. Larry Richard, a lawyer and psychologist, founded his company, Lawyer Brain, to help lawyers with people management. “Management is a response to internal complexity, such as when a firm grows to have many offices or many practices,” says Richard. “Multiplicity leads to complexity, and complexity must be managed. By contrast, leadership is more of a response to external change and the uncertainty it breeds.” Leaders must be able to respond to new challenges. Richard believes leaders have to be ready to face difficult circumstances and implement new ideas. “Uncertainty causes anxiety, and members of an organization look to leaders to guide them under these conditions,” says Richard. “Leaders need to do two things. They need to set a direction, even though they may not have complete information. This involves taking some risk. Second, once they have planted a flag in a particular direction, they need to get other people on board so that they follow and move in that direction.” Most in-house lawyers don’t learn these skills before gaining a leadership role. Private practice can be a very different environment than a legal department, where collaboration and team building is key. “[Most] lawyers now working in corporate settings received their training in law firms where there was not much emphasis on developing leadership skills,” says Gerald Walsh, President of Gerald Walsh Association, a firm specializing in human resource management. “But to be a successful corporate counsel, you need a blend of technical skills and personal qualities like self-awareness, intuition and empathy to be effective as a manager of others. That’s why all lawyers should be familiar with emotional intelligence.”

The Legal Personality

The legal profession tends to attract a certain type of person. These traits make the typical lawyer competent and efficient at their work but usually have the opposite effect on leadership. Based on Richard’s analysis, there are six traits where the public averages 50% but lawyers skew very high or low. Lawyers tend to be more skeptical than the general public, scoring as high as 90% on this trait. Lawyers must prepare for worst-case scenarios for their clients, so this comes as no surprise. However, as a leader, it can be damaging. A skeptic leader causes team members to feel distrustful towards them. “Trust is the political capital of leadership,” says Richard. “Because leaders are setting a direction with imperfect information, they inevitably ask their constituents to follow them on faith because they can never give them 100% reassurance that it’s the right path. Lawyer-leaders need to learn how to be adaptable, how to be skeptical when wearing their ‘lawyer’ hat and trusting when wearing their ‘leader’ hat.” Another obvious trait for lawyers is autonomy, with a score of 89%. Lawyers have a higher need to work independently than other professionals. This can make managing lawyers challenging, especially leading people on collaborative projects. “They don’t want to be micromanaged and they like to be in control of their world,” explains Richard. “During times of great external change, we feel less in control because we’re being buffeted by unpredictable external forces. For a high-autonomy person, these conditions are even more stressful than they are for the average person. So when you’re leading lawyers, you need to find a delicate balance between authoritatively asking for what you want, yet not micromanaging them in the process.” Abstract reasoning is one of a lawyer’s greatest strengths, and at 82%, they have a higher rate than the general public. However, leaders sometimes cannot wait for a complete analysis before making a decision. “You don’t want to overdo the analysis,” says Richard. “Don’t turn the discussion into a law school classroom. That level of debate kills the idea. I’ve seen situations where lawyers went home after a long discussion and said, ‘That was fun but the idea is dead.’ Too much of a good thing can backfire.”

“Leaders need to do two things. They need to set a direction, even though they may not have complete information. Second, once they have planted a flag in a particular direction, they need to get other people on board so that they follow and move in that direction.” Larry Richard, lawyer, psychologist, founder of Lawyer Brain

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“The classes were very revealing to me. We talked about various ways to fire people but also all the different reasons why you wouldn’t want to do that.” Daniel Richard, Corporate Counsel, Irving Group of Companies

Lawyers work well in urgent situations and score high at 71%. They gravitate towards challenges that require immediate responses. However, some lawyers carry a sense of urgency into all their decision making, which can be harmful when introducing new ideas in the office. Being direct is not always the best approach. “It’s about developing trust,” explains Richard. “Urgency undercuts and spoils this because it doesn’t give people enough time to feel understood. You need time to build relationships.” While lawyers like to be direct, they tend to not be the most social bunch. Sociability measures how comfortable a person is in an intimate, emotional relationship. High scores indicate the person is more open and authentic, while low scores indicate the person is more private. The general public scores 50% compared to a lowly 12% for lawyers. “Lawyers tend to be awkward around relationships and see the subject as touchy-feely,” says Richard. “Our research shows that rainmakers are about three times as sociable as the average lawyer, and leaders are two to four times as sociable. A vulnerable, authentic human connection goes a long way towards getting constituents to follow a leader.” The last major characteristic for lawyers is low resilience. Highly resilient leaders are able to rebound from criticism quickly and are mentally tough. Lawyers generally react to criticism by being defensive and focus too much on their mistakes. Richard offers a resilience program to teach lawyers to be more optimistic. “Our research shows that 90% of all lawyers score in the lower half of the resilience scale,” says Richard. “Lawyers are very thin-skinned. Luckily, this is a very learnable skill. So lawyers in leadership roles definitely need to learn how to be more resilient, especially in that role.”

Learn to be a Leader Don’t be discouraged. There is hope. By learning soft skills, in-house counsel can learn how to be effective leaders. The first step is to acknowledge that you have traits that are hinder-

ing you from being a good leader. Self-awareness can be difficult. Sometimes it helps to be in a new environment. Daniel Richard enrolled in an executive MBA program in 2013 to gain more knowledge about finance and accounting. He quickly learned that this would be a different experience than law school. “There’s lots of teamwork,” says Daniel Richard, Corporate Counsel for Irving Group of Companies. “In law school, it’s very individual work and then you’re ranked at the end. You’re rewarded individually. In business school, because of teamwork, you have to get used to working together. I was put in an environment where I felt like I was a different species. You brush it off and minimize the soft skills but after being in class for 18 months, I see the value in soft skills.” Being in a different environment gave Daniel the opportunity to learn new interpersonal skills. He learned to curtail his direct line of communication and not be so cynical about new ideas. “After being a lawyer for so long, I think my contributions in the class were somewhat more direct, less polite,” says Daniel Richard. “Lawyers don’t always value interpersonal skills or manage or lead in that way. We don’t value that too much. I would say something blunt and people would say that’s not nice. I had to learn to be more sensitive.” The benefits of formal education, such as the CCCA’s Business Leadership Program for In-House Counsel, include having to have a firm foundation in communication skills. Human resource courses cover not only the usual employment law issues but also how to lead people in difficult situations. Personality traits don’t have to be static figures. Instead, they are tools for lawyers to understand why leadership may be a tricky role for them. New skills can be learned. As Daniel completes his final term, he knows he has the skills to be a better leader. His advice to new leaders is to ask for help. “To work in teams, I think it is important to humble yourself,” says Daniel Richard. “Put yourself in a situation where you have to ask for help or advice. To connect to people, you have to ask for help and be vulnerable.” ❚ Julie Sobowale is a writer and journalist based in Halifax.

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De juriste à leader : Qu’est-ce qui fait un bon leader? C’est une question qui hante les organisations. Qui est la « bonne » personne? Et plus important, comment les leaders peuvent-ils s’améliorer? Le leadership est l’art de convaincre les autres de suivre votre vision. Pour les conseillers juridiques internes, le leadership fait partie de leur carrière. Que ce soit de diriger de nouvelles équipes ou de gérer des départements

* * juridiques, les avocats doivent acquérir de nouvelles aptitudes pour être efficaces. Or, ce qui fait un bon avocat ne fait pas nécessairement un bon leader. Mais avec la bonne formation et le développement approprié, ces juristes peuvent en apprendre sur eux-mêmes et acquérir les aptitudes sociales dont ils ont besoin.

Leadership 101

Avant de devenir un leader, une personne doit comprendre son rôle. La plupart des gens voient le leadership comme la gestion d’employés et de charges de travail. Mais c’est beaucoup plus que cela. Larry Richard, un avocat et psychologue, a fondé sa propre compagnie, Lawyer Brain, pour aider d’autres avocats dans la gestion de personnel. Les leaders doivent pouvoir répondre à de nouveaux défis, dit Me Richard. Ils doivent être prêts à faire face à des circonstances difficiles, qui sont elles-mêmes susceptibles d’engendrer de nouvelles idées. « L’incertitude cause de l’anxiété, et les membres d’une organisation se tournent vers des leaders pour les guider dans ces conditions, dit-il. Les leaders doivent faire deux choses. Ils doivent décider d’une direction, même s’ils ne disposent pas de toutes les informations. Cela implique qu’il faut prendre des risques. Ils doivent ensuite suivre cette direction. » « La plupart des avocats qui travaillent maintenant dans un environnement corporatif prennent auparavant de l’expérience dans des firmes privées, où il n’y a pas beaucoup d’accent mis sur l’acquisition de compétences relatives au leadership », note pour sa part Gerald Walsh, président de Gerald Walsh Association, une firme qui se spécialise dans la gestion des ressources humaines. « Pour avoir du succès en tant que conseiller juridique d’entreprise, vous devez avoir un mélange de compétences techniques et d’habilités personnelles, comme la connaissance de soi, de l’intuition et de l’empathie, et ainsi être efficace en tant que gestionnaire d’autrui. »

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La personnalité juridique

La profession juridique a tendance à attirer un certain type de personnes. Ces traits de personnalités font du juriste typique une personne compétente et efficace dans son travail, mais ils ont le plus souvent l’effet inverse sur son sens du leadership. Selon Larry Richard, il existe six de ces traits de personnalité où le public obtient un score d’environ 50 %, mais où les avocats se situent plutôt aux extrêmes supérieurs ou inférieurs du spectre. Ainsi, les avocats ont tendance à être plus sceptiques que la population en général, obtenant un score allant jusqu’à 90 %. C’est compréhensible : ils doivent souvent se préparer aux pires scénarios pour leurs clients. Mais un leader sceptique peut pousser les membres de son équipe à perdre confiance en lui. « La confiance est le capital politique du leadership », dit Me Richard. « Les juristes en position de leadership doivent apprendre à s’adapter, à être sceptiques lorsqu’ils portent leur chapeau d’avocat, et à avoir confiance lorsqu’ils portent leur chapeau de leader. » Un autre trait de personnalité commun aux avocats est l’autonomie, avec un score de 89 %. Ils ont un besoin plus grand que les autres professionnels de travailler de manière indépendante – ce qui peut rendre la gestion d’autres juristes plus difficile, en particulier dans le cadre de projets de nature collaborative. Encore une fois, dit Me Richard, « vous devez trouver un équilibre entre exiger ce que vous voulez avec autorité, mais sans vous immiscer dans la gestion de microdétails ».

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défis et solutions « Les leaders doivent faire deux choses. Ils doivent décider d’une direction, même s’ils ne disposent pas de toutes les informations. Cela implique qu’il faut prendre des risques. Ils doivent ensuite suivre cette direction. »

* * Larry Richard, avocat, psychologue, fondateur de Lawyer Brain

Le raisonnement abstrait est l’une des plus grandes forces des juristes et à 82 %, ils ont un score plus élevé que le public en général. Par contre, les leaders ne peuvent pas toujours analyser pleinement une situation avant de prendre une décision. « Vous ne voulez pas surfaire l’analyse », dit d’ailleurs l’avocat et psychologue. « Ne tournez pas la discussion en cours de droit. Ce niveau de débat tue l’idée. » Les juristes travaillent bien dans des situations urgentes, avec un score de 71 %. Ils font face à des défis qui nécessitent des réponses immédiates. Mais certains d’entre eux transposent ce sentiment d’urgence dans toutes leurs décisions, ce qui peut être nuisible au moment d’introduire de nouvelles idées, entre autres. Être direct n’est pas toujours la meilleure approche. Paradoxalement, malgré leur tendance à être directs, les conseillers juridiques ne sont pas nécessairement les êtres les plus sociaux. La sociabilité mesure le degré de confort d’un individu dans le cadre d’une relation intime et émotive. Un score élevé indique que le répondant est plus ouvert et authentique et un score plus bas signale une personne au caractère plus réservé. Le grand public obtient un score de 50 %, alors que les avocats n’atteignent que 10 %. Pourtant, « un contact humain authentique et vulnérable peut parfois faire un bon bout de chemin pour convaincre un groupe de suivre un leader », dit Me Richard. La dernière caractéristique majeure des avocats est leur faible résilience. Un leader très résilient est capable de rebondir rapidement lorsqu’il est critiqué. Les avocats réagissent généralement aux critiques en étant sur la défensive et en se concentrant trop sur leurs erreurs. « Heureusement, c’est une aptitude qui s’apprend », souligne Larry Richard, qui offre un programme de résilience pour enseigner aux juristes à être plus optimistes.

Apprendre à être un leader

Il y a donc de l’espoir : en acquérant certaines aptitudes de base, les conseillers juridiques internes peuvent apprendre à devenir de meilleurs leaders. La première étape est de reconnaître que certains de vos traits de caractère nuisent à vos capacités de leadership. D’être confronté à un nouvel environnement peut d’ailleurs s’avérer utile à cet égard. Daniel Richard, avocat-conseil pour l’Irving Group of Companies, s’est enrôlé dans un programme de MBA pour cadres en 2013. Il a vite réalisé que ce serait une expérience différente que la faculté de droit. « Il y a beaucoup de travail d’équipe », a constaté Me Richard. Ce type d’environnement lui a donné la possibilité d’acquérir de nouvelles aptitudes interpersonnelles. Par exemple, il a appris à communiquer de manière moins directe et à être moins cynique face à de nouvelles idées. Les bénéfices d’une éducation formelle, comme le Programme de leadership en entreprise pour les conseillers juridiques d’entreprises de l’ACCJE, incluent l’acquisition de certaines de ces aptitudes de base en matière de communications. Par exemple, les cours de ressources humaines ne couvrent pas seulement des questions de droit du travail; ils s’attardent aussi à la manière de diriger une équipe en situation difficile. Tandis que Daniel Richard achève son programme, il sait qu’il a maintenant acquis les aptitudes qu’il lui faut pour être un meilleur leader. Son conseil? Demandez de l’aide. « Pour travailler en équipe, je crois qu’il est important d’apprendre à être plus modeste, dit-il. Placez-vous dans une situation où vous devez demander de l’aide ou des conseils. Pour vous connecter aux autres, vous devez demander de l’aide et être vulnérable. » ❚

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Her

Path to the In Conversation with

Monique Mercier

Top By Kirby Chown and Carrie Mandel

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In their 2013 book, Breaking Through: Tales from the Top Canadian Women General Counsel, Kirby Chown and Carrie Mandel said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is no one path but instead a wealth of knowledge to be drawn from these women of divergent backgrounds and experiences.â&#x20AC;? Now, in 2015, they are following up with more conversations with talented women who have made their way to the top level of prominent Canadian organizations. Monique Mercier, Executive Vice-President, Corporate Affairs, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary at TELUS, is one such woman.

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Having mentors that believe in you makes a big difference

n the early days of her career, Moto Bell Canada International (BCI) in your career. Right now I am nique paved the way for women in the from 1997 to 1999. It was a very exlegal industry by becoming the first citing part of my life. I went to Korea mentoring three women. They woman at her firm to take a maternity about 50 times to negotiate the acquicome to me when there is a leave. Now at TELUS, she is a trusted sition of a telecom company. I went to advisor to its executive leadership team Taiwan, South America and Mexico hurdle in their career. Sometimes and board. Among her most recent rectoo. For two years, I navigated through ognitions, she has been named to the very different legal environments and I act as a sounding board and Women’s Executive Network Top 100 developed new negotiating skills beMost Powerful Women in Canada for cause of the cultural differences. I sometimes they want advice. the past three years and is one of only a loved every minute of it, and Martine few Canadians recognized worldwide as was a great mentor to me. a Woman Worth Watching for 2014 by Do you think mentoring is important for young lawyers? U.S.-based Diversity Journal. Having mentors that believe in you makes a big difference in your As she talks about her career and how she juggles her evercareer. Not only do they help you and serve as a sounding board, expanding portfolio, she teaches us that there is no single path but they also give you confidence by identifying your strengths to the top. and weaknesses. I have met many men and women who have Where did it all start for you? been great mentors to me and who have provided wonderful refI got married, finished my articling while I was pregnant and erences for me, like Brian Edwards [founder and former CEO of had my first child in 1983. I started working in tax with StikeBCE Emergis], who has been behind me 300% since 1999. man in 1984 until I had my second daughter in 1987 and beRight now I am mentoring three women: two at TELUS and came one of the first women to go on a maternity leave. At that one from another company who reached out to me through the time they didn’t have a maternity policy, so Stikeman developed WXN network. They come to me when there is a hurdle in their one for me. I was entitled to take four months fully paid. (I now career. Sometimes I act as a sounding board and sometimes have three children, who are grown up.) they want advice. There was another woman at the firm who worked in the same I think being mentored by both men and women is impordepartment as me. Her advice to me was don’t talk about your tant because their approaches are different. Women don’t think family, and look like a woman but act like a man. During her four in the same way as men. We don’t have the same approach to pregnancies, she was induced on the Thursday and came back to leadership or to life in general. the office on the Monday. So when I decided to ask for a materAfter BCI, what was your next step? nity leave, it was something entirely new. I came back after two In 1999, I took up the chief legal position at Emergis, a new suband a half months, which already felt like an enormous break. sidiary of BCE, and started the legal department from scratch. At that point, I wanted to move away from tax. Tax law was Within the first 18 months I had a law department of 16 people, intellectually challenging, but I wanted something with more and we had made around 18 acquisitions. By February 2000, life. The decision to leave Stikeman wasn’t easy—I had investEmergis had a larger market cap than the Royal Bank. It was an ed so much. Still, in 1989, I moved to Bell Canada Enterprises amazing time. (BCE). I was influenced to move by Martine Turcotte, who had In 2004, BCE sold its interest in Emergis, and we became an moved to BCE from private practice to gain broader experiindependent company until TELUS did a takeover bid in 2008. ence. At BCE, I was involved in major transactions from the Within the year, I was leading the TELUS Quebec law departbeginning. It was around-the-clock work and I had to learn new ment, and I began reporting to [then Senior Vice-President and fields of practice because I was leaving tax and getting into secuChief Legal Officer] Audrey Ho in Vancouver. rities law and corporate law. It was challenging. I was working This was a big, tough move for me. Getting integrated into a with a small, multidisciplinary team, and was included in the 65-person law department was challenging. There were a lot of decision-making processes. I loved it. new processes and meetings. Getting to know TELUS’s business After eight years, I needed a different challenge and wantand developing an internal network also took some time. ed to do M&A in the international scene, so I was seconded

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After one year, Audrey called looking for a Chief Compliance Officer for the whole company. At the time, I didn’t really know what the role implied and I wasn’t really interested in compliance, but when someone presents you that sort of opportunity, you don’t say “no.” I was now in a corporate function. I would meet with the audit committee and go to board meetings, which was good exposure. This lasted until late 2011 when Audrey retired. When the position of Senior Vice-President and Chief Legal Officer opened up, I really thought that I was the perfect candidate and I went for it. A head hunter was appointed to look for internal and external candidates. What made it easier was that I was both an internal and an external candidate because I had just joined TELUS three years earlier. The five-month process culminated with an interview with [then CEO] Darren Entwistle in September 2011, and I got the job in October. I was then promoted to the Executive Vice-President, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary role in 2014. In May 2014, my portfolio was extended and now also includes Government and Regulatory Affairs, Social and Media Relations, Sustainability, Enterprise Services, Disaster Recovery and Strategic Initiatives.

What skills and traits helped you in these top positions? The first piece of advice I give to people who want to become General Counsel of a public company is to gain public company expertise, namely in corporate and securities law. I could not imagine being GC of a company without it. Having some M&A and international experiences are also assets. As GC, you are at the top and what comes to the top are big ticket issues—usually M&As, disclosure issues or international deals. My second piece of advice is to develop a track record and trusted business relationships as you move up in organizations. I got as far as I did because I had developed such relationships. It distinguishes you from other candidates. I also had a good track record of leadership. One of the questions Darren asked me in the interview was, “Can you tell me about people that you managed five years ago? Where are they today?” It’s important to develop that kind of track record and be a top performer year in and year out. The third piece of advice is to be a strategic thinker, a visionary. Innovation and creativity are important because at the top you are resolving issues and you have to do things differently. Practice tolerance in order to deal with the uncertainties. Display energy, passion, commitment. Have the confidence to push your ideas. And develop an external and internal network. I know this is over and above what you do in your job but I think it’s essential.

For me, I started in a private law firm, and I seized opportunities when they came. As the years went by, I raised my hand, asked for responsibilities, and began moving up. Part of the reason why I saw those opportunities was because I’m not afraid of change or uncertainty, and I love to face new challenges and environments while getting to know different people. Another key factor in my success is that decision makers like Brian, François Côté [former CEO of Emergis] and Darren really campaigned for me. The fact that I got the CLO job at TELUS, a company that I adore, was a dream come true.

What is it you love about being a GC? I love the human connections and working with a multidisciplinary team to achieve objectives, and I like being close to the decision-making process. It’s stressful, time-consuming and demanding, but it’s also exciting. I get up in the morning and I’m happy to come to work. I became Executive Vice-President last February 2014, and I now have 13 areas of responsibility that really allow me to make a big difference. To contribute to the success of TELUS in a lasting way would be extremely rewarding for me. ❚ This interview has been edited and condensed for publication. Kirby Chown is the former Ontario Regional Managing Partner for McCarthy Tétrault. Carrie Mandel is a lawyer and consultant at Spencer Stuart, and part of the North American Legal, Compliance & Regulatory Practice, which she leads in Canada.

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La route vers le sommet Dans leur livre Breaking Through: Tales from the Top Canadian Women General Counsel, Kirby Chown et Carrie Mandel écrivaient en 2013 : « Il n’y a pas de recette unique, mais plutôt une manne de connaissances qui émanent de ces femmes aux divers parcours et expériences ». Deux ans plus tard, en 2015, elles font le suivi avec d’autres conversations avec quelques-unes de ces femmes talentueuses qui ont fait leur marque aux plus hauts échelons d’organisations canadiennes de premier plan. Monique Mercier, vice-présidente à la direction, affaires corporatives, chef des services juridiques et secrétaire générale de TELUS, fait partie du lot.

ans les premières années de sa carrière, Monique a pavé la voie aux autres femmes de l’industrie juridique en devenant la première de sa firme à prendre un congé de maternité. Aujourd’hui chez TELUS, elle est une conseillère de confiance tant pour l’équipe de direction que pour le conseil d’administration. Parmi ses plus récents accomplissements, elle a accédé depuis trois ans au palmarès des 100 femmes les plus influentes au Canada, élaboré par le Réseau des femmes exécutives. Et en 2014, elle était l’une des rares Canadiennes à faire partie de la liste des femmes à suivre de la publication américaine Diversity Journal. Tandis qu’elle nous parle de sa carrière et de la manière dont elle jongle avec ses responsabilités qui ne cessent de s’élargir, elle nous rappelle que plusieurs chemins mènent au sommet.

Comment tout a commencé pour vous? Je me suis mariée, j’ai terminé mon stage alors que j’étais enceinte de mon premier enfant en 1983. J’ai commencé à travailler dans le domaine fiscal chez Stikeman en 1984 jusqu’à ce que j’aie ma deuxième fille en 1987, et je suis devenue l’une des premières femmes à prendre un congé de maternité. À l’époque, il n’y avait pas de politique de maternité, alors Stikeman en a élaboré une pour moi. J’ai eu droit à quatre mois payés. Il y avait une autre avocate qui travaillait dans le même département que moi. Son conseil était de ne pas parler de la famille, et d’avoir l’air d’une femme, mais d’agir comme un homme. Alors à chacune de ses quatre grossesses, elle était provoquée le jeudi et était de retour au bureau le lundi. Quand j’ai décidé de demander un congé, c’était quelque chose d’entièrement nouveau. Je suis revenue après deux mois et demi, ce qui était déjà une pause énorme pour moi. J’ai alors souhaité m’éloigner de la fiscalité. Le droit fiscal était un défi intellectuel, mais je voulais quelque chose de plus vivant. La décision de quitter Stikeman n’a pas été facile. Malgré tout, en 1989, j’ai quitté la firme pour aller chez Bell Canada Entreprises (BCE). J’ai été influencé par Martine Turcotte, qui avait fait le saut de la pratique privée vers BCE pour acquérir une expérience plus large. Chez

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BCE, j’ai été impliquée dans des transactions majeures dès le départ. C’était un travail 24 heures sur 24 et j’ai dû apprendre de nouveaux domaines parce que j’avais quitté le droit fiscal pour les sûretés et le droit corporatif. C’était un défi. Je travaillais avec une équipe petite et multidisciplinaire, et j’étais impliquée dans le processus décisionnel. J’adorais cela. Après huit ans, j’ai eu besoin de défis différents et je voulais faire une fusion et acquisition au niveau international, alors j’ai été détaché auprès de Bell Canada International (BCI) de 1997 à 1999. Ça a été une période très excitante de ma vie. Je suis allée en Corée environ 50 fois pour négocier l’acquisition d’une compagnie de télécommunications. Je suis allée à Taiwan, en Amérique du Sud et au Mexique également. Pendant deux ans, je travaillais dans des environnements juridiques très différents, et j’ai développé de nouvelles aptitudes de négociation en raison des différences culturelles. J’ai adoré chaque minute et Martine a été une grande mentore pour moi.

C royez-vous que le mentorat est important pour les jeunes juristes? Avoir des mentors qui croient en vous fait une grande différence dans votre carrière. Ils servent non seulement de conseillers et vous aident, mais ils vous donnent aussi confiance, car ils reconnaissent vos forces et vos faiblesses. À l’heure actuelle, j’agis comme mentor pour trois femmes : deux chez TELUS et une dans une autre compagnie – elle m’a approchée par l’entremise des réseaux WXN. Elles viennent me voir lorsqu’il y a un obstacle dans leur carrière. J’ai moi-même rencontré plusieurs hommes incroyables, dont Brian Edwards [fondateur et PDG de BCE Emergis], qui a été derrière moi à 300 %. À ce jour, il demeure mon plus grand mentor et champion. Je crois que d’avoir tant des hommes que des femmes comme mentors est important parce que ses approches sont différentes. Les femmes ne pensent pas de la même manière que les hommes. Nous n’avons pas la même approche face au leadership et à la vie en général.

Qu’avez-vous fait après BCI? En 1999, j’ai pris la position de chef des services juridiques chez Emergis, une nouvelle filiale de BCE, et démarré le nouveau département à partir de zéro. En 18 mois, j’avais un nouveau département de 16 personnes et nous avions déjà mené plus de 18 acquisitions. En 2004, BCE a vendu son intérêt dans Emergis et nous sommes devenus une compagnie indépendante, jusqu’à ce que TELUS fasse une offre en 2008. J’ai commencé à diriger le département québécois de TELUS et à me rapporter à Audrey Ho à Vancouver. Après le départ à la retraite d’Audrey, lorsque la position de viceprésidente à la direction et chef des services juridiques s’est ouverte, j’ai réellement pensé que j’étais la candidate parfaite et j’ai appliqué pour obtenir le poste. Ça a été un peu plus facile parce que j’étais vue comme une candidate tant interne qu’externe, ayant joint TELUS récemment. Le processus a duré cinq mois et a culminé avec une entrevue avec [le PDG d’alors] Darren Entwistle en septembre 2011 et j’ai obtenu l’emploi en octobre.

J’ai été alors promue au poste de vice-présidente à la direction, chef des services juridiques et secrétaire générale en 2014. Depuis mai 2014, j’ai aussi soutenu d’autres fonctions de l’entreprise, dont les relations avec les gouvernements, les affaires réglementaires, les médias sociaux en ligne et les relations avec les médias, la durabilité, les services d’entreprise, les plans de reprise d’activité et les initiatives stratégiques.

He who wins last, wins. Whether you won at trial and face an appeal or lost at trial and wish to launch an appeal, we can help you determine the final outcome for your client.

Q uels traits de caractère et aptitudes vous aident au travail? Le premier conseil que je donne aux gens qui veulent devenir conseillers juridiques internes dans une compagnie publique est de développer une expertise dans les domaines des sûretés et du droit corporatif. Je ne pourrais pas imaginer être avocate générale sans cela. Avoir de l’expérience en fusions et acquisitions et à l’international est aussi un atout. Mon second conseil est de développer un bilan et des relations de confiance alors que vous montez les échelons d’une organisation. Je me suis rendu aussi loin parce que j’avais développé de telles relations. Le troisième conseil est d’être un penseur stratégique, un visionnaire. L’innovation et la créativité sont importantes parce qu’au sommet, vous réglez des problèmes et vous devez faire les choses différemment. Faites preuve de tolérance pour affronter l’incertitude. Affichez une attitude énergique, passionnée et engagée. Ayez la confiance de pousser vos idées. Et développez un réseau interne et externe. Je sais que ça dépasse le strict cadre de ce que vous faites dans votre travail, mais je crois que c’est essentiel.

Q u’est-ce qui vous plaît dans la position d’avocate générale? J’aime la connexion humaine et le fait de travailler avec une équipe multidisciplinaire pour atteindre des objectifs, et j’aime être près du processus décisionnel. C’est stressant, ça prend beaucoup de votre temps et c’est demandant, mais c’est aussi excitant. Je me réveille le matin et je suis heureuse d’aller au travail. Je suis devenue viceprésidente à la direction en février 2014 et j’ai maintenant 13 secteurs de responsabilité. Il est très enrichissant pour moi de savoir que je contribue au succès de TELUS. ❚ Les propos originaux ont été condensés aux fins de publication.

To sign up for the Lerners’ Appellate Advocacy Netletter, visit www.lerners.ca/appealsnetletter Toronto: 416 867 3076 Earl A. Cherniak, Q.C., William Pepall, Kirk Boggs, Mark Freiman, Kirk Stevens, Angus McKinnon, Bryan Smith, Jasmine Akbarali, Brian Radnoff, Cynthia Kuehl, Jason Squire, Stuart Zacharias London: 519 672 4510 Peter Kryworuk, Andrew Murray, Carolyn Brandow

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Want to Achieve More In-House? Mondaq Advice Centres are Here to Help

Mondaq Advice Centres (MACs) are a comprehensive repository of easily navigable legal and accountancy information and expertise, provided by market leading contributors from across the globe.

his growing resource mirrors real-life situations that may impact businesses or industries and offers diverse practical solutions while keeping users up-todate with the latest legal developments. The CCCA and Mondaq have been working together for a number of years and have recently expanded the relationship to enhance member benefits. As of January 2015, not only do CCCA members receive up-to-date article and video content via the Newsstand, but they also have free access to the newly introduced MAC service. Each Canadian MAC is published in association with the CCCA and content is available to members both online and through the email Newsstand. To complement the Canadian MAC content, a dedicated CCCA page, including news and information on upcoming events, can be accessed from all relevant pages.

About MACs An evolving central repository for legal and accountancy information and expertise, MACs have been designed with in-house counsel in mind and are offered free to CCCA members. They contain a selection of high-value material, most

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of which is traditionally available solely through subscription/paid services or law firms to fee-paying clients (by which time it is too late to establish which elements of a deal could be started or handled inhouse). MAC content includes: ■■ Precedents and drafting notes—to help legal teams hit the ground running ■■ Practice guides—to get a summary of a topic area and act as a quick reference guide ■■ Checklists—to confirm nothing has been missed or overlooked ■■ Model letters—to assist with drafting and preparation ■■ Standard template contracts & clause banks—to guide and help legal teams prepare ■■ FAQs—to answer common questions and research leading firms prior to engagement MACs are regularly updated to ensure the information is relevant and current. Many documents within the MACs can be downloaded for quick and easy use by inhouse teams. And should a CCCA member require clarification or more detail on a particular subject area covered, he or she can contact the relevant authors directly.

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MACs contain a selection of high-value material, most of which is traditionally available solely through subscription/ paid services or law firms to fee-paying clients.

Available MACs

Mondaq and the CCCA have published four Canadian MACs thus far: ■■ Competition and Antitrust—contributed by Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP ■■ Immigration—contributed by Green and Spiegel LLP ■■ Labour and Employment—contributed by Blaney McMurtry LLP ■■ Privacy and Data Protection—contributed by Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP In the coming year and beyond, many more MACs will be launched, covering a range of topic areas for a variety of jurisdictions. Several of the new MACs will be aligned with leading local associations and membership bodies. All will be free to access for CCCA members.

hot. The “Meet the Experts” section allows members to quickly learn more about the authors and contact them directly or connect via LinkedIn. CCCA members who wish to use the MAC service can do so via a number of channels: ■■ Mondaq.com ■■ CCCA Newsstand (currently being emailed to CCCA members) ■■ CCCA website, www.ccca-accje.org, under Member Resources Each access channel is easy to use with no requirement for registered members to login.

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Achieve more in-house with MACs

Better information sharing and knowledge transfer are high on everyone’s agenda. MACs meet this need by making vital information and expertise easily available to in-house counsel. With information continually being added, this new service will become a fully comprehensive go-to resource for in-house counsel around the globe. Contact Charles Aspinwall at Mondaq for more information about MACs or to organize a demonstration of this exciting new member benefit being offered by the CCCA: Charles.Aspinwall@mondaq.com. ❚

Using MACs MACs have been designed to be as user friendly as possible. Content is integrated into the relevant pages of Mondaq.com for easy navigation. Each core MAC topic area breaks down into specific areas for more detailed and focused information. In addition to the materials contained in each MAC, relevant news is also available for the selected topic areas, enabling members to keep up to date with what’s

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{ PLEINS FEUX SUR… }

Vous voulez faire plus à l’interne? Comptez sur le Centre d’expertise Mondaq Le Centre d’expertise Mondaq (CEM) est un répertoire d’informations et d’expertises juridiques et comptables très complet et facilement navigable, constitué par des leaders renommés du monde entier.

ette ressource en plein essor porte sur des cas réels qui pourraient avoir un impact sur les entreprises et les industries. Elle offre des solutions pratiques et tient les utilisateurs informés des derniers développements juridiques. Depuis janvier 2015, non seulement les membres de l’ACCJE profitent-ils des mises à jour dans les courriels NewsStand, mais ils ont aussi accès gratuitement au CEM que nous vous présentons ici. Le contenu CEM canadien est publié en collaboration avec l’ACCJE et les membres peuvent y accéder en ligne et par l’intermédiaire des courriels NewsStand. En guise de complément au contenu CEM canadien, chaque page applicable donne accès à une page dédiée de l’ACCJE où figurent également des nouvelles et des renseignements sur les événements à venir.

À propos du CEM Répertoire central en constante évolution d’informations et d’expertises juridiques et comptables, le CEM a été conçu en fonction des juristes d’entreprise et il est offert gratuitement aux membres de l’ACCJE. Le contenu CEM comprend : ■■ des précédents et des notes rédactionnelles – pour aider les équipes juridiques à prendre une longueur d’avance; ■■ des guides de bonne pratique – pour obtenir des résumés par sujet et pour disposer d’un guide de référence rapide; ■■ des listes de vérification – pour confirmer que rien n’a été oublié ou négligé; ■■ des modèles de lettres – pour faciliter la rédaction et la préparation; ■■ une banque de modèles de contrats et de clauses – pour aider les équipes juridiques à se préparer;

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des FAQ – pour répondre aux questions fréquentes et faire une recherche des meilleures firmes avant l’embauche. Le CEM est régulièrement mis à jour afin de demeurer actuel et pertinent. Plusieurs documents qu’il contient peuvent être téléchargés pour une utilisation rapide par les équipes internes. Tous les membres de l’ACCJE ayant besoin de précisions ou de détails sur un sujet particulier ont la possibilité de communiquer directement avec l’auteur.

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Contenu CEM disponible À ce jour, Mondaq et l’ACCJE ont mis en ligne quatre banques CEM canadiennes : ■■ concurrence et antitrust – constituée par le cabinet Cassels Brock et Blackwell; ■■ immigration – constituée par le cabinet Green et Spiegel; ■■ travail et emploi – constituée par le cabinet Blaney McMurtry; ■■ protection de la vie privée et des données – constituée par le cabinet Blake, Cassels et Graydon. Au cours de l’année qui vient et au-delà, d’autres banques d’expertises seront constituées et couvriront un large éventail de sujets et de juridictions. Plusieurs des futures banques CEM répondront aux besoins d’associations et de regroupements associa-

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tifs locaux. Toutes ces banques seront accessibles gratuitement aux membres de l’ACCJE.

Utilisation du CEM Les membres de l’ACCJE qui souhaitent utiliser le CEM peuvent y accéder de différentes manières : ■■ directement sur Mondaq.com; ■■ par l’intermédiaire du NewsStand de l’ACCJE (présentement transmis par courriel aux membres de l’ACCJE); ■■ à partir du site Web de l’ACCJE, www.ccca-accje.org, sous Ressources pour les membres. Chaque voie d’accès est facile à utiliser et aucune n’exige la connexion des membres inscrits.

Faire plus à l’interne avec le CEM L’amélioration du partage de l’information et du transfert des connaissances est une priorité pour tout le monde. Le CEM répond à ce besoin en rendant accessibles des expertises et des informations essentielles au travail du juriste d’entreprise. Avec des banques qui s’enrichissent constamment, ce nouveau service est appelé à devenir la ressource intégrée et détaillée privilégiée par tous les juristes d’entreprise du monde. Pour plus de renseignements sur le CEM ou pour organiser une démonstration de ce formidable outil que l’ACCJE met à la disposition de ses membres, prière de communiquer avec Charles Aspinwall de Mondaq à l’adresse Charles.Aspinwall@mondaq.com. ❚

Répertoire central en constante évolution d’informations et d’expertises juridiques et comptables, le CEM a été conçu en fonction des juristes d’entreprise.

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the job is done, they move on immediately, leaving your firm or legal department back at its original size. The Future of Law demands adaptability to changing circumstances. An important component of this will be a flexible, justin-time, experienced talent pool ready to provide you with dramatic cost savings, and your firm or department the heft you need to handle short-term surges in work. For more information on the LexLocom advantage, please contact: Christopher Sweeney | President 416-477-2622 csweeney@lexlocom.ca

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{ CCCA News }

CCCA National Conference

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2015 CCCA National Conference April 19-21 • Toronto, ON

on’t miss the largest gathering of inhouse counsel in Canada! Featuring a program targeted exclusively to inhouse counsel needs, you’ll find yourself at the centre of an important conversation about the profession. In the span of three days, fulfill your learning and professional development requirements through our accredited programming and connect with other inhouse counsel from every industry across the country. Be inspired by accomplished and passionate keynote speakers, including William Pentney, Deputy Minister of Justice and Deputy Attorney General of Canada; Yves Desjardins-Siciliano, President and CEO of Via Rail Canada; and Jennifer Jones, Canadian Olympic Gold Medalist in Curling and fellow in-house counsel at National Bank Financial. Learn how to establish and maintain relationships with key government, corporate and commercial stakeholders, both internally and externally. And then be inspired to overcome obstacles, bring out the best in your team and reach for your own gold medal performance.

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Other conference highlights include: Spring Training Camp: This one-day crash course for lawyers new to the inhouse counsel profession focuses on contract drafting, privacy and compliance, corporate governance, ethics and HR. ■■ 16 workshops targeted to the needs of in-house counsel: Topics include Hiring and Keeping Top Talent, Managing Social Media Risks in the Workplace, Running the Legal Department like a Business and Designing Ethics Compliance Programs. ■■ Opportunities to connect with peers: Enjoy networking at events such as the CCCA Awards Ceremony, keynote breakfasts and luncheons, receptions, and the Exhibit Hall. Learn more about the conference and register at www.ccca-accje.org!

protocols with the auditors. Find more information on the CBA’s website at www.cba.org/CBA/ jointpolicystatement/main. ■■ Access the proposed draft online at www.cba.org/CBA/advocacy/pdf/ Exposure-JPS-Eng.pdf. ■■ Order the free archived webinar, Understanding the Proposed New JPS on Audit Inquiries, at www.cba.org/pd. The CBA and AASB need your input to finalize the draft. Provide your comments to epii@cba.org by April 6.

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The Joint Policy Statement on Audit Inquiries (JPS) governs the process by which a client asks its lawyers to assess its evaluation of claims or possible claims (by or against the client) for the purpose of an audit. The JPS, when drafted in 1978, was intended to protect solicitor-client confidentiality and privilege and to keep lawyers from becoming involved in a joint undertaking with the auditor. Although these objectives apply equally today, the JPS is in need of an update to reflect evolving circumstances. The CBA JPS Review Committee has concluded its initial negotiations with the Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (AASB) to update the JPS. Among the changes in the proposed draft is the express inclusion of in-house counsel in the scope of the JPS. Further, the new JPS will not require lawyers to consider the applicable financial reporting framework when responding to an audit inquiry. Other updates aim to resolve concerns regarding communication

Looking to enhance your executive team contribution, develop new management skills or move to the next career level? The Business Leadership Program for In-House Counsel has been developed by the CCCA and the Rotman School of Management with your unique needs in mind. The first program of its kind in the world, successful completion of all phases will provide graduates with the designation of Certified In-House Counsel— Canada (CIC.C). If you are looking to advance your career to a General Counsel position or the executive level, this certification gives you a competitive edge. The next cohort of students will begin their journey in Toronto on May 8: ■■ Course 1 – Understanding and Navigating Organizational Dynamics: May 8-10, 2015 ■■ Course 2 – Business Leadership Application: Self-paced (online learning) ■■ Course 3 – Developing as a Manager: October 23–25, 2015 ■■ Course 4 – The Effective General Counsel, from Manager to Leader: March 4-6, 2016 To apply, complete and submit the application form available on the CCCA’s website or email certification@ccca-cba.org. Enrolment is limited, so early application is strongly encouraged. ❚

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entreprise et L’élaboration de programmes de conformité aux règles de déontologie. ■■ Occasions d’échanger avec vos pairs : Vous aurez plusieurs occasions de réseauter avec vos collègues à l’occasion de divers événements comme la Cérémonie de remise des prix de l’ACCJE et les déjeuners-conférences, ainsi que dans le Hall d’exposition. Pour en savoir plus sur la Conférence et pour vous inscrire, rendez-vous sur www.cccaaccje.org!

P roposition de Prise de position conjointe sur la préparation et la vérification d’états financiers 2015 Conférence nationale de l’ACCJE Du 19 au 21 avril • Toronto, ON

e ratez pas le plus grand rassemblement de juristes d’entreprise au Canada! Avec un programme exclusif conçu en fonction de vos besoins, vous vous retrouverez au cœur d’une importante discussion sur votre profession. Des conférenciers chevronnés et inspirants vous attendent : William Pentney, ministre adjoint de la Justice et sous-procureur général du Canada; Yves Desjardins-Siciliano, président et chef de l’exploitation de VIA Rail Canada; et Jennifer Jones, médaillée d’or olympique canadienne en curling et juriste d’entreprise à la Financière Banque Nationale. D’intéressantes activités sont prévues au programme, dont les suivantes : ■■ Camp de formation du printemps : Ce cours intensif d’une journée permet aux délégués nouveaux à la profession de juristes d’entreprise de se concentrer sur la rédaction de contrats, la vie privée et la conformité, la gouvernance d’entreprise et les ressources humaines. ■■ 16 ateliers axés sur les besoins des juristes d’entreprise : Divers thèmes seront abordés : La gestion efficace des risques associés aux médias sociaux en milieu de travail, L’exploitation du service juridique comme

La Prise de position conjointe sur la préparation et la vérification d’états financiers (PPC) régit la procédure entourant la demande à un avocat par son client d’examiner l’évaluation des réclamations en cours et des réclamations éventuelles (du client ou à l’encontre de ce dernier) dans le cadre d’un audit d’états financiers. Les objectifs de la PPC, au moment de sa rédaction en 1978, étaient de protéger la confidentialité et le privilège des communications avocat-client et d’empêcher que les avocats ne participent à une coentreprise avec l’auditeur. Bien que ces objectifs restent de toute actualité aujourd’hui, il est temps de mettre à jour la PPC afin qu’elle puisse tenir compte des circonstances changeantes. Le Comité d’examen de la PPC de l’ABC a mené à terme ses négociations initiales avec le Conseil des normes d’audit et de certification (CNAC) en ce qui concerne la mise à jour de la PPC. Les changements proposés au projet visent, notamment, l’inclusion expresse des juristes d’entreprise dans la portée de la PPC. En outre, la nouvelle PPC n’exige pas des avocats qu’ils examinent le référentiel d’information financière applicable dans le cadre de la préparation et la vérification d’états financiers. D’autres modifications ont également été proposées en vue de régler des préoccupations concernant les protocoles de communication avec les auditeurs.

Visitez le site Web de l’ABC, www.cba.org/ ABC/jointpolicystatement/main/, pour en savoir plus sur cette question. ■■ Accédez au projet en ligne sur www.cba.org/ CBA/advocacy/pdf/Exposure-JPS-Fr.pdf. ■■ Commandez gratuitement le webinaire archivé Bien comprendre le nouveau projet de PPC sur la préparation et la vérification d’états financiers, sur www.cba.org/dp. L’ABC et le CNAC ont besoin de votre avis pour finaliser le projet. Prière de transmettre vos commentaires à epii@cba.org d’ici le 6 avril. ■■

Un avantage concurrentiel pour une carrière florissante Vous souhaitez augmenter votre contribution à l’équipe de direction ou passer à un niveau professionnel supérieur? Le Programme de leadership en entreprise pour les conseillers juridiques d’entreprise a été conçu par l’ACCJE et la Rotman School of Management afin de répondre à vos besoins uniques. Premier programme en son genre dans le monde, la réussite de toutes les phases mène les diplômés au titre de Juriste d’entreprise agréé – Canada (JEA.C). Si vous aspirez à diriger le service juridique de votre entreprise ou à intégrer l’équipe de direction, ce programme vous offre un avantage concurrentiel. La prochaine cohorte d’étudiants entamera sa formation à Toronto le 8 mai (en anglais) : ■■ Cours 1 – Comprendre et s’orienter dans la dynamique organisationnelle – du 8 au 10 mai 2015 ■■ Cours 2 – Mettre en pratique le leadership dans son entreprise – formation autonome (en ligne) ■■ Cours 3 – Devenir gestionnaire – du 23 au 25 octobre 2015 ■■ Cours 4 – Le chef efficace : de gestionnaire à dirigeant – du 4 au 6 mars 2016 Pour s’inscrire, veuillez remplir et soumettre le formulaire de candidature disponible sur le site Web de l’ACCJE ou écrire à l’adresse certification@ccca-cba.org. Le nombre de places étant limité, il est fortement recommandé de s’inscrire d’avance. ❚

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Conférence nationale de l’ACCJE 2015 Du 19 au 21 avril Toronto, ON

{ Legal Innovation }

Leadership through Instructions: When to Grant Instructions to Bring a Motion By Atrisha Lewis

t is a common scenario: outside counsel has requested your instructions to bring a motion. While good counsel will always outline the pros and cons of any motion, in-house counsel must independently consider the benefits and downsides and, most importantly, balance cost with how the motion will advance the litigation strategy. Consider asking the following questions before you provide your answer: 1. What is the goal of the motion and how important is that goal to the overall litigation? Is the motion being brought to gain some type of advantage? For example, a motion to compel an answer to a question refused on discovery (i.e. a refusals motion) may help your client obtain helpful information for trial or a forum non conveniens motion may help you move the litigation to a more friendly jurisdiction. The motion may also bring an end to the litigation, such as a motion for summary judgment. Also consider how the goal of the motion fits within the overarching litigation strategy. For example, will you expend resources on a refusals motion to obtain information not necessary to prove your case at trial? 2. What is the precise relief sought? Consider how counsel has framed the relief sought and consider whether this is something a court has jurisdiction or a general appetite to grant. Most importantly, ensure the relief actually advances the goal of the motion. 3. What evidence will be brought on the motion? Ask counsel what evidence is needed in support of the motion and whether putting any evidence in an affidavit will compromise your case in the future (either through the evidence itself or by virtue of admissions on crossexamination). This risk must be weighed against the potential for additional infor-

MOTION INSTRUCTION DECISION-MAKING MATRIX Alignment with Strategic Objectives

Consider

Grant Instructions

(weigh likelihood of success)

(weigh tactical advantages)

Do not grant instructions

Cost to Bring the Motion

mation from the affidavits or cross-examination of the other side. 4. What is the likelihood of success and the impact of a loss on the underlying litigation? The former is often hard to predict, so focus on the latter. For example, bringing a losing motion may colour your trial judge (if it is the same judge who will ultimately hear your trial). Also consider the impact on your team’s morale. 5. When will the motion be heard? It may take time for your motion to be heard, so is the relief something you will still want in the future? For example, in the context of a refusals motion, there may be another way to obtain the information you require faster. 6. Will the motion delay the underlying litigation? Bringing a motion may delay the litigation for two main reasons. First, both sides may focus their energies on the motion rather than on moving the litigation forward. Second, bringing motions may prevent you from taking other procedural steps, which will delay obtaining a trial date. 7. What is the true cost of the motion? Consider the cost of the motion beyond counsel’s time, such as the value of internal resources’ time. For example, if an internal individual needs to swear an af-

fidavit, they will have to make themselves available for that and for cross-examination. On the flip side, certain motions, such as one to stay a proceeding or consolidate proceedings, may ultimately reduce the overall cost of the litigation. Once you have answers to the above questions, you must come to a decision. The above Motion Instruction DecisionMaking Matrix helps weigh the various factors. The most obvious decisions are the ones where the cost of the motion and the strategic objective of the motion are aligned or opposed. The two areas of difficulty are motions that will be considerably expensive to bring but are also extremely important to the objectives of the litigation. In those cases, the most important secondary consideration is generally the likelihood of success. When a motion is cost-effective but not particularly important to the strategic objectives, tactical considerations such as whether the motion will delay the litigation are very important. ❚ Atrisha Lewis is an associate in McCarthy Tétrault’s Litigation Group in Toronto. She maintains a broad litigation practice, with particular focus on complex commercial disputes, and has appeared before the Ontario Superior Court, the Divisional Court of Ontario, the Federal Court and the Federal Court of Appeal. Follow her on Twitter: @atrishalewis

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{ Leadership }

Leaders Don’t Need to Have All the Answers By Hugh Arnold

Many popular stereotypes of effective leaders paint a picture of a boss who has all the answers and always knows exactly what to do.

hether it’s Dr. Greg House on “House,” Jack Bauer in “24” or the real-life Donald Trump on “The Apprentice,” we’re often left with the impression that to succeed as “the boss,” we must always have the answer to any question, issue or challenge that may confront us or our team. In reality, one of the biggest mistakes you can make as a boss is to come across as if you have all of the answers. People today aren’t looking to their leaders to have all the answers. What they

“

are looking for is a boss who is genuine and candid, who values the members of his or her team, respects their ideas and expertise, and who is willing to listen to inputs and suggestions before deciding on a new direction or course of action. A leader who comes in to a new organization or a new role with the message that “I have all the answers” is sending a powerful message to his or her team that: ■■ I’m smarter than all of you; ■■ Even though you may have deep knowledge and expertise, I don’t need to waste my precious time seeking out your ideas; ■■ I don’t need your help; and ■■ All I really need from you is to put your heads down and do what I tell you. That’s a message that’s virtually guaranteed to alienate and disengage, just the opposite of what’s needed for any

team or organization to succeed today. Successful leadership is about motivating people to do things they otherwise would not have done. To accomplish that, a leader must first paint a picture of a future vision the majority of people feel excited about and are willing to commit to working towards. Then the leader needs to lay out a process the team will follow together to build a plan to accomplish that vision. Finally, the leader needs to get people aligned in the proper roles so they can each contribute in their own unique way to the attainment of their shared goal. People won’t buy in to a vision that’s been imposed on them. Nor will they go the extra mile attempting to implement a plan for which they don’t feel any sense of personal ownership and that doesn’t incorporate their own knowledge and expertise.

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Effective leaders understand the difference between ‘coming in with the answer’ and ‘coming in with a plan for how we’re going to figure out the answers together.’

C C C A Magazin e

Spring 2015 Printemps

{ Leadership }

Of course there are some circumstances where people are looking to their leaders for immediate answers and clear decisive action. When our lives or livelihoods are under imminent threat, we don’t want planning meetings—we want direction. If the business is on the verge of bankruptcy or we are an army unit out in the field under enemy fire, we don’t want our leader to call a meeting to discuss options. When we’re under threat, we’re looking for immediate, unambiguous direction about who needs to do what to survive. However, once the immediate threat has been addressed, our fundamental need to feel valued, contribute our ideas, and feel a sense of personal ownership and responsibility for what we’re doing takes over again. Effective leaders understand the difference between “coming in with the answer” and “coming in with a plan for how we’re going to figure out the answers together.” People look to their leaders to provide guidance and direction—that’s what leadership is about. But leadership is also about winning the hearts and minds of people so they will feel motivated and committed to give 100% every day to implement plans and achieve shared goals they’ve had a voice in shaping. And that commitment doesn’t come from selfimportant leaders who believe that they have all the answers. It comes from smart, well-informed, emotionally intelligent leaders who know that their own success is determined ultimately by the insights and efforts of those they are responsible for leading. ❚ Hugh Arnold is adjunct professor and former dean at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, where he teaches leadership in the CCCA’s Business Leadership Program for In-House Counsel as well as a number of the school’s MBA and executive programs.

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{ Inside Edge }

Be Your Own Best Advocate By Bindu Cudjoe

I have learned many things over the years, but key among them is that no one cares more about your career than you do. You have to own your career, your progress and your reputation— and realize that everything has a season. Think “Career,” Not “Job” Your career is long, and you need to prioritize different things at different times, depending on what suits your life and the marketplace at the time. This can be hard. I have had a lot of stern conversations with myself along the way to remain focused on the thing that is right at the time. I have had to realize that I cannot have it all, all the time. As a young associate, my job was to learn from my work and other people. I focused intensely on my career, working long hours and long days. There were certainly consequences on my personal relationships, but I was upfront with family and friends about how important they were to me even if we did not see each other often. Then I entered a new stage of my life: I got married and had my first of three children. After maternity leave, I wanted to return to work. This meant some sacrifices but again it came down to prioritizing. For example, it was not important that I personally clean our house, but it was important that I have time for my family on the weekends, so we hired a housecleaner.

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I was an associate at McMillan LLP at the time, and there were no similar role models in the firm to follow or precedents set. I had to ask for things like a BlackBerry and a flexible schedule, so I could leave at 4:30 pm to pick my child up from daycare and continue my day after she was asleep. I had to make the business case. To me and the firm, what was paramount was that I get my work done well and remain responsive to clients. I was confident I could do this but planned a review with my manager after six months to ensure it worked for both of us. It did, and it set a precedent for others.

Take Ownership While my situation involved motherhood, asking for what you want and need is genderless. It is really about taking ownership of your career and reputation. Your reputation is built little by little, through every file and interaction you have with clients and other colleagues, whether peers, leaders or support. I was able to get what I needed because I had built a reputation as a responsive, reliable lawyer.

Asking for what you want and need is genderless. It is really about taking ownership of your career and reputation.

C C C A Magazin e

Spring 2015 Printemps

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You must know yourself and what you are good at—with examples to prove it. As a financial services lawyer, I am good at transactions, but what I really enjoy are the business and relationship sides of things. This is what prompted my move in-house. I wanted to be a lawyer and a trusted advisor. I was hired by BMO Financial Group, where I am now Deputy General Counsel and Chief Administrative Officer, and I have thrived in-house. There is a real focus on leadership, managing people and creating connections—which suits me perfectly. But it took time and determination to get here. I had to realize my goals and ambitions had changed, and I no longer suited my previous position and ambitions. Then I had to find a position that aligned with my values, and work that I found meaningful. Opportunities will present themselves when you are at the right place, at the right time. The tricky part is to trust yourself—and the hard work you have done to get there—and take advantage of them. While you may not be able to have it all, you should always be able to have what is most important to you. ❚ Bindu Cudjoe joined BMO as Senior Counsel in 2012, was named Associate General Counsel and Managing Director in 2013, and became Deputy General Counsel and Chief Administrative Officer in 2014. She is accountable for managing the operations of the Legal, Corporate & Compliance Group, including oversight for finance, human resources, real estate, strategic initiatives and BMO’s external counsel program. She is also Director for the Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers School, Council Chair at Emily Carr Public School in Oakville and a mentor to young lawyers. She recently won the Lexpert 2014 Rising Star Award and the 2014 Legal Excellence Award from the South Asian Bar Association of Toronto.

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