CCCA Magazine - Summer 2016

Secondments Open In-House Doors Moving into the C-Suite Spotlight On… Model Business Principles on Forced Labour

CCCA

In-House Counsel Compensation Survey: Find Out Your Worth

magazine Summer 2016 été | Vol 10, No. 2

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

Jeremy Millard Legal Director, Uber Canada

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Summer 2016 été | Vol 10, No. 2

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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 / PRÉSIDENT de l’ACCJE Frédéric Pérodeau: 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 ADVERTISING / PUBLICITÉ Brian Trotter: BrianTrotter@outlook.com DESIGN / CONCEPTION ARTISTIQUE Hume Media Inc. Editorial Board Olumide Adetunji Marianne Bolhuis Graeme Deuchars Vera Dokter Sébastien Guénette Wendy King Laurie MacFarlane Sarah McKinnon Michael Rothe COVER PHOTO / PHOTO DE COUVERTURE Monique de St.Croix 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 this issue…

Features 14 The 2016 In-House Counsel Compensation & Career Survey: Find Out Your Worth

This survey provides the most up-to-date and robust analysis of in-house counsel compensation and career-related topics in Canada. See the highlights and use the results to benchmark your compensation package and work life.

20 Secondments Open In-House Doors

In-house counsel say it is one of the best things they have done for their career. Whether done internally or externally, a secondment can be a great learning experience and fast track your career. Should it be your next move? By Jim Middlemiss

28 Moving into the C-Suite

Many in-house lawyers advance by leaving legal and joining the C-suite. It can be a natural fit, as you know the organization well. However, success will take more than technical skills—leadership and business skills are key. By Julie Sobowale

columns

departments

5 From the Editor Professional growth comes from exploring new paths and taking opportunities. As you develop or revisit your career strategy, keep an open mind about potential options.

6 From the Chair The CCCA has made great strides in terms of advocacy, professional development and diversity thanks to you. Let’s work together to raise the bar even higher.

10 Profile: Jeremy Millard Uber’s first Canadian Legal Director talks about how he came to be in the role, working in a new and emerging industry, and job satisfaction. By Michael Dempster 40 Spotlight On… Model Business Principles on Forced Labour, Labour Trafficking and Illegal or Harmful Child Labour The CCCA and the CBA urge in-house counsel to implement these principles in their organizations to combat labour abuse.

By Karen Sadler 42 CCCA News Wrap-up of the CCCA National Conference, including the 2016 award winners; and updates to the JPS on audit inquiries.

8 Career Management What does advancement look like when you are inhouse? Find what suits you and reap the many benefits. By Catherine Chow 13 HR Impact When the legal department and HR work together, the whole organization benefits. Learn some tips for an effective partnership. By Duff McCutcheon 37 Legal Innovation Can external counsel be a trusted advisor for your organization?

Discover the skill set and creativity you should be looking for. By Peter Brady and Mark Travers 38 Strategic Management BMO’s Legal and Compliance Group created the Innovative Team Challenge to drive performance and efficiency. Now in its third year, the results have surpassed all expectations.

By Lynne Yryku 50 Inside Edge You are more than just your position. As in-house counsel, you can make a difference not only for your company but also for yourself and society at large. By Jonathan Cullen

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{ From the Editor / Mot de la rédactrice }

Find Comfort in the Discomfort

Trouver le confort dans l’inconfort

By Lynne Yryku

Par Lynne Yryku

S

ome define their career path as a destination, such as a top position in a multinational company. For others, the path is a journey, where the goal is a variety of positions and experience. For most of us, it is a mix of the two. Perhaps you reach a stage where your job is not enough and you want to explore new domains or organizations, or you find your niche and want to settle for a period.

Resetting your career goals is part of the journey of life.

Career progression comes down to setting goals that force you to leave your comfort zone to achieve them. The more you are willing to step outside, the more opportunities you will find.

Uber is a great example of boundary-pushing. Since it entered Canada in 2012, it—along with its Canadian Legal Director, Jeremy Millard—has been challenging the status quo in major cities across the country. Being in-house, Millard says, “is an exciting place to work!”

This holds true no matter your industry. You have influence beyond what your role might be. Look at Jonathan Cullen, General Counsel at Pfizer Canada. His career path took a turn when serious life events forced him to reflect on his position as a lawyer. Now he is using his skills to further healthcare, the legal profession and the business community.

Perhaps you need a push. A secondment might be the answer.

It has helped many in-house counsel test their comfort levels, build relationships and assess their career goals. Or perhaps you already know you want to leave the legal scene. Many in-house counsel have moved over to management—it’s a natural fit.

As Karen Dyck, Executive Director for the Legal Help Centre, points out, “We [lawyers] have the basic skills on how you look at different situations and figure out what are we going to do.”

It is no secret that the legal and business landscape is changing. Professionals and organizations need to adapt. Like the BMO Innovative Team Challenge, the goal is to think differently.

And as Carla Goldstein, Associate General Counsel at BMO, says, “The more people we get to do this, the more we get people to see how the industry can be doing things differently.”

No matter what your career goals are now and in the future, the most important thing is to continuously develop and evolve. As you raise the bar in your career, you expand your comfort zone and open doors for new opportunities. ❚ Correction: In the article, “Building Better Rosters,” in the Spring 2016 issue, the spokesperson from BMO Financial Group was incorrectly identified. It should have been Bindu Cudjoe, Deputy General Counsel & Chief Administrative Officer (not Bindu Dhaliwal, Associate General Counsel and Director of Environmental, Social and Governance).

P

our certains, la carrière est un but à atteindre, tel un poste au sommet d’une multinationale. Pour d’autres, c’est accumuler du vécu en repoussant les frontières et en occupant divers postes.

Pour la plupart d’entre nous, c’est un peu des deux. Peut-être que votre emploi ne vous suffit plus et que vous envisagez un changement de domaine ou d’organisation, à moins que vous ayez trouvé votre créneau et que vous souhaitiez y demeurer. Réévaluer ses objectifs de carrière fait partie de la vie.

Progresser en carrière, c’est se donner des objectifs qui obligent à quitter sa zone de confort. Plus on s’écarte de cette zone, plus les opportunités sont nombreuses.

Parlant de repousser les frontières, Uber est un bon exemple. Depuis son arrivée au Canada en 2012, Uber conteste le statu quo dans les grandes villes avec l’aide de Jeremy Millard, son directeur juridique canadien. Pour Millard, juriste d’entreprise : « c’est un milieu de travail stimulant! » Cela peut s’appliquer à toutes les industries. Votre influence peut s’exercer au-delà de votre rôle. Par exemple, le plan de carrière de Jonathan Cullen, avocat général chez Pfizer Canada, a changé quand des événements graves survenus dans sa vie l’ont obligé à réfléchir à sa profession. Désormais, il met ses compétences au service de la santé, de la profession juridique et du milieu des affaires.

Il vous faut une motivation? Pourquoi pas un détachement? Cela a permis à de nombreux juristes d’entreprise d’évaluer leur niveau de confort, de bâtir des relations et de revoir leurs objectifs de carrière.

Mais peut-être que vous savez déjà que vous aller quitter le domaine juridique. Plusieurs juristes d’entreprise sont devenus cadres – c’est une évolution naturelle. Comme l’a fait valoir Karen Dyck, directrice exécutive du Legal Help Centre : « Nous [les avocats] avons les compétences de base pour évaluer différentes situations et décider quoi faire. » Tout le monde sait que le paysage juridique et commercial est en mutation. Les professionnels et les organisations doivent s’adapter.

Comme pour le Défi de l’équipe novatrice de BMO, il faut penser différemment. Avocate générale associée chez BMO, Carla Goldstein insiste : « Plus on convainc les gens d’embarquer, plus on prouve que l’industrie est capable de faire les choses autrement. » Quels que soient vos objectifs de carrière aujourd’hui et dans l’avenir, l’important, c’est de progresser et d’évoluer constamment.

Chaque fois que vous placerez la barre plus haut, vous élargirez votre zone de confort et vous ouvrirez la porte aux nouvelles opportunités. ❚ Correction : Dans l’article « Demande de propositions » du numéro de printemps 2016, la porte-parole de Groupe financier BMO a été incorrectement identifiée. Elle aurait dû été Bindu Cudjoe, avocate générale adjointe et administratrice principale (pas Bindu Dhaliwal, conseillère générale adjointe et directrice de la gouvernance environnementale et sociale).

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{ From the Chair / MOT DU PRÉSIDENT }

Step Up to the Plate

Se présenter au marbre

By Frédéric Pérodeau, CIC.C

Par Frédéric Pérodeau, JEA.C

A

s in-house counsel, we’ve always been regarded as nimble, strategic and business savvy, but within the wider legal community, we aren’t often thought of as leaders. However, during my time as Chair, I’ve noticed this starting to change— due in no small part to the hard work and efforts of our members and volunteers.

Over the past year, the CCCA has been working hard to ensure in-house counsel take on a more active leadership role within the larger legal landscape with regard to advocacy, professional development and diversity.

When it comes to advocacy, the CCCA continues to be heavily involved in discussions on entity regulation. The context in which in-house counsel provide legal services is so different from that of our private practice peers that many current regulations are an awkward fit. More study and consultation must be carried out before considering the inclusion of inhouse counsel in the scope of entity regulation, and the CCCA will be a key participant in that work.

The CCCA is also raising awareness among the in-house counsel community about access to justice and the underestimated importance of their role. In-house counsel are in a strategic position to promote an efficient, effective use of judicial resources and ensure the sound administration of justice, as they operate at the nexus of a variety of concerns and interests.

As for professional development, the CCCA is leading the way in providing programs that meet our unique needs. New events and resources on in-house counsel career management—such as a job board, a career resources library and more—will help ensure you are supported at every stage of your career.

In addition, approximately 140 members are now Certified In-House Counsel – Canada (CIC.C). Three cohorts have graduated since the Business Leadership Program for In-House Counsel began in 2014, and another is kicking off this month.

Many of our graduates have already begun taking on new responsibilities and more leadership-focused roles.

Lastly, the CCCA is using its influence to foster a more diverse legal community. With a membership consisting equally of men and women, we showcase the diversity of our members in CCCA Magazine, are well on our way towards ensuring half of our speakers at the National Conference are women and, over the next year, will be focusing on helping eradicate the gender wage gap recently discovered through our 2016 In-House Counsel Compensation & Career Survey.

Some of you may know that I’m a baseball fan. And so, as baseball season begins again this year, I encourage you to “step up to the plate” as in-house counsel. Our forward-thinking, results-driven, proactive nature is just what the legal community needs right now. I’ll see you on the field! ❚

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es juristes d’entreprise sont toujours considérés comme des personnes polyvalentes et stratégiques qui ont le sens des affaires mais, dans le milieu juridique, on ne les voit pas nécessairement comme des leaders. Et bien, pendant mon mandat à la présidence de l’ACCJE, j’ai constaté que les choses changent rapidement, surtout grâce aux efforts soutenus de nos membres et bénévoles.

Au cours de la dernière année, l’ACCJE a redoublé d’efforts pour que les juristes d’entreprise soient plus activement présents et représentés dans le paysage juridique canadien tant en ce qui concerne la représentation, le perfectionnement professionnel et la diversité.

Sur le plan de la représentation, l’ACCJE reste très impliquée dans le débat entourant la réglementation des entités.

Les avocats de pratique privée et les juristes d’entreprise rendent des services tellement différents que, déjà, plusieurs aspects de la réglementation actuelle conviennent plutôt mal à ces derniers. Il faut consulter davantage avant de les inclure sans nuance dans la réglementation des entités. L’ACCJE continuera d’être un acteur clé dans ce dossier.

L’ACCJE sensibilise aussi sa propre communauté à l’accès à la justice et à l’importance sous-estimée du rôle que doivent jouer les juristes d’entreprise. Parce qu’ils doivent considérer un large éventail d’intérêts, les juristes d’entreprise occupent une position privilégiée afin de promouvoir une utilisation efficace des ressources judiciaires et une saine administration de la justice.

Sur le plan du perfectionnement professionnel, l’ACCJE ouvre la voie avec des programmes innovateurs qui répondent à nos besoins uniques. Pour vous appuyer à toutes les étapes de votre carrière, de nouveaux services en gestion de carrière ont été mis à votre disposition, dont un babillard d’emploi, une bibliothèque de ressources et bien plus.

De plus, trois cohortes ont gradué depuis le début de notre Programme de leadership en entreprise pour les juristes d’entreprise en 2014 alors qu’une quatrième cohorte débute ce mois-ci. Plus de 140 de nos membres sont maintenant des Juristes d’entreprise agréés – Canada (JEA.C) et plusieurs d’entre eux assument déjà de nouvelles responsabilités et exercent un plus grand leadership.

Avec un effectif composé d’autant de femmes que d’hommes, l’ACCJE utilise son influence pour favoriser une communauté juridique plus diversifiée. La diversité est par exemple mise en valeur dans notre magazine ainsi que dans nos activités. Au cours de l’année qui vient, nous nous intéresserons plus particulièrement à l’écart salarial entre les hommes et les femmes tel que révélé par le Sondage sur la rémunération et la carrière des conseillers juridiques d’entreprises.

Vous savez peut-être que je suis un mordu de baseball. En ce début de saison, je vous encourage à vous « présenter au marbre » comme juriste d’entreprise. La communauté juridique a présentement bien besoin de notre approche proactive et axée sur les résultats. Au plaisir de vous retrouver sur le terrain! ❚

{ Career Management }

In-House Career Growth: What Does It Look Like to You?

By Catherine Chow

After eight years as The Keg’s only in-house lawyer, the President came into my office one morning and said, “Congratulations, Catherine, you are now Vice-President Legal and General Counsel. The title goes with what you have been doing all along, but now people outside the organization will know how important you are to this company.”

I

was elated! A title change that I hadn’t been chasing suddenly meant so much to me. However, in terms of workload, it meant little more than having to get a new business card—which led me to contemplate what it means for in-house counsel to advance professionally.

Early in their decision to go in-house, lawyers must spend considerable time debating the merits and drawbacks of an inhouse career. While there are many benefits, after a few years in-house, lawyers run the risk of career stagnation if the work becomes repetitive and mundane, if they let their professional contact circle narrow or if they reach the top of their organization’s legal department. So how do you keep growing in-house?

There is no consensus on what career advancement means for in-house counsel.

Some chase higher compensation, a heftier title or job security, while others set out to gain notoriety in the legal profession or broaden their practice into non-legal business roles. It is important to think carefully about what advancement means to you and how you can grow professionally. Mindlessness about your career can result in feeling undercompensated, bored and generally dissatisfied, often at a stage in life when career changes are harder to make. After almost 20 years of practice, 10

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of which have been in-house, I still remain focused on growing professionally.

Small Steps Today, Big Impact Tomorrow Although unique to the stage and goals of each person’s career, a common element of professional growth is broadening your skills or knowledge base. Whether you undertake a formal accredited program or participate in a select set of CLEs, developing your skills and knowledge makes you a better lawyer and increases your professional network—both of which lead to more opportunities for advancement.

In-house counsel are fortunate to have development opportunities right within their own organizations. You can volunteer to take on more responsibilities in non-legal business units, like HR, finance or special projects. While branching outside of the traditional legal framework may mean steep learning curves, it is a welcome challenge for most. In-house counsel can parlay their newly acquired skills and knowledge into increased influence within the organization, rendering them indispensable and worthy of higher compensation.

In addition, you can’t go wrong by adding a well-chosen education component to your in-house career. When I completed my master’s degree in law

{ Career Management }

while working in-house, I did not appreciate how much it would benefit my career in the future. Aside from the great reward I found in applying myself academically, the courses introduced me to a broad range of professional contacts who are not lawyers. There have been many instances when I have called one of these people instead of an external lawyer to help me solve a business problem.

You can also advance your career and your network by volunteering with a charity or professional association.

Not only is it personally fulfilling, but non-profit work is also a great way for in-house counsel to meet people other than lawyers. Growing your professional network in this way can lead to job prospects, partnering opportunities and great

friendships. Not to mention the organizations you volunteer with benefit from your wealth of legal knowledge and business acumen.

Make Every Day Count In my in-house career, advancement has meant different things over time. From earning the heftier title by taking on more responsibilities to incorporating charity and teaching components to enhance the diversity of my work, I have taken my inhouse career to a rewarding place—and I continue to advance it by learning new things and consciously widening my contact circle. For instance, I currently teach a course at UBC’s law school, chair a successful charity dinner for a near and dear cause, and mentor new lawyers through

several programs. I remain prepared for the next opportunity that comes my way.

Your in-house career is a collection of responsibilities held, titles earned, work accomplished and contributions made throughout your tenure at one or a number of companies. The learning and networking is ongoing. Viewed this way, you have a lifetime to advance your career and each day is a new chance to get started. ❚ Catherine Chow is the Vice-President Legal and General Counsel at Keg Restaurants Ltd, where she manages the legal matters of more than 100 locations across North America. Her proactive approach to risk management has been recognized as an industry-leading initiative, winning both a 2014 Canadian Lawyer In-house Innovatio Award and a 2014 Lexpert Zenith Award.

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{ Profile }

Cast in the

t c e f Per

By Michael Dempster

Jeremy Millard grew up in the theatre, soaking in the energy, creativity and performances of his parents and grandparents.

It was magical, super cool, says the Toronto native. And while he didn’t follow the family career path, today he’s on a large stage himself—acting as Uber’s Legal Director for Canada.

L

ike the entertainment industry, Uber has its critics. But the company’s mobile app has plenty of fans, with people in more than 400 cities worldwide using the ride-sharing service.

“Internally, we know it’s a novel product,” says Millard. “You won’t find many people who aren’t thrilled with the product and experience. That’s a great thing here for staff, or for any company you are working at.”

Millard joined Uber in July 2015 as its first lawyer in Canada. His role is to advise the San Francisco-based company on matters here and shape a domestic legal approach. The immediate overall goal, he says, is to encourage cities and provinces to enact smart regulations for ride-sharing. Regulations that ensure consumer protection and safety while letting an “innovative new service” grow.

The first year has been an exhilarating ride on an incredibly steep learning curve, he says. Moving in-house, understanding his role and setting a domestic legal direction for Uber—seemingly always in the headlines, from taxi driver protests to

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municipal bylaw debates and lawsuits— has provided a challenge he calls the best legal job in the country.

“It’s certainly different going from a law firm where you might have a matter you are working on in the press once in a decade to where we are in the press several times on a daily basis,” Millard explains. “I think you have to take it in stride. You just have to appreciate the environment you are operating in. In a high-paced environment … you can’t be checking headlines every five minutes. You have to block in time to do a unit of work and avoid distractions.”

During this year’s CCCA National Conference in Calgary, Millard, a keynote speaker, discussed how moving in-house with Uber was a great fit. He’d been a litigator for a number of years in Toronto, worked for vehicle manufacturers, done some regulatory work and remained a U.S.-licensed attorney [he worked in Boston for two years after graduating from law school in 2002].

“Working in a firm is great, and it’s great to serve clients, but I always had a sense that when a matter ended, I was on

the pier waving to the ship going away.

You’ve got companies doing and making something, and you help them solve problems, and then they go off and do whatever they’re doing. I wanted to be a part of that creative force.”

Uber, founded in 2009, presented a fascinating model for someone coming from private practice, he says. Advising on the law, he and his “brilliant team members” roll up their sleeves in all stages of development and activity. He also has the advantage of consulting with a core group of lawyers in the San Francisco headquarters who have specialization in various areas, like regulatory law.

“I’m also fortunate that, in our Toronto office, we are still small enough that I sit in an open concept office with a Foosball table.

When I was in private practice, once a year I would walk the shop floor [of a client] and the lessons in that were always valuable.

And now I’m on the shop floor every day.”

The office isn’t far from where he was born, just down the street from the Financial District, where he’s worked most of his legal career.

{ Profile }

Rol e

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{ Profile }

“

When I was in private practice,

once a year I would walk the shop floor [of a client] and the lessons in

Growing up, he spent much of his youth backstage watching his parents, full-time professionals, and his grandparents perform. From an early age, he read lines helping them memorize their scripts. And though he didn’t feel talented enough for the theatre—“I’m best at playing myself, not others”—he developed presentation, timing, pronunciation and diction skills that serve him well.

He also became comfortable with technology through a circle of friends, many who went on to careers in programming. Though not scientifically gifted, he learned about computers through osmosis. Assembling computers as a hobby starting in middle school made working for a technology company like Uber feel more natural, he says.

It was politics that captured his imagination and led him to the law. “When I was 12, I read All the President’s Men, which usually makes people want to be journalists; it got me interested in government in-

that were always valuable. And now I’m on the shop floor every day.

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”

stead. I thought, ‘Surely, I can do this work honourably, where these guys failed.’”

To that end, Millard majored in political science at Yale University, 1995-1999; attended the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Law, 1999-2002; and earned an M.Phil, Politics (Comparative Government) at the University of Oxford, 2005-2007.

During law school, Millard, “a practical and pragmatic type,” quickly volunteered with the school’s poverty law clinic, Downtown Legal Services, where he spent more time helping clients than he did in classes.

“That’s how I really started to become a lawyer and not just a political wannabe— from the practical experience of interviewing and helping clients, and appearing in court, right from my first days at law school.

You are doing good things from the get-go and being involved in a very direct way.”

Uber provides that same personal satisfaction. He sees its impact whenever he steps outside his office or explores Toronto’s diverse neighbourhoods and architecture on weekend walks with his wife, Alexandra Kimball, a writer. Uber’s an amazing product in terms of the app helping people get around cities, he says, reducing congestion, reducing pollution and giving people opportunities to earn income.

In Canada, Uber’s in the early stages, an opening act if you will. As the curtain rises, Millard is optimistic it will be a long-running hit.

“Much as where the United States was at a couple of years ago, we are very much at the point where we are going city to city, province to province to get regulations to be enacted for this new business model,” he explains. “Once that is complete, we’ll be able to flourish as a company.” ❚ Michael Dempster is a writer based in Calgary.

{ HR Impact }

What’s the HR perspective?

By Duff McCutcheon

While in-house counsel and HR may have different outlooks, they need to work effectively as a team for the good of the organization. The Human Resources Professionals Association’s (HRPA’s) Duff McCutcheon looks to three outside observers for some key advice on how in-house counsel and HR professionals can become more effective business partners.

Gerlinde Herrmann, CDir, GPHR, CHRL “In-house counsel should understand how much HR has changed over the past 10 years,” says Gerlinde Herrmann, a veteran HR consultant and principal at The Herrmann Group Limited. “From a professional standpoint, HR is now a regulated profession in Ontario, with all that that entails around complaints and discipline, ethics, education and certifications.

Modern HR professionals are just as professional as lawyers.”

In late 2013, the Registered Human Resources Professionals Act, 2013 was passed at Queen’s Park. The Act establishes the HRPA as the professional regulatory body for HR professionals in Ontario.

Besides providing a complaints and discipline process and a public register of members, the HRPA also administers and issues three designations (Certified Human Resources Professional, Certified Human Resources Leader and Certified Human Resources Executive) to ensure members are competent and have upto-date knowledge of HR, business and employment law.

In terms of working together effectively, Herrmann says legal and HR have to balance the legal risk mitigation mindset with the HR perspectives of culture and brand.

“You want to avoid becoming internal adversaries. For example, consider severance packages. If they don’t have a lot of experience with the organization, General Counsel will often come back with the minimum the company can get away with.

That’s where I push back arguing that the

organization’s values will be compromised if we don’t treat people fairly.”

“I look at legal as providing legal risk perspectives, and HR’s position is the human and the brand risk. HR needs to help legal understand the organizational culture and how it fits in with the value system, the brand, and how it touches all the components.”

Phil Wilson, CHRE Phil Wilson, CHRE, a longtime HR executive and now Director of Corporate Services at DST Consulting Engineers Inc., says in-house counsel need to understand the HR strategy. “HR strategy is the direction HR is taking to support the overall business strategy, and General Counsel need to understand that, plus the complexities of major HR projects, so they can provide proper advice,” he says.

“I’ve been involved with downsizings of 500 people—big projects. You need legal to understand the goal of the process and what you’re prepared to live with regarding termination costs.”

Regarding specific HR knowledge, Wilson says in-house counsel need to keep up on employment law trends, case law and new labour regulations across multiple jurisdictions. All of this is important to provide effective advice on complex employment relations issues.

Jason Beeho, LLB According to Jason Beeho, Partner at Toronto employment law firm Levitt & Grosman LLP, there are three HR law issues

in-house counsel should be particularly mindful of: employment agreements, the duty to accommodate, and occupational health and safety considerations.

“General Counsel should understand the value of having a good employment agreement in place,” says Beeho. “Having an employment agreement signed off by new hires means you have enforceable terms to manage exposure in the event of termination—particularly around intellectual property confidentiality and non-solicitation.”

The duty to accommodate is another issue. “There are two things that are important to understand. One, [an employee being] denied short-term disability benefits doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t have a medical issue that needs to be accommodated. And two, for people who have been on long-term disability for a lengthy period and you want to get them off the books—there is not a magic number in terms of length of absence where you can terminate them. You need to look at the individual circumstances.”

Finally, there’s occupational health and safety compliance—particularly in office settings not considered dangerous environments. “It’s not a construction site, but you still must consider OHS from a compliance perspective, particularly since Bill 168 made workplace violence and harassment part of the OHS regime. There are a lot of training obligations that go along with that and policy requirements that must be implemented.”

“While in-counsel often bring more of a transactional or corporate mindset, when you crossover into dealing with HR issues, these are fundamentally people issues,” says Beeho. “General Counsel and HR need to have an appreciation for each other’s mandates.” ❚ Duff McCutcheon is a communications specialist with the Human Resources Professionals Association.

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The 2016 In-House Counsel Compensation & Career Survey:

Find Out Your Worth Sondage 2016 sur la rémunération et la carrière des conseillers juridiques d’entreprises : trouvez votre valeur sur le marché

HOURS BASE SALARY

WAGE PARITY

INCENTIVES

BENEFITS GROWTH

The results are in for the 2016 In-House Counsel Compensation & Career Survey!

The survey, conducted by Bramm Research and developed jointly by the CCCA and The Counsel Network, is now in its fourth edition. It provides key information on salary and industry trends, benefits and job satisfaction of in-house counsel in Canada.

Here are some of the highlights.

Les résultats du Sondage baromètre des conseillers juridiques d’entreprises 2016 sont arrivés! Le sondage, mené par Bramm Research et développé conjointement par l’ACCJE et The Counsel Network, est maintenant dans sa quatrième édition. Il fournit des informations-clés sur les salaires et les tendances de l’industrie, les avantages sociaux et la satisfaction des conseillers juridiques d’entreprises à l’égard de leur emploi.

Les faits saillants incluent les suivants.

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utilities

media/gaming/entertainment

IT

Les compagnies cotées en bourse et les compagnies privées offrent en moyenne de meilleurs salaires que les gouvernements et les sociétés d’État (142 000 $). Quatre secteurs ont les salaires de base les plus élevés : ressources/secteur minier/foresterie (207 000 $); immobilier (185 000 $); secteur pétrolier et gazier (181 000 $); et commerce de détail et l’hébergement (178 000 $). Les augmentations les plus substantielles dans les salaires de base de 2012 à 2016 sont survenues dans les domaines suivants : ressources/secteur minier/ foresterie (36 000 $ de plus), commerce de détail et l’hébergement (35 000 $ de plus) et immobilier (26 000 $ de plus). Les baisses les plus substantielles sont survenues dans les domaines suivants : technologies de l’information (20 000 $ de moins), médias/ jeux/divertissement (9 000 $ de moins) et services publics (4 000 $ de moins).

$155,000 (2012)

real estate

In terms of sectors, the results indicate publicly-quoted and privately-owned companies pay higher on average than government or Crown corporations ($142,000). In terms of industries, four sectors have the highest average base salaries: resources/mining/ forestry ($207,000), real estate ($185,000), oil and gas ($181,000), and retail/hospitality ($178,000). The most dramatic gains in annual base salaries from 2012 to 2016 were in resources/mining/forestry (up $36,000), retail/hospitality (up $35,000) and real estate (up $26,000). In contrast, the most substantial downward shifts in annual base salaries were in the sectors of IT (down $20,000), media/gaming/entertainment (down $9,000) and utilities (down $4,000).

$165,000 (2016)

retail/hospitality

Le salaire de base pour les conseillers juridiques d’entreprises est de 165 000 $, en hausse par rapport aux 155 000 $ de 2012 (lorsque les derniers résultats ont été publiés). Les conseillers juridiques d’entreprises en Alberta et en Ontario continuent d’être payés au-dessus de la moyenne nationale, mais l’écart diminue. Ceux du Québec, de la Colombie-Britannique, du Centre du Canada et de l’Atlantique restent en dessous de la moyenne nationale, mais l’écart diminue également.

resources/mining/forestry

The average base salary for in-house counsel is $165,000, up from $155,000 in 2012, when the last survey was released. However, across the country, the salary variations from the national average are reduced. In-house counsel in Alberta and Ontario continue to be paid above the national average, but the amount of this premium has dropped. In contrast, those in Quebec, British Columbia, Central Canada and Atlantic Canada, continue to be paid less than the national average, but the size of the shortfall has been reduced. In addition, more respondents report no or smaller salary increases in the past year than in 2012.

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99 % 96 % 61%

Pension and retirement plans (government)

For overall compensation (incentive programs, bonuses and benefits), amounts vary by organization type; however, publiclyquoted and privately-owned companies generally offer the greatest amount in terms of incentives. The public sector is most likely to offer pension and retirement plans (99% of government and 96% of Crown corporations), while publicly-quoted and privatelyowned companies are more likely to be involved in an RRSP contribution matching program (61%).

Pension and retirement plans (Crown corp.)

RRSP matching (private)

“The results indicate that female in-house counsel are earning 15% less than their male counterparts, essentially the same as in 2012.”

In all sectors, except government where females have wage parity, men earn a higher salary than women. This wage gap cannot be fully explained by “men have been in the workforce longer,” as men have fewer average years as both Legal Counsel and Senior Counsel but still earn a higher base salary. For in-house counsel, the gender wage gap is real and it is not shrinking. The CCCA is highly concerned about this finding and is looking into ways to address this imbalance.

« Les résultats indiquent que les femmes gagnent en moyenne 15 % de moins que les hommes, essentiellement la même proportion qu’en 2012. » La situation s’étend à tous les secteurs sauf au gouvernement. Cette différence ne peut s’expliquer entièrement par le fait que « les hommes sont actifs sur le marché du travail depuis plus longtemps », puisque des hommes avec moins d’expérience dans des postes de conseiller juridique ou d’avocat général gagnent toujours un salaire plus élevé. L’ACCJE est très préoccupée par cette conclusion et examine des moyens de régler le déséquilibre.

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Les montants varient selon le type d’organisation en ce qui concerne l’ensemble de la compensation (incluant les programmes incitatifs, bonus et bénéfices). Par contre, les compagnies privées ou celles cotées en bourse offrent généralement des avantages les plus élevés. Le secteur public est le plus susceptible de prévoir des pensions et régimes de retraite pour ses employés (entre 96 et 99 %), tandis que les compagnies cotées en bourse ou privées ont davantage tendance à miser sur un programme de cotisations égales au RÉER (61 %).

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47.8

The reported number of hours in an average work week is 47.8 hours, with more senior positions working longer hours. Government, Crown corporation and not-for-profit in-house counsel have shorter average work weeks than those in publicly-quoted and privately-owned companies. In terms of major urban centres, those in Ottawa (50.4), Toronto (48.9) and Montreal (48.2) work somewhat longer hours than those in Calgary (47.2) and Vancouver (46.9).

Ottawa Toronto Montreal Calgary Vancouver

hours average

Le nombre moyen d’heures travaillées par semaine est de 47,8. Les semaines peuvent être plus courtes dans les secteurs sans but lucratif ainsi que du gouvernement et des sociétés d’État. Dans les grands marchés urbains, les semaines de travail ont tendance à être plus longues à Ottawa (50,4), Toronto (48,9) et Montréal (48,2), suivi par Calgary (47,2) et Vancouver (46,9).

Most in-house counsel report increases in the size of their legal departments. However, there is some decline in the percentage saying they are “very optimistic” about the future of their organization’s legal department and their professional future with the organization. Several segments are leading this decline, including those working for government, and those residing in Alberta and Quebec.

La plupart des conseillers juridiques d’entreprises font état d’une augmentation de la taille de leur département. Par contre, la proportion de ceux qui se disent très optimistes par rapport à l’avenir de leur département juridique ou le leur au sein de leur organisation est moins élevée qu’auparavant. Les juristes qui travaillent au gouvernement ou qui résident en Alberta et au Québec mènent la tendance.

You can find the full survey results on the CCCA’s website.

Vous pouvez trouver l’ensemble des résultats du sondage sur le site web de l’ACCJE.

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How to Use the Survey Results

Comment utiliser les résultats du sondage

You can use these results to evaluate your current or potential compensation package, as well as in your recruitment activities. You will need to narrow the results to fit your location and industry; consider the overall compensation package—not just the base salary; and factor in your employment history, age and tenure.

Utilisez ces résultats pour évaluer votre niveau de compensation actuel et potentiel, ou lors de vos activités de recrutement. Assurezvous de les examiner en lien avec votre lieu de travail et votre industrie, et tenant compte de l’ensemble de la rémunération, et non seulement du salaire de base, en fonction de votre expérience, votre âge ou votre position.

Step / Étape 1 Find the average base salary in your region / Trouvez le salaire de base moyen dans votre région.

Atlantic Canada

Quebec

Counsel*

Counsel*

General Counsel**

Ontario General Counsel**

Central Canada

Counsel

General Counsel

Counsel*

General Counsel**

Legal

Senior

Director Level***

Executive Level****

Legal

Senior

Average base salary

$126,000

$166,000

$126,000

$181,000

$118,000

$160,000

$209,000

$215,000

$128,000

$176,000

Actual bonus/ incentive

13%

24%

24%

31%

19%

28%

30%

43%

13%

34%

Alberta

British Columbia

Counsel

General Counsel

Counsel

General Counsel

Legal

Senior

Director Level***

Executive Level****

Legal

Senior

Director Level***

Executive Level****

Average base salary

$141,000

$167,500

$204,000

$242,000

$121,000

$140,000

$179,000

$270,000

Actual bonus/ incentive

16%

22%

24%

60%

13%

38%

31%

49%

* Includes Legal and Senior Counsel ** Includes EVP Legal, VP Legal, General Counsel and Director of Legal/Legal Manager *** Includes General Counsel and Director of Legal/Legal Manager **** Includes EVP Legal and VP Legal

Step / Étape 2 Factor in the benefits package. (For average benefits packages offered by sector and title, refer to the full results.)

Tenez compte de l’ensemble des avantages sociaux. (Pour les avantages offerts par secteurs ou par position, consultez les résultats complets.)

Insurance & Retirement Benefits

Atlantic Canada

Quebec

Ontario

Central Canada

Alberta

British Columbia

Dental coverage

97%

93%

96%

99%

97%

98%

Extended medical coverage

66%

84%

86%

93%

93%

97%

Pension/retirement plan

86%

86%

82%

95%

79%

74%

Provincial health care coverage

86%

75%

74%

75%

74%

86% 70%

Employee assistance program

83%

80%

73%

77%

82%

Additional health spending account

49%

67%

53%

80%

77%

51%

Medical/dental coverage beyond retirement

23%

22%

19%

19%

13%

17% 86%

Short-term disability

77%

91%

88%

90%

94%

Long-term disability

89%

93%

91%

100%

95%

95%

Life insurance

86%

96%

88%

96%

90%

90%

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Fringe Benefits Educational credits/tuition reimbursement

40%

49%

48%

59%

39%

47%

Employee referral program

29%

53%

39%

36%

47%

35%

Parking allowance

31%

31%

18%

40%

44%

36%

Moving expenses

23%

31%

12%

29%

21%

19%

Executive health plan

17%

31%

17%

10%

12%

14%

Car allowance

14%

29%

18%

18%

10%

16%

Subsidized meals

11%

15%

13%

7%

4%

11%

Subsidized childcare

6%

6%

1%

0%

3%

2%

Paid Time Off Personal days

40%

51%

59%

59%

42%

40%

Flex days

29%

27%

33%

49%

59%

31%

Top-up for maternity leave

29%

38%

35%

34%

30%

41%

Extended parental leave

20%

33%

24%

30%

18%

32%

Elder care leave

11%

7%

12%

18%

10%

9%

Sabbatical

9%

7%

5%

8%

5%

12%

Step / Étape 3 Consider the average base salary in your industry. (For averages for top-sector employers in certain regions, refer to the full results.)

Considérez le salaire de base moyen dans votre industrie. (Consultez les résultats complets pour les employeurs au sommet de l’échelle par secteur et par région.)

Average Base Salary Financial/Insurance

$150,000

Oil & Gas

$181,000

Government/Crown Corporation

$142,000

Retail/Hospitality

$178,000

Manufacturing/Automotive/Aerospace

$176,000

Pharmaceutical/Medical

$151,000

Real Estate

$185,000

Utility

$150,000

Resources/Mining/Forestry

$207,000

Media/Gaming/Entertainment

$150,000

Construction

$172,000

IT

$164,000

Step / Étape 4 Adjust based on your employment history, age and tenure.

Ajustez en fonction de votre expérience, votre âge et votre position.

■■

■■

■■

The higher the number of years in private practice, the higher the salary as in-house counsel.

The older the in-house counsel, the higher the salary. This is to be expected as experience increases with age.

The more years the in-house counsel spends with their employer, the higher the salary. ❚

■■

■■

■■

Plus le nombre d’années de pratique privée est élevé, plus le salaire est élevé.

Plus les juristes d’entreprise sont âgé(e)s, plus leur salaire est élevé.

Ce n’est pas étonnant, car l’expérience augmente avec l’âge.

Plus les juristes d’entreprise restent fidèles à un employeur, plus son salaire est élevé. ❚

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m d e n n o t c  s e S open In-House Doors



By Jim Middlemiss

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When Nicholas Cerminaro took a secondment at Bombardier Inc. in 2008 from his job as a

C

Commercial Litigation Associate at Norton

erminaro had been an associAnd it’s not just lawyers early ate for about 18 months when Rose Fulbright, little did he know that it in their career who are benefitting. the opportunity to join Bom- was going to be a career-changing move—as Take Swapna Chandra, Senior Lebardier arose to fill a maternity gal Counsel in the Enforcement is often the case for secondments. leave around the same time the fiBranch at the Ontario Securities nancial crisis hit, and he jumped at Commission (OSC). it. He calls it “a career defining moment for me.” He got exposed Chandra, a 10-year lawyer, was seconded from the Enforceto securities and M&A, an area of law that he did not have a lot of ment Branch to the Corporate Finance Branch in a non-litigation involvement in as a litigator, and he discovered it was something role for eight months. “It was a chance for me to get a little unhe really enjoyed. “My personality and the way I like to work were comfortable,” says Chandra, who until then had spent most of better suited to the type of practice we do in corporate law, rather her career litigating. than litigation.”

“I got to do real corporate securities law,” she says, which inWhen he returned to his law firm, he joined the securities cluded everything from reviewing prospectuses to dealing with law group. Fast forward to 2015, and today Cerminaro is Direcissues around continuous disclosure. “It was really quite differtor of Legal Services at Bombardier, a job he took in May of last ent work than I had been used to doing as Litigation Counsel year after eight years of working at his former law firm, where in the Enforcement Branch. I learned a tremendous amount.”

Bombardier was one of his clients. That secondment, he notes, Following the secondment, Chandra returned to the En“had a pretty big impact on my career.” forcement Branch in a more senior role, where she now focuses Cerminaro is not alone in benefitting from a secondment. on litigating issues arising from corporate finance.

More and more corporate law departments are using secondIt’s not clear how many legal departments avail themselves of ments as a recruiting and staff development tool, and a way to secondments, but lawyers say the number is growing. General develop deeper relations with law firms and other departments Counsel who decline to use secondments as a tool to improve within their organization. their department are missing opportunities.

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{ Feature } It makes you jump a grade.

It made me more conscious of how my legal service was going to be used.

 Nicholas Cerminaro, Director of Legal Services, Bombardier

Lawyers identify four key benefits to in-house departments that use secondments: ●● Faster knowledge transfer ●● Greater staff retention and training ●● The ability to fill staffing holes during peak periods ●● A better understanding of the role and abilities of the corporate law department within the organization

Knowledge Transfer

In terms of knowledge transfer, “I think it is a very good thing for companies,” says Diego Pereira, Legal Counsel at TELUS Communications Company, who completed two secondments while in private practice at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt. One was with a Canadian bank and the other was at TELUS. “They were very good experiences because I got to learn a lot about how banks worked and how TELUS worked as well.”

Lawyers from external firms who take on a secondment at their clients’ organizations say it makes them more informed and efficient when they go back to their firms and work on client files. “It’s kind of like having a crash course in clients’ needs,” says Bombardier’s Cerminaro. “It makes you jump a grade. It made me more conscious of how my legal service was going to be used.”

External lawyers are exposed to how a company operates, what is important to that company, and how external legal advice fits into the bigger picture. This is the company’s “secret sauce,” which lawyers in private practice seldom see.

A secondment, Cerminaro says, accelerates learning and “makes you a more effective lawyer. You’re getting somebody who knows more about your business.” Without that exposure, he says, “it takes a long time to get that down.”

Pereira adds that external lawyers need to have a good understanding of their clients and their clients’ business. “Secondments are an excellent opportunity for that. You get a much better understanding of policies and risk tolerance.”

That has payback when it comes to efficiencies with external legal providers.

He adds that a secondment “jump starts” external lawyers’ knowledge of their clients. It can take “many, many years to acquire the same internal law knowledge of a company if you are working for it externally.”

By the same token, an internal secondment, where a lawyer transfers to a different legal role in the organization for a short

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term, provides similar advantages. Take Jonathan Cullen, Vice President of Legal Affairs and General Counsel at Pfizer Canada Inc. His company has a formal secondment program for the legal division called “Propel.” He describes it as a flexible program that can cover a part-time opportunity or include a larger full-time role. It also crosses geography.

In Cullen’s case, he joined Pfizer’s global trademarks operations, which work out of the New York head office. It was a “virtual position,” where he split his time overseeing aspects of the Canadian business while focusing on the global trademark portfolio covering South America, Europe and Australia.

It was also an opportunity for him to learn more about aspects of M&A, since Canada is not a market that sees a lot of that type of activity among the various pharma companies in the country.

As a Pfizer lawyer, he uses the services of the global trademark division. The experience, he says, allowed him to see how that team functions, and how they manage their priorities and requests for help. He called it his “aha” moment—“Suddenly I realized I was not the only one asking for their help.”

He took that learning experience back with him and incorporated it into his routine. “I became a much better internal client for them.”

Improved Staff Retention

In-house lawyers say one of the big challenges in corporate law departments is providing staff with a variety of work and opportunities to grow. A secondment program is one way to do that.

According to OSC’s Chandra, “It’s a wonderful way to let really good people experience different things they may be interested in without losing people.”

Pfizer’s Cullen adds, “This kind of program is just one more tool in the manager’s toolkit to develop team members.”

He says the goal of a corporate law department should be to develop and nurture their talent and bring people along, and continuing education and training programs, while important, only go so far. “You want to provide colleagues with development opportunities beyond what they are normally able to come up with on their own.” Secondments, he says, present inhouse legal managers an opportunity to “put our money where our mouth is.”

It’s a wonderful way to let really good people experience different things they may be interested in without losing people.

 Swapna Chandra, Senior Legal Counsel, Enforcement Branch, Ontario Securities Commission

{ Feature } Filling Legal Holes during Peak Periods

Secondments can also be a good way to manage the peaks and valleys of workflow. For instance, tapping an external law firm and using a secondment is good for backfilling a maternity leave. As well, if a restructuring or M&A project arises, or if a piece of litigation starts to gain prominence, secondments can help General Counsel better manage and utilize resources.

For example, Nicholas Dobbek, a lawyer at the securities law boutique Wildeboer Dellelce LLP, worked on a secondment for the firm’s client Aequitas Innovations Inc., when it was readying to enter the market as an alternative trading provider and stock exchange.

He joined for about a year at a time when Aequitas was working on obtaining its recognition order from securities regulators allowing it to operate, which he says can be a “long road” for a company to travel. In addition, as a start-up, Aequitas was dealing with a slew of commercial matters that had to be dealt with.

“It was interesting being on the other side,” Dobbek says. He got to see how the company made business decisions and managed its risk, something that external counsel are not privy to— but can learn a lot from. “We don’t see all the business negotiations that go on. It was a window into that whole other world.”

However, Pfizer’s Cullen points out that it can be difficult for corporate law departments to hire for short-term projects and it doesn’t always make sense, as the amount of time a lawyer has to spend getting up to speed and learning how to navigate the organization can outstrip the time of the project. If you can second someone internally or from the outside who already knows the business and subject matter, “the expectation is you already paid for all of that. It’s up to [the secondee] to deliver.”

Extending Tentacles

Secondments are also a chance for the legal department to showcase its talent and the contribution that its lawyers bring to the company. Take Cullen’s ex-

perience with Pfizer. Not only did he become a better internal client for the global trademark operations, but they also learned about his department’s capabilities.

Cullen says it’s also incumbent on the managers of in-house legal talent to provide opportunities for members of their team.

By encouraging top legal talent to spread their wings and take opportunities to learn the business by crossing over to other departments it provides managers and employees in those departments with “exposure” to the legal department’s top talent.

It can take many, many years to acquire the same internal law knowledge of a company if you are working for it externally.

 Diego Pereira, Legal Counsel, TELUS Communications Company

He adds that secondments are also great for networking, something with which many young lawyers are uncomfortable.

However, he says, networking is “critical” to career development. His secondments have helped him build his trusted network of professionals both inside and outside the organization.

Under his firm’s secondment program, he says, if a lawyer wants to “spend six months working in a business unit not acting as a lawyer to learn more about the business, Pfizer is absolutely open to that, but it has to make business sense.” He adds, “There are no limits to what an organization can set up as a development opportunity.”

Secondments, explains OSC’s Chandra, are a “win-win if you find a way to do it right.” ❚ Jim Middlemiss is a writer based in London, Ontario.

Management Support Critical for Secondment Success On paper, the notion of seconding a lawyer from the legal department to another division of the company looks simple. However, the reality is that there are plenty of pitfalls and hidden hurdles, which can sour the experience if they are not well managed.

Success, say those who have experience with secondments, hinges on management’s willingness to bend and think outside the box, and the energy and effort of the lawyer undertaking the secondment.

One of the first problems, notes Jonathan Cullen, Vice President of Legal Affairs and General Counsel at Pfizer Canada Inc., is that

someone has to take on your work while you are gone or there has to be some type of accommodation. The lawyer can’t be expected to do two full-time jobs at the same time.

Then again, lawyers taking on secondments shouldn’t expect the workload to lighten either. Chances are there will be some file project overlap at the front and back end of the secondment, so time management is an essential skill.

A second critical factor is support from above.

Swapna Chandra, Senior Legal Counsel in the Enforcement Branch at the Ontario Securities Commission, credits her successful second-

ment to support from management. “I had a lot of support and mentorship.”

While some lawyers might be concerned about the impact on their career from being out of the loop while on secondment, don’t worry— it’s not an issue. “Face time to me is a red herring,” says Nicholas Cerminaro, Director of Legal Services at Bombardier. “There are ways to stay in the loop while you are away.”

Third, in-house counsel will only get out of a secondment what they put into it, and don’t expect it to be easy. Chandra likens the experience to “being the new kid on the block. You have to go ready to learn.”

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Quand les détachements ouvrent des portes

L

orsque Nicholas Cerminaro a obtenu un détachement temporaire chez Bombardier Inc. en 2008 dans le cadre de son travail en litige commercial chez Norton Rose Fulbright, il ne se doutait pas que ça changerait sa carrière, comme c’est souvent le cas pour de telles expériences.

Me Cerminaro était qu’avocat junior en litige depuis environ 18 mois lorsque l’opportunité de joindre Bombardier s’est présentée pour remplacer un congé de maternité. Il a sauté sur l’occasion, qu’il qualifie de « moment déterminant pour ma carrière ». Il a été exposé aux valeurs mobilières, aux fusions et acquisitions, un domaine du droit dans lequel il n’avait pas été impliqué en tant qu’avocat de litige, et il a découvert un secteur qui lui plaisait réellement. « Ma personnalité et la manière dont j’aime travailler étaient plus adaptées au type de pratique que l’on fait en droit corporatif, plutôt qu’en litige. » Lorsqu’il est retourné à son cabinet, il s’est joint au groupe des valeurs mobilières.

De plus en plus de départements de droit corporatif utilisent ce type de détachements comme outil de recrutement et de développement de personnel, et comme manière de développer des relations plus étroites avec des cabinets juridiques ou d’autres départements au sein de leur organisation.

Les juristes identifient quatre bénéfices-clés pour les départements qui ont recours à cette démarche : ●● Des transferts de connaissances plus rapides ●● Une rétention de personnel accrue et des formations améliorées ●● La capacité de combler des manques de personnel pendant des périodes achalandées ●● Une meilleure compréhension du rôle et des habilités du département juridique au sein de l’organisation.

qui connaît mieux votre entreprise ». Sans cette expérience, dit-il, « ça prend plus de temps pour y arriver ».

De la même manière, un détachement à l’interne, lorsqu’un juriste est transféré à court terme dans un rôle différent au sein d’une même organisation, offre des avantages similaires. Prenez Jonathan Cullen, vice-président aux affaires juridiques et avocat général chez Pfizer Canada Inc. Sa compagnie a son propre programme de détachement au sein de sa division juridique. Il le décrit comme un programme flexible, qui peut inclure des opportunités à temps partiel ou des rôles plus larges à temps plein.

Dans le cas de Me Cullen, il s’est joint aux opérations de marque de commerce de Pfizer, qui agissent au sein du siège social de New York. C’était une « position virtuelle », où il a partagé son temps entre la supervision de certains aspects de la pratique canadienne et sur le portefeuille de marques de commerce mondiales, dont en Amérique du Sud, en Europe et en Australie.

C’était aussi une opportunité pour lui d’apprendre davantage sur les fusions et acquisitions, puisque le Canada n’est pas un marché qui voit beaucoup de ce type d’activités parmi les entreprises pharmaceutiques.

En tant qu’avocat chez Pfizer, il a recours aux services de la division mondiale des marques de commerce. L’expérience, dit-il, lui a permis de voir comment cette équipe fonctionne, et comment elle gère ses priorités et demandes d’assistance. Il l’appelle son moment « Ah ha! » – « soudainement je me suis aperçu que je n’étais pas le seul à demander leur aide », dit-il. « Je suis devenu un bien meilleur client interne pour eux. »

Transfert de connaissances

Les conseillers juridiques internes disent que l’un des grands défis au sein des départements de droit corporatif est de fournir au personnel des tâches variées et des possibilités d’avancement. Un programme de détachement est une manière d’y parvenir.

Selon Swapna Chandra, avocate générale senior au sein de la branche de l’application de la loi à la Commission des valeurs mobilières de l’Ontario (CVMO), « c’est un moyen merveilleux de permettre à de bons employés d’expérimenter différentes choses sans les perdre ».

Me Cullen ajoute : « Ce genre de programme est un outil de plus dans le coffre du gestionnaire afin de contribuer au développement des membres de son équipe ».

Il note que le but d’un département de droit corporatif est de développer et faire croître le talent qui se trouve à l’interne, et d’en recruter davantage. Or, les programmes de formation ont leurs limites. « Vous voulez fournir à vos collègues des opportunités de développement qui dépassent les niveaux qu’il pourraient atteindre par eux-mêmes. »

« C’est une très bonne chose pour les compagnies » au niveau du transfert de connaissances, estime Diego Pereira, avocat-conseil chez TELUS Communications. Il a lui-même fait deux détachements alors qu’il était en pratique privée chez Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt.

L’un d’eux était avec une banque canadienne et l’autre, avec TELUS. « C’étaient de très bonnes expériences parce que j’ai appris beaucoup sur la manière dont les banques et TELUS fonctionnent », dit-il.

Les avocats de firmes externes qui acceptent un détachement chez leur client expliquent que ça leur permet d’être mieux informés et efficaces lorsqu’ils retournent dans leur cabinet et travaillent sur les dossiers de ce même client. Ils sont exposés à la manière dont la compagnie fonctionne, ce qui est important pour l’entreprise, et à la manière dont les conseillers externes s’inscrivent dans le portrait d’ensemble.

Un détachement, souligne Me Cerminaro, accélère l’apprentissage « et vous rend un avocat plus efficace. Vous obtenez une personne

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{ Article de fond }

Combler des manques de personnel pendant des périodes plus occupées

risques, une chose à laquelle les conseillers externes ne sont pas toujours confrontés. « Nous ne voyons pas toutes les négociations d’affaires qui ont lieu. C’était une fenêtre sur cet autre monde. »

Les détachements peuvent aussi être un bon moyen de gérer les hauts et les bas dans l’achalandage entre différentes périodes de travail. Par exemple, d’avoir recours aux ressources d’une firme externe ou d’un détachement est un bon moyen d’obtenir des renforts durant un congé de maternité. De même, si un projet de restructuration ou de fusion et acquisition se présente, ou qu’un litige commence à prendre de l’importance, ils peuvent aider l’avocat général à mieux gérer et utiliser ses ressources.

Par exemple, Nicholas Dobbek, un avocat au cabinet spécialisé en valeurs mobilières Wildeboer Dellelce LLP, a ainsi œuvré auprès du client de sa firme Aequitas Innovations Inc., lorsqu’elle se préparait à entrer sur le marché comme bourse alternative. « C’était intéressant d’être de l’autre côté », dit Me Dobbek. Il a pu voir comment la compagnie prenait des décisions et gérait les

Étendre ses tentacules Les détachements sont enfin une opportunité pour les départements juridiques de montrer leur talent et la contribution qu’apportent ses avocats à la compagnie.

Me Cullen précise que les détachements sont aussi très bons pour le réseautage, une dimension avec laquelle plusieurs jeunes juristes sont moins confortables. Pourtant, le réseautage est « essentiel » pour leur développement. Ses propres détachements lui ont permis de se bâtir un réseau de confiance auprès de professionnels tant à l’interne qu’à l’extérieur de l’organisation.

Les détachements, conclut Me Chandra de la CVMO, sont une expérience « gagnante sur toute la ligne si vous trouvez le moyen de le faire correctement ». ❚

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{ Article de fond }

Le soutien des gestionnaires est crucial pour le succès d’un détachement Sur papier, la notion de permettre à un avocat du département juridique de transférer vers une autre division de la compagnie peut paraître simple. Mais en réalité, elle pose plusieurs défis.

Le succès, estiment ceux qui ont l’expérience de telles opérations, repose sur la volonté des gestionnaires d’être prêts à penser et agir de manière innovante, et sur l’énergie et les efforts que déploient ceux qui entreprennent la démarche.

Jonathan Cullen de Pfizer Canada note que quelqu’un doit se charger de vos responsabilités pendant votre absence. L’avocat ne peut être requis d’occuper deux emplois à temps plein en même temps – sans pour autant diminuer sa charge de travail.

Un autre facteur déterminant est le soutien qui vient d’en haut. Swapna Chandra de la CVMO donne le crédit du succès qu’elle a connu dans son propre détachement au soutien qu’elle a obtenu de la part de ses supérieurs.

Nicholas Cerminaro de Bombardier estime que les avocats ne devraient pas s’inquiéter de l’impact que pourrait avoir sur leur carrière du fait d’être à l’écart de leur département pendant une longue période. « Il y a des moyens de rester dans le coup pendant votre absence », dit-il.

Et finalement, les conseillers juridiques internes ne retireront de leur détachement que ce qu’ils y investissent – et ne vous attendez pas à ce que ce soit facile. « Vous devez être prêt à apprendre », prévient Me Chandra.

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By Julie So bowale

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Denis Lavoie loves his job. He doesn’t have the typical in-house counsel position. If Lavoie isn’t talking about procurement, he’s learning more about the IT department or chatting with professionals in HR about employee engagement.

“I have the best of both worlds,” says Lavoie, Director of Enterprise Risk Management, Insurance and Claims at VIA Rail Canada Inc. “I have one foot in the legal world and another foot in the business world. I’m in charge of all the litigation but I’m also involved in operations and enterprise risk. And when I talk about risk, it’s not just safety but infrastructure, equipment, employee relations, IT, etc.”

Lavoie represents the growing number of in-house lawyers who are taking a new route in their legal career. Lawyers can be a natural fit in senior executive roles in organizations. With the right set of skills and expertise, the next major step in your career could be out of the law office and into the C-suite.

Why Move For lawyers to be business leaders, one of the first steps is to move out of traditional legal practice. In-house lawyers have the added value of working within organizations, which exposes them to the business world. Lavoie spent five years in Montreal at McCarthy Tétrault working in M&A before seeking out a new direction in his career.

“I knew I wanted to work more as a business advisor than a pure lawyer,” says Lavoie. “I had a chance in 2004 to work for six months for VIA Rail. I worked on building a governance structure. I had a very good time there. I was on assignment and—10 years later—I never left.”

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Becoming a trusted advisor involves more than providing legal advice. Working in an executive role gives lawyers the opportunity to expand their influence in the organization. Lavoie’s work involves coordinating with different departments and coordinating legal efforts.

“Here at VIA, my role was to ensure compliance with the law and make contracts enforceable,” says Lavoie. “As a pure lawyer, I can continue to do that but that’s not creating good relationships. I need to reach out to others and have a circle of friends.

I want to do more than find the legal solution. When you get a Plan B, they come to you and you’re a business advisor. If you do this, they will knock on your door not because you’re a lawyer but to find a solution. As lawyers, we need to go to them first.”

One of the key advantages of moving into the C-suite is getting the opportunity to expand into new leadership roles and become more involved in the organization.

“One thing is you need to be curious,” says Lavoie. “As a lawyer, if you want to be involved in procurement, finance or HR, you need to be curious. You need to understand what they do.

There’s a science to HR and marketing. Understand what they do and ask them to explain what they are doing. When you take the time with people, they’re happy to go through it with you.”

Going against the curve in your legal career can also lead you down an interesting path. Karen Dyck’s distinctive legal career began with an all-too-familiar story. Dyck was a young lawyer in Manitoba, working as a family litigator for five years and dissatisfied with her career.

“It was the early 1990s and the jobs were scarce,” says Dyck, Executive Director for the Legal Help Centre. “In the early years, it was difficult financially and I had little mentoring, so it was challenging. In my fifth year, I was looking for a way to escape.”

Dyck found a new path with the Community Legal Education Association. A one-year contract with the organization gave Dyck the opportunity to work in public legal education and access to justice. Her experience led her to the Law Society of Manitoba, where she worked in professional development.

Later, her experience led her to co-found the Legal Help Centre of Winnipeg to help disadvantaged groups gain access to legal information.

“Lawyers have the analytical ability and are problem solving in every possible scenario,” says Dyck. “In a business management system, we have situations where we can contemplate outcomes. It’s the same kind of work you would have as a practicing lawyer. We have the basic skills on how you look at different situations and figure out what are we going to do.”

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Dyck’s diverse jobs, from being a freelance lawyer to Competence Counsel for the Law Society of Manitoba, has given her a rich and engaging career. Her current position as Executive Director is a culmination of her past jobs: she manages teams, acts as spokesperson for the organization and handles financial operations.

“I like the variety for one thing,” says Dyck. “I love that I don’t know each day what it will bring. The HR work, communications and finance are interesting to me. I love the people and the board, and working with the students and the staff. I like the company. It’s inspiring.”

Making the Move Gaining that next promotion, particularly into an executive role, takes more than doing a good job. The first step is to look for opportunities within your organization.

Dyck was never shy about looking for new positions in the organization. Her persistence led her to becoming the first Director for Admissions and Development for the Law Society of Manitoba.

“Start looking for opportunities from where you are,” says Dyck. “Every year I asked the CEO, ‘What else can I do? What opportunities remain for me?’ I asked regularly. Sometimes it worked out; sometimes it didn’t. Take on more responsibility.”

Lawyers need to complement their legal training with business skills. Education can help fill in the gap. The CCCA’s Business Leadership Program for In-House Counsel is a unique program where in-house counsel learn about finance, HR and other business management skills. Founded in 2014, the program is offered through the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management.

“I wanted to gain more knowledge and insight into the business executive roles,” says Susan Marsh, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for Morneau Shepell, and a recent graduate of the program. “We always need to have the next goal in mind, and I knew I wanted to move into a more senior role at the executive level. I also wanted to network with other inhouse lawyers.”

Marsh was part of a group of 25 students learning about financial statements, HR management and organizational design through online and intensive in-person modules. The program attracts students from across Canada from corporate, not-forprofit and government organizations.

{ Feature }

“The number one lesson is to think broadly about my company and shareholder value,” says Marsh. “You have to look at risk and not just legal issues but business risk. This definitely rang true. We need to think about issues in terms of legal and business strategy. This really helped to further my career.”

The program paid off for Marsh. She was promoted to General Counsel and Corporate Secretary in November 2015, shortly after graduating.

“The other thing I learned was managing a legal department,” says Marsh. “I learned how to manage a team, and collaborate with a team and a board. It’s a very new and real experience. This program really helped with that transition.”

Dave Suchon, one of Marsh’s classmates, also experienced a positive effect in his career. Suchon was promoted to Novo Nordisk’s executive team as Director, Legal, Business Ethics and Quality, in October 2015. He says his education helped him to contribute more to senior-level decisions.

“We learned about organizational dynamics and some of the formal theory behind organizations,” says Suchon. “That was very important. Last week as part of the executive team, we began our annual organizational review, and I was in a better place to understand and add value to the conversation. I’m also better positioned to conceptualize the different approaches our competitors are taking.”

One of the major skills that lawyers need to learn is financials. Law school education typically doesn’t cover accounting and finance, and can make the transition into business management difficult.

“The module in breaking down financial statements was very useful for someone like me with little formal training in this area,” says Suchon. “It was great to go into detail and learn what to look for. This gave me more confidence in the boardroom and credibility, to be able to speak more fluently about the financial aspects of the business. Getting an overview of the basics of business tailored to the in-house lawyer really accelerates the learning process.”

Moving In Once you’ve made your move to senior management, change can come very quickly. Frédéric Pérodeau found his transition to be not so simple. After 12 years of private practice in litigation, Pérodeau began working as Senior Director of Investigations at the Autorité des marchés financiers.

“You have to accept that you’re not an expert in everything and that other people do things differently. You have to change your mindset,” says Pérodeau. “For the transition, you need to know yourself well. You need to build on your strengths, know your weaknesses and find your own leadership style. You can’t build on someone else. You need to be more and more involved on the business side, and master other skills. Know risk management, public relations, finance, etc. You need to have a holistic view of your organization and industry.”

Moving into leadership roles requires more than legal expertise. Lawyers need to learn about their management style.

Pérodeau went from managing a small legal team to managing 85 team members, including forensic accountants, financial market specialists, lawyers, computer experts, criminologists, technicians and support staff.

“That was a challenge, managing much larger teams, because you manage people with different backgrounds, skills and expertise. Needs, concerns and expectations also are different. It’s a big challenge. It’s not enough to be a good lawyer to make the transition successful. There’s a science to managing people, and it is necessary for you to know how to empower people and how to make their work meaningful. It takes a lot of time, energy and effort, but it gives you confidence. I have the great privilege of working with highly skilled, talented and dedicated people.”

Taking the leap into the C-suite can be a bit frightening, but the transition can be a rewarding experience. As the business environment changes and legal departments become leaner, the executive role may be more enticing for lawyers. ❚ “If you would like to have management responsibility, start working on that early on,” says Pérodeau.

“You never know when opportunities will happen. Our business skills as lawyers are a work in progress. Start developing them early.” ❚

Julie Sobowale is a writer and journalist based in Halifax.

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Faire le saut vers la haute direction Denis Lavoie adore son travail. Il n’a pas la position typique d’un conseiller juridique interne.

Lorsqu’il ne parle pas d’approvisionnements, il en apprend davantage sur le département des technologies de l’information ou il jase avec des professionnels aux ressources humaines au sujet de la mobilisation des employés.

« J’ai le meilleur des deux mondes », lance le directeur de la gestion des risques d’entreprise, assurances et réclamations chez VIA Rail Canada. « J’ai un pied dans le monde juridique et l’autre dans le monde des affaires. Je suis responsable de tout le litige, mais je suis aussi impliqué dans les opérations et les risques pour l’entreprise. Et quand je parle de risques, ce n’est pas seulement la sécurité, mais c’est aussi les infrastructures, l’équipement, les relations avec les employés, les TI, etc. » Me Lavoie représente ce nombre croissant de conseillers juridiques internes qui empruntent de nouvelles avenues dans leur carrière. Les avocats peuvent représenter un choix naturel pour certains rôles de direction au sein d’une organisation. En développant les bons atouts et l’expertise requise, les prochaines étapes de votre parcours pourraient vous mener du département juridique jusqu’au niveau des cadres supérieurs.

Pourquoi changer Pour que des juristes deviennent des meneurs dans le secteur des affaires, l’une des premières étapes est de s’éloigner de la pratique traditionnelle. Les conseillers juridiques internes ont l’avantage de déjà travailler au sein d’organisations, ce qui peut les exposer d’emblée au monde des affaires. Me Lavoie a passé cinq ans chez McCarthy Tétrault à Montréal à œuvrer dans le domaine des fusions et acquisitions avant de chercher une nouvelle direction pour sa carrière. « Je savais que je voulais davantage travailler comme conseiller en affaires plutôt que comme un avocat au sens pur, dit-il. J’ai eu la chance en 2004 de travailler pendant six mois chez VIA Rail […] à bâtir une structure de gouvernance. C’était une belle expérience. J’étais en mission temporaire et – 10 ans plus tard – je ne suis jamais parti! » L’un des avantages-clés d’ainsi migrer vers des rôles de haute direction est d’avoir l’opportunité d’explorer de nouvelles responsabilités et d’être plus impliqué au sein de l’organisation. « En tant qu’avocat, si vous voulez être impliqué dans les approvisionnements, la finance ou les ressources humaines, vous devez être curieux », recommande Me Lavoie. « Vous devez comprendre ce

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qu’ils font. Les ressources humaines ou le marketing sont une science. […] Quand vous prenez ainsi du temps avec les gens, ils sont heureux de vous l’expliquer. » Sortir des sentiers battus peut aussi vous mener vers des avenues qui sortent de l’ordinaire. La carrière de Karen Dyck a commencé avec une histoire trop familière : elle était avocate au Manitoba, spécialisée en litige familial pendant cinq ans, mais elle était insatisfaite de son travail. « C’était le début des années 1990 et les emplois étaient rares », se souvient Me Dyck, aujourd’hui directrice générale du Centre d’aide juridique (Legal Help Centre).

L’avocate a trouvé une nouvelle voie auprès de la Community Legal Education Association. Un contrat d’un an avec l’organisation lui a donné l’opportunité de travailler dans les domaines de l’éducation juridique auprès du public et de l’accès à la justice. Cette expérience l’a ensuite menée au barreau du Manitoba, où elle a travaillé en développement professionnel. Elle a été enfin co-fondateur ducentre d’aide, qui donne accès à de l’information juridique aux plus démunis.

Sa position actuelle de directrice est un amalgame de toutes ces dernières fonctions : elle dirige une équipe, agit comme porte-parole de l’organisation et gère les opérations financières. « J’aime la variété, dit-elle. J’aime ne pas savoir ce que chaque jour va emmener. Le travail des ressources humaines, des communications et des finances est intéressant. J’aime les gens et le conseil, et travailler avec les étudiants et les employés. J’aime la compagnie. C’est inspirant. »

Faire le changement Obtenir cette prochaine promotion, en particulier dans des rôles de haute direction, nécessite plus que de simplement faire du bon boulot. La première étape est d’examiner les opportunités au sein de votre organisation.

Les avocats doivent aussi complémenter leur formation juridique avec des habiletés relatives au monde des affaires. L’éducation peut aider à remplir ce besoin. Le Programme de leadership en entreprise pour les juristes d’entreprise de l’ACCJE est un programme unique

{ ARTICLE DE FOND }

pour permettre aux conseillers juridiques internes d’obtenir une formation en matière de finance, de ressources humaines et d’autres compétences relatives à l’administration des affaires. Fondé en 2014, le programme est offert par l’école de gestion Rotman de l’Université de Toronto. « Je voulais acquérir de meilleures connaissances et une meilleure vision dans les rôles de direction des affaires », relate Susan Marsh, avocate générale et secrétaire corporative chez Morneau Sheppell, et une récente diplômée du programme. « Nous devons toujours avoir notre prochain objectif en tête, et je voulais atteindre des rôles plus élevés au niveau de la direction. Je voulais aussi réseauter avec d’autres conseillers juridiques. » Me Marsh faisait partie d’un groupe de 25 étudiants qui ont appris sur les états financiers, la gestion des ressources humaines et les structures organisationnelles lors de modules intensifs par internet et en personne. Le programme attire des gens de partout au Canada qui proviennent des secteurs privé, public et caritatif.

Le programme a porté ses fruits : peu après l’obtention de son diplôme, elle a été promue au poste d’avocate générale et secrétaire corporative, en novembre 2015. « J’ai appris comment gérer une équipe, et à collaborer avec une équipe et un conseil, dit-elle. Ce programme m’a vraiment aidé dans cette transition. » La carrière de Dave Suchon, l’un de ses collègues de classe, a aussi bénéficié de sa participation. Il a été promu dans le poste de directeur des affaires juridiques, de l’éthique des affaires et de la qualité chez Novo Nordisk en octobre 2015. Il juge que son éducation l’a aidé à contribuer davantage à la prise de décisions au niveau de la haute direction. « Nous avons appris au sujet de la dynamique des organisations et certaines des théories formelles qui sous-tendent ces organisations », explique le directeur. « C’était très important. La semaine dernière, en tant qu’équipe de direction, nous avons commencé notre revue annuelle de l’organisation, et j’étais dans une meilleure position pour comprendre et ajouter de la valeur à la conversation. Je suis dans une meilleure position pour conceptualiser les différentes approches qu’adoptent nos compétiteurs. »

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Nous avons commencé notre revue annuelle de l’organisation, DIT Me SUCHON, et j’étais dans une meilleure position pour comprendre et ajouter de la valeur à la conversation [grâce au programme de l’ACCJE]. »

S’installer Une fois la transition effectuée vers la haute direction, le changement peut survenir très rapidement. Frédéric Pérodeau a trouvé que sa transition n’était pas si simple. Après 12 ans en pratique privée, il a commencé à travailler comme directeur principal des enquêtes de l’Autorité des marchés financiers. « Vous devez accepter que vous ne soyez pas un expert en tout et que d’autres personnes fassent les choses différemment. Vous devez changer votre façon de penser, dit-il. Pour la transition, vous devez bien vous connaître. Vous devez bâtir sur vos forces, connaître vos faiblesses et trouver votre propre style de leadership. […] Vous devez être de plus en plus impliqués dans le volet des affaires, et maîtriser d’autres aptitudes. Connaître la gestion du risque, les relations publiques, la finance, etc. Vous devez avoir une vision holistique de votre organisation et de votre industrie. » Me Pérodeau est passé de diriger une petite équipe juridique à gérer une équipe de 85 membres, incluant des comptables judiciaires, des spécialistes des marchés financiers, des experts en informatique, des criminologues, des techniciens et du personnel de soutien. « C’était un défi, reconnaît l’avocat. C’est une science de gérer des gens, et il est nécessaire que vous sachiez comment donner des responsabilités à chacun et faire en sorte que leur travail ait un sens. Ça prend beaucoup de temps, d’énergie et d’effort, mais ça vous donne confiance. J’ai le grand privilège de travailler avec des gens très compétents, talentueux et dévoués. » Faire le saut au niveau de la haute direction peut être un peu intimidant, mais la transition peut être une expérience gratifiante.

Et tandis que l’environnement des affaires se transforme et que les départements juridiques rapetissent, le rôle de la haute direction pourrait devenir plus attirant pour les juristes. « Si vous souhaitez avoir des responsabilités de gestion, commencez à y travailler tôt », recommande Me Pérodeau. « Vous ne savez jamais quand les opportunités se présenteront. En tant qu’avocats, développer nos aptitudes pour les affaires est un travail de longue haleine… Commencez à les développer rapidement. » ❚

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bennettjones.com

{ Legal Innovation }

Creating Time:

The Top Performer is No Chicken Little

By Peter Brady and Mark Travers

What skill set do top-performing in-house counsel possess?

What’s in their toolkit that elevates them from basic technician to trusted advisor? We set out to explore whether external counsel can use this same skill set in the provision of legal services to clients or if the historical, structural and organizational impediments are too great.

I

n-house counsel must be diplomats, tacticians and strategists. The best performers are constant and nimble risk assessors, who seamlessly analyze the issue, implement considered mitigation strategies and contribute to major business decisions. They have an innate ability to weigh and balance risk with an essential dose of prioritization. Chicken Little could not survive, let alone be a top performer, in an organization’s legal team. As we recall from the children’s story, Chicken Little always thought the sky was falling.

While conventional thinking has long held that in-house counsel, unencumbered by billable hours, can spend as much time as required on an issue, the reality is far more nuanced. This is where top performers diverge dramatically from the rest. Chicken Little would certainly take as much time as required to analyze an issue.

However, since he identifies everything as a risk, he would suffer from a paralysis of opinion, which equates to unneeded research, excessive external counsel engagement and ultimately wasted time for the legal team and the business. The problem is compounded by the fact that most often the areas of actual risk cannot be fully addressed or offset.

In contrast, top performers calmly assess the issues and quickly deal with or discard many of those that would send Chicken Little into a tailspin. With this

efficient risk assessment triage, they have time to either deal with the matter directly or assemble a group of internal clients, and perhaps external counsel, to resolve the matter. Top in-house counsel can actually afford to take additional time to deal with legal matters that truly give rise to business or legal risk. This is where they provide exceptional value to the legal team and the organization—they create time as opposed to wasting it.

By creating time, they can consider, analyze, strategize and be creative. This creativity elevates the legal function beyond that of a mere legal technician to a true advisor, enabling the in-house legal team to assist the business in making decisions and implementing strategy. This is where the legal function adds true value, therefore deserving a place at the heart of the action. This is where in-house counsel strive to be.

Can these skills be learned? Perhaps not entirely, but they can be developed or enhanced through mentorship and experience. The key is identifying, through recruitment and selection processes, those with the innate abilities embedded in both their personalities (think “EQ”) and their professional judgment.

External counsel always strive to be such trusted advisors to clients. Any competent counsel can be a technician, proudly shouting “5!” when asked “3 +

2,” but how do they develop the skill set to be more—to be the creative legal business advisors their in-house clients want?

Is it possible or are there too many structural barriers and established conventions around service delivery, billing and business development that prohibit external counsel’s growth?

Recall the goal: create time after identifying the true matters of legal and business risk so external counsel can be creative to the degree that elevates them to trusted advisor. Some external counsel are fortunate to have spent time as in-house counsel and understand the calculus involved, but most must still battle the traditional notions of time and the handcuffs of conventional billing models.

However, client-focused and forwardthinking law firms are embracing and creating new Alternative Fee Arrangements (AFAs) that redefine the notion of value for both the client and the firm. AFAs properly scoped and communicated with a client serve to educate external counsel on client needs and business goals, as well as advance a mutual acceptance of value and profit through a less than traditional allocation of risk.

Through AFAs, external counsel can create the time to engage in creative, strategic thought in a way that emulates top in-house performers. In doing this, or even striving towards it, external counsel will move beyond “The sky is falling!” and have a chance at the coveted trusted advisor role. ❚ Peter Brady is a partner at McCarthy Tétrault in the Litigation and Mining Groups, co-head of the firm’s National Environmental, Regulatory & Aboriginal Group, and former in-house counsel with a multinational mining company. Mark Travers is General Counsel at Vale Base Metals.

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{ Strategic management }

Innovation In-House:

BMO Driving Efficiency and Engagement

By Lynne Yryku

Three years ago, the Legal and Compliance Group at BMO Financial Group turned their focus to innovation and efficiency in their department. They came up with the Innovative Team Challenge.

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ur original thought was that we wanted to change the culture internally to be more forward thinking,” says Carla Goldstein, Associate General Counsel and Director of Strategic Initiatives. “We wanted to change the conversation from ‘This is how I have always done it,’ to ‘How can I do it better?’” They knew training alone would not drive this behaviour change.

Open to all 640-plus Legal and Compliance Group employees around the globe, the Challenge is simple: employees have to work in teams to implement projects that streamline processes, increase efficiencies or improve how they worked with outside counsel. Training and oneon-one support is provided along the way, and the submission process consists of filling out one simple form. Those entering the Challenge must demonstrate their project is straightforward, and easily and objectively tracked. Ideas can range from simplifying a process to improving time efficiency, increasing predictable or better outcomes, reducing costs, mitigating risk, or improving effectiveness or value.

Submissions are judged by the General Counsel and executives selected from the operating businesses.

“The projects deal with day-to-day work,” explains Goldstein. “We kept [the process] as simple as possible so people would actually do it. For instance, using less paper is a great project— simple, but a huge savings to the bank.”

tions and 75 final entries. This year, it received 135 registrations and 94 final entries. The finalists—and winners— are recognized at an awards ceremony in front of their peers.

“As soon as those first awards were over, people started talking about the next year,” recalls Goldstein. “We did not play up the competition, but it was there. The winners were so proud of themselves.”

“The photos of the teams being celebrated were of people you would not normally see together. It cut across groups and borders,” adds Bindu Cudjoe, Deputy General Counsel & Chief Administrative Officer.

“The collateral benefits have been much more than we expected. People have built relationships working on these projects.”

The cultural shift has been transformational on what BMO’s Legal and Compliance Group does and how it works.

Approximately a third of the Group participate in the Challenge, driving value for BMO and its customers. It has fostered collaboration, encouraged employees to work outside of their own functions, and helped them gain perspective on other areas of the legal and bank operations.

To encourage the sharing of ideas across the Legal and Compliance Group and throughout the bank, a catalogue of the projects is produced and posted.

“It is an amazing catalogue of efficiency,” explains Cudjoe. “We share it with other lines of business to show them what we are doing on our end, and ask how they can take the projects further on their side.”

The involvement of executives from throughout the organization as judges has been instrumental in the idea sharing as well. They see firsthand what the Group is doing and can take the concepts—and potentially the Challenge format—back to their groups, which helps BMO as a whole.

“It really has become part of our culture in Year 3,” states Cudjoe.

A Resounding Success When it launched in 2013, BMO received 60 project registrations and 40 final entries. In 2014, it got 108 registra38

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Initiators of the Innovative Team Challenge (L to R): Carla Goldstein, Associate General Counsel & Director of Strategic Initiatives; Anne Sonnen, Chief Compliance Officer, Wealth Management; and Debra Renaud, Director, Office of the General Counsel. Photo: Chris Owen Harper.

{ Strategic management }

How Can You Bring It to Your Organization?

■■

■■

Make it simple: The attraction of the Innovative Team Challenge is its simplicity. Employees are provided with the rules and templates, training on the process and best practices, and individual support as needed along the way.

To enter, they only need to fill out one form, which is found on a SharePoint site along with all the documentation and tools for easy access.

Keep it simple: Once set up, the Challenge is not complicated or expensive to run. And while key people need to allot time to support it, the impact—and savings—in terms of efficiency and engagement for the organization are huge.

“We are giving people a voice. We want to hear what they have to say,”

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■■

explains Goldstein. The Challenge encourages them to be the change they want to see. It provides a forum to share the ideas that have been in their heads for a while.

Check for obstacles: Goldstein advises that such an initiative must have support from the top. While this was not a hurdle for BMO, if the support is not there in your organization, people will not feel it is important enough to participate in.

She adds that they didn’t go in with expectations, so there were none to manage: “The goal is to get people thinking differently. Cost savings are the icing on the cake.”

Make it your own: Encouraging innovation does not have to be done exactly like BMO’s Challenge. “It doesn’t

even have to be a contest,” says Cudjoe. In a very small organization, for example, it could simply be a regular meeting to pitch ideas to the boss.

Play around with the framework to suit your team.

“Make it work for you,” says Goldstein. “The more people we get to do this, the more we get people to see how the industry can be doing things differently.”

If you are interested in implementing the Innovative Team Challenge in your organization but need help, BMO Legal is happy to assist. You can contact Carla Goldstein at Carla.Goldstein@bmo.com. ❚ Lynne Yryku is the Managing Editor of CCCA Magazine.

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{ Spotlight on… }

Model Business Principles on Forced Labour, Labour Trafficking and Illegal or Harmful Child Labour “It was like hell. He made me work until I passed out. Just like a slave… He was always screaming and threatening me. I was devoured by fear.”

Tibor Danyi, a forced labour/labour trafficking survivor brought from Hungary to Canada 1

A

ccording to the Canadian Council for Refugees (CCR), there are approximately 21 million people across the globe living in a situation of forced labour.

They report that “in Canada, trafficking for the purpose of labour has predominantly affected migrant workers.” An RCMP FAQ on human trafficking explains that victims of forced labour or trafficking will often be found working in non-unionized industries, hotels and restaurants and manufacturing jobs, and on commercial agriculture and construction sites. Because of the clandestine nature of trafficking, it’s impossible to know how many victims currently live in Canada, but we do know they’re here.

In response to this crisis, the CCCA recently took the lead in developing model business principles to combat forced labour, labour trafficking and illegal or harmful child labour. It created a working group consisting of Michael Jason, Richardson International; Lars Herwig, Hootsuite (with Best Buy during this project); Stephen Pike, Gowling WLG; and Kellie Krake, CCCA. “Through our work in this area, the CCCA has broken new ground in the Canadian legal landscape,” said CCCA Chair Frédéric Pérodeau. “The resulting principles are based on work done by the American Bar Association, and reference Canadian and international laws and business codes relating to labour abuses, for a document that serves the distinct needs of Canadian business.”

The model principles provide a consistent framework for businesses looking to develop and implement a code of conduct to address labour abuses. They are designed to

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help in-house and external counsel encourage their business clients to guard against such abuses in their operations. They were adopted by the CBA earlier this spring.

The group also identified two areas that required additional consideration for applicability and use in Canada: circumstances in which individuals are forced to work but are not trafficked over a geographical area, and situations in which a child works for a family-owned and operated business, such as a farm or a restaurant. As such, the language “illegal or harmful” was added to the model principles to distinguish them from the permitted use of children in certain workplaces.

The Four Model Principles The principles, in brief, are as follows: Principle 1: The business should prohibit forced labour, labour trafficking and illegal or harmful child labour in its operations.

■■ Principle 2: The business should conduct risk assessments of the risk of forced labour, labour trafficking and illegal or harmful child labour in its operations and continually monitor implementation of this statement of principles.

■■ Principle 3: The business should train relevant employees, engage in continuous improvement and maintain effective communications mechanisms with its suppliers.

■■ Principle 4: The business should devise a remediation policy and plan ■■

that addresses remediation for forced labour, labour trafficking and illegal or harmful child labour in its operations.

These model principles are consistent with the United Nations Guiding Principles.

The CBA urges Canadian lawyers and businesses to adopt and implement their own business and supply chain codes of conduct consistent with this framework.

Why Should You Adopt the Principles?

Victims of modern slavery (including forced labour, human trafficking and child labour) are among the most vulnerable members of society. In-house counsel have a pivotal role to play in preventing these abuses by providing advice to businesses on corporate social responsibility, and environmental, social and governance issues. As an integral part of the CBA, the CCCA also has a reputation of supporting the rule of law, social justice and initiatives committed to the recognition of human rights.

In addition, forced labour, human trafficking and child labour in business and business supply chains are increasingly becoming the subject of legislation, regulations and scrutiny. As such, it is important for in-house counsel to take a proactive approach in ending these cruelties. Pérodeau is hopeful that these principles will frame future conversations around these types of labour abuses in Canada.

The CBA and the CCCA will soon be publishing the Model Business Principles on their websites for use by businesses, organizations, associations or other entities that do not currently have codes of conduct in place, as well as businesses that have adopted codes but wish to modify them to reflect evolving best practices. Keep an eye on www.cba.org and www.ccca-accje.org in the coming weeks. ❚

1 Morrow, Adrian. (2012, March 1). “Human-traffickers treated men on Ontario construction site ‘like slaves.’”

The Globe and Mail. Retrieved from http://www.theglobeandmail.com

{ Pleins feux sur… }

Principes commerciaux de lutte contre le travail forcé, la traite de la main-d’œuvre, le travail illégal des enfants et le travail qui leur est nuisible « C’était infernal. Il me faisait travailler jusqu’à ce que je m’évanouisse. Comme un esclave... Il criait et me menaçait tout le temps. J’étais dévoré par la peur. » Tibor Danyi, survivant de la traite de la main-d’œuvre et du travail forcé, amené de la Hongrie au Canada

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1

■■

S

elon le Conseil canadien pour les réfugiés (CCR), environ 21 millions de personnes dans le monde vivent une situation de travail forcé. Une FAQ de la GRC sur le travail forcé et la traite de la main-d’œuvre explique que les victimes se retrouvent souvent dans des emplois non-syndiqués dans des hôtels, des restaurants, des usines, des exploitations agricoles commerciales et des chantiers de construction. Vu la nature clandestine de la traite, il est impossible de savoir combien de victimes vivent au Canada à l’heure actuelle, mais il est clair qu’il y en a.

C’est pour répondre à cette crise que l’ACCJE a pris les devants en élaborant des principes commerciaux pour combattre le travail forcé, la traite de main-d’œuvre, le travail illégal des enfants et le travail qui leur est nuisible. Le groupe de travail à cette fin se compose de Michael Jason, Richardson International; Lars Herwig, Hootsuite (avec Best Buy pendant ce projet); Stephen Pike, Gowling WLG; et Kellie Krake, ACCJE. « Grâce à son travail dans ce domaine, l’ACCJE a défriché de nouveaux sentiers dans le paysage juridique canadien », a déclaré le président de l’ACCJE, Frédéric Pérodeau. « Les principes qui en résultent ont été basés sur le travail effectué par l’American Bar Association, les lois canadiennes et internationales et les codes de conduite corporatifs, pour aboutir à un document qui répond aux besoins distincts des entreprises canadiennes. » Les principes commerciaux offrent un cadre cohérent aux entreprises soucieuses

d’élaborer et de mettre en œuvre un code de conduite afin de combattre les abus en matière de travail. Ils sont conçus pour aider les juristes d’entreprise et externes à encourager leurs clients commerciaux à empêcher la survenance de tels abus au sein de leurs opérations. Ils ont été adoptés par l’ABC ce printemps.

Le groupe de travail a également identifié deux aspects qui restaient à analyser en termes d’applicabilité et d’utilisation au Canada : les situations où des individus sont forcés de travailler sans pour autant être victimes d’une traite géographique et les situations dans lesquelles un enfant travaille pour une entreprise familiale, comme une ferme ou un restaurant. C’est pourquoi les mots « illégal » et « nuisible » ont été ajoutés aux principes commerciaux afin de faire la distinction avec le travail des enfants qui est permis dans certains lieux de travail.

Quatre principes En bref, les principes sont les suivants : Principe 1 : L’entreprise doit interdire le travail forcé, la traite de la main-d’œuvre et le travail illégal des enfants dans le cadre de ses activités.

■■ Principe 2 : L’entreprise doit évaluer les risques d’occurrence de travail forcé, de traite de la main-d’œuvre, de travail illégal des enfants et de travail qui leur est nuisible dans ses activités et assurer un suivi ■■

régulier du respect de la présente déclaration de principes.

Principe 3 : L’entreprise doit former les employés concernés, viser l’amélioration constante et entretenir d’efficaces dispositifs de communication avec ses fournisseurs.

Principe 4 : L’entreprise doit se doter d’une politique et d’un programme prévoyant des recours contre le travail forcé, la traite de la main-d’œuvre, le travail illégal des enfants et le travail qui leur est nuisible dans le cadre de ses activités.

Pourquoi adopter ces principes?

Les victimes de l’esclavage moderne (dont le travail forcé, la traite de la main-d’oeuvre et le travail des enfants) sont parmi les membres les plus vulnérables de la société. Les juristes d’entreprise ont un rôle central à jouer dans la prévention de ces abus en conseillant les entreprises sur leurs responsabilités sociales ainsi que sur les questions environnementales, sociales et de gouvernance.

De plus, le travail forcé, la traite de la maind’oeuvre et le travail des enfants dans les entreprises et les filières d’approvisionnement sont de plus en plus encadrés par la loi et la réglementation et font l’objet d’une surveillance accrue. Il est donc important pour les juristes d’entreprise d’adopter une approche proactive pour mettre fin à ces cruautés.

L’ABC et l’ACCJE publieront bientôt les Principes commerciaux de lutte sur leurs site Web au bénéfice des entreprises, des organisations, des associations et des autres entités qui n’ont pas de code de conduite, ainsi que pour celles qui en ont un, mais qui souhaitent le rendre conforme aux normes de bonne pratique. Dans les prochaines semaines, restez à l’affût sur www.cba.org et www.ccca-accje.org. ❚

1 Morrow, Adrian (1er mars 2012). « Human-traffickers treated men on Ontario construction site ‘like slaves’ ».

The Globe and Mail. Récupéré sur http://www.theglobeandmail.com

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{ CCCA News }

W

e mixed business and law, added generous helpings of innovation and creativity, and came away with the perfect in-house counsel conference!

This year’s National Conference, Your Recipe for In-House Success, began with the Taste of Canada Food Festival and Welcome Reception. Featuring maritime fiddling, aboriginal hoop dancing and food from all over the country, it was a great night of mingling and connecting in a casual atmosphere.

The networking and learning continued with numerous sessions on timely and practical topics, as well as several keynote discussions on how to be a thoughtful leader; the test of a great corporate counsel; the role of in-house counsel in the rule of law; and law at the push of a button. (To see the main points of the presentations, look in this section for the graphic recordings, sponsored by Simplex Legal.)

N

ous avons mélangé affaires et droit, nous avons saupoudré le tout d’un brin d’innovation et d’une touche de créativité, et voilà! La parfaite conférence nationale des juristes d’entreprise!

Sous le thème Faire recette comme juriste d’entreprise, la conférence nationale de cette année a débuté par un festival de la gastronomie canadienne. Agrémentée par des joueurs de violon des Maritimes, des danses traditionnelles autochtones et des mets de tous les coins du pays, cette soirée a été propice aux échanges et aux rencontres.

Le réseautage et l’apprentissage se sont poursuivis dans le cadre des nombreuses séances sur des sujets pratiques et lors des conférences sur l’art d’être un leader attentionné, les qualités d’un grand juriste d’entreprise, le rôle des juristes d’entreprise dans la primauté du droit et le droit en un clic. (Les enregistrements graphiques dans cette section, commandités par Simplex Légal, résume les principaux points des présentations.)

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{ Nouvelles de l’accje }

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{ CCCA News }

THE AWARDS LES PRIX

Congratulations to this year’s CCCA Award Winners! The Association presented five awards to honour exceptional contributions to both the CCCA and the wider legal community at networking events throughout the conference.

Félicitations aux lauréats des Prix de l’ACCJE de cette année! L’Association a remis cinq prix destinés à souligner des contributions exceptionnelles à l’ACCJE ainsi qu’à la communauté juridique en général.

“Julia’s leadership, expertise and tireless involvement with the in-house and legal communities have made her crucial in the development and evolution of the in-house community.” « Avec son leadership, son expertise et son infatigable implication dans les milieux des avocats et des juristes d’entreprise, Julia s’est imposée comme un rouage essentiel au développement et à l’évolution de la communauté des juristes d’entreprise. »

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Robert V.A. Jones Award

Prix Robert V.A. Jones

Named after CCCA’s founding executive director, recognizes a member whose career exemplifies the highest standards of service conduct and professionalism.

Nommé en l’honneur du directeur général fondateur de l’ACCJE, ce prix récompense un membre qui s’est distingué durant sa carrière par la qualité de son service, de sa conduite et de son professionnalisme.

Julia Shin Doi, CIC.C, General Counsel and Secretary of the Board of Governors at Ryerson University, has long personified the spirit of this award. Her achievements, leadership and over 22 years of hard work both professionally and on a volunteer level serve as a shining example of what all in-house counsel strive to achieve in their careers.

Committed to ensuring the in-house counsel role is valued in Canada and abroad, Julia is a frequent speaker at CBA and CCCA events, acts as a champion of the CCCA’s Business Leadership Program for InHouse Counsel and has mentored numerous lawyers navigating the profession. She is also a past member of the CCCA Editorial Board and the CCCA Executive Committee, and Past-Chair of the CCCA Ontario Section.

Julia Shin Doi, JEA.C, avocate-conseil et secrétaire de l’Assemblée des gouverneurs de l’Université Ryerson, incarne depuis longtemps l’esprit de ce prix. Ses réalisations, son leadership et ses 22 années de travail professionnel et bénévole constituent un brillant exemple pour tous les juristes d’entreprise.

Engagée à faire reconnaître le rôle des juristes d’entreprise à sa juste valeur au Canada et à l’étranger, Julia donne des conférences à des événements de l’ABC et de l’ACCJE, en plus de militer en faveur du Programme de leadership en entreprise pour les juristes d’entreprise de l’ACCJE et d’être le mentor de nombreux avocats.

{ Nouvelles de l’accje }

Community Builder Award

Prix du bâtisseur communautaire

Recognizes a member’s pro bono, community or corporate social responsibility efforts.

Ce prix rend hommage aux contributions juridiques bénévoles; aux engagements dans la communauté ou en matière de responsabilité sociale des entreprises.

Paul Jonathan Saguil, Senior Counsel at TD Bank Group, earns this distinction thanks to his long-term commitment to a number of community programs and organizations, including the Law Society of Upper Canada’s Equity Advisory Group, of which he was the Vice-Chair for three years before recently being elected Chair.

He also serves on the Ontario Bar Association’s Council and Equality Committee, and is Chair of the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Conference. Paul has strong ties to the Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers, where he served on the board and in executive roles. His generous donation of his time, talent and energy is an inspiration to the legal community.

Paul Jonathan Saguil, avocat principal chez le Groupe Banque TD, reçoit cette distinction grâce à son engagement à long terme dans un certain nombre d’organismes communautaires, notamment du Groupe consultatif en matière d’équité du Barreau du HautCanada, dont il est présentement président.

Il siège également au conseil ainsi qu’au Comité sur l’égalité de l’Association du Barreau de l’Ontario, en plus de présider le Forum sur l’orientation et l’identité sexuelles. Il a aussi siégé au conseil et dans des postes de direction de la Fédération des juristes asiatiquescanadiens. En donnant généreusement de son temps et de son talent, il est une source d’inspiration pour la communauté juridique.

“Paul has set a standard of professionalism, excellence and community involvement for his peers.” « Paul est devenu une référence pour ses pairs en termes de professionnalisme, d’excellence et d’implication communautaire. »

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{ CCCA News }

“The CCCA Quebec Section’s success speaks volumes, reflecting the enthusiasm, commitment and engagement of its members.” « Ce succès de la Section du Québec de l’ACCJE en dit long sur l’enthousiasme, l’implication et l’engagement de ses membres. »

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Professional Contribution Award

Prix pour la contribution professionnelle

Recognizes an individual or group who or which raises the profile of the CCCA in the professional community.

Ce prix rend hommage à une personne ou à un groupe qui rehausse le profil de l’ACCJE au sein de la communauté professionnelle.

This award goes to the members of the CCCA Quebec Section for their dedication to showcasing the contributions of the in-house profession and the CCCA within the Canadian legal and business landscape. Through their combined efforts, the members have revitalized the Quebec Section’s offerings, renewing member interest and engagement. They focus on skills and practical knowledge in the professional development they offer, host a highly popular annual networking event, and are leading the charge on the important discussions around the value of in-house counsel in the sound administration of justice.

Ce prix est décerné aux membres de la Section du Québec de l’ACCJE pour leur dévouement envers la mise en valeur de la profession de juriste d’entreprise et de l’ACCJE dans le milieu juridique et des affaires. Grâce à leurs efforts combinés, les membres ont renouvelé ses programmes, suscité un nouvel intérêt et une participation accrue des membres. La Section a centré ses efforts sur l’offre d’une formation continue axée sur les compétences, a créé une activité annuelle de réseautage qui est devenue très populaire, et est devenue le fer de lance d’importantes discussions sur la valeur des juristes d’entreprise dans la saine administration de la justice.

{ Nouvelles de l’accje }

Up and Comer Award

Prix de la relève

Recognizes a regular member with less than 15 years in-house who has had strong participation at any level within the profession and especially within both the CCCA and the organization they serve.

Ce prix rend hommage à un membre régulier de l’ACCJE comptant moins de 15 ans en tant que juriste d’entreprise et qui participe activement à la vie professionnelle, en particulier au sein de l’ACCJE et de l’organisme qu’il représente.

Jonathan Cullen, Vice-President, Legal Affairs & General Counsel at Pfizer Canada Inc., is this year’s Up and Comer.

He joined Pfizer in 2008, having previously practiced IP litigation at Norton Rose Fulbright. He is responsible for leading the Legal and Corporate Governance & Process Optimization teams across all business units in Canada, as well as supporting research and manufacturing operations. He also oversees Pfizer’s global relationship with one of its key law firms for all matters worldwide.

Jonathan has authored a number of publications, including the leading text on Anton Piller orders in the Federal Court; and sits on Innovative Medicines Canada’s IP Core Team. He is heavily involved in his community, volunteering at the Montreal Children’s Hospital, and sitting on the board of the West Island Association for the Intellectually Handicapped.

Peers describe Cullen as thoughtful, hardworking, and a team player.

Jonathan Cullen, vice-président, Affaires juridiques et avocat-conseil chez Pfizer Canada Inc., gagne ce prix cette année. Il est responsable de la direction des équipes juridique et de gouvernance d’entreprise et d’optimisation des processus dans toutes les unités commerciales au Canada, ainsi que de l’apport de soutien à la recherche et à la fabrication. Il supervise, en outre, les relations de Pfizer avec l’un de ses principaux cabinets juridiques concernant toutes les questions à l’échelle mondiale.

Jonathan a signé un certain nombre de publications et siège au comité de la PI chez Médicaments novateurs Canada. Il est largement impliqué dans sa communauté, notamment comme bénévole à l’Hôpital de Montréal pour enfants, et il siège au conseil de l’Association de l’ouest de l’île pour les handicapés intellectuels. Ses pairs le décrivent comme une personne réfléchie et travailleuse ayant un bon esprit d’équipe.

“Jonathan is a compelling agent of change.

A father, a husband and a lawyer who has passion, patience and perspective, and yet remains humble.” « Jonathan est un agent de changement convaincant. C’est un père, un mari et un avocat passionné, patient et cultivé qui sait rester humble. »

C a n a dia n C o rporate C ou n s el Association

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{ CCCA News }

“The cultural shift delivered through the Innovative Team Challenge has been transformational on what we do and how we work.” « Le changement de culture entraîné par le Défi de l’équipe novatrice a profondément transformé nos façons de faire. »

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Innovation Award

Prix pour l’innovation

Recognizes an individual or group who or which is doing things differently to create value on behalf of or for the benefit of a law department or organization.

Ce prix rend hommage à une personne ou à un groupe qui fait les choses différemment afin de créer une valeur au nom ou au profit d’un service juridique ou d’une organisation.

The BMO Financial Group, Legal and Compliance Group, earned this honour for its Innovative Team Challenge to support the overall productivity and efficiency goals of the enterprise. The Challenge uses a grassroots approach in the form of a fun competition to generate a culture of innovation and productivity within the Legal Group, encouraging a change in mindset from “This is how I have always done it,” to “How can I do my job more efficiently and effectively?” This innovation has fostered collaboration, encouraged employees to work outside of their own functions and brought employees closer to the customer.

Le Groupe Services juridiques et Conformité du Groupe financier BMO s’est mérité cet honneur pour avoir lancé le Défi de l’équipe novatrice afin d’appuyer les objectifs généraux d’efficience de l’entreprise. Le Défi est un concours visant à produire une culture d’innovation et de productivité au sein du groupe Services juridiques et Conformité. Son but est de convaincre de changer d’état d’esprit et de renoncer aux façons de faire traditionnelles pour trouver des moyens de travailler d’une manière plus efficace et efficiente. Cette innovation a favorisé la collaboration et encouragé les employés à travailler en dehors de leur cadre habituel et à se rapprocher des clients.

Updates to Joint Policy Statement on Audit Inquiries

Mise à jour de la Prise de position conjointe sur la préparation et la vérification d’états financiers

The CBA, in collaboration with the Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (AASB), has recently made much-needed updates to the Joint Policy Statement on Audit Inquiries (JPS), effective December 1, 2016. The JPS establishes communication protocols when the auditor of a corporate client asks for information from its lawyers (whether in-house or external) about claims and possible claims by or against the client. These protocols are intended to balance the need for sufficient audit evidence with the imperative of protecting confidentiality and privilege.

The new JPS, an FAQ document and a flowchart setting out communication protocols can be found on the JPS webpage: www.cba.org/Publications-Resources/Practice-Tools/ Joint-Policy-Statement-on-Audit-Inquiries Among the more significant changes is the express inclusion of in-house counsel, recognizing their expanded role in client matters. Other updates aim to resolve concerns expressed by the legal profession about communication protocols with auditors, particularly regarding the timing of inquiries and responses.

A webinar was held May 25 on how the changes to the JPS might affect your day-to-day practice. You can register for the archived webinar at www.cba.org/pd. ❚

En collaboration avec le Conseil des normes d’audit et de certification (CNAC), l’ABC a récemment procédé à une nécessaire mise à jour de la Prise de position conjointe sur la préparation et la vérification d’états financiers (PPC), qui entrera en vigueur le 1er décembre 2016. La PPC établit des protocoles de communication lorsque l’auditeur d’un client commercial demande des renseignements à ses avocats (internes ou externes) relativement à des réclamations réelles ou éventuelles par ou contre un client. Ces protocoles visent à assurer un équilibre entre le besoin de preuves suffisantes pour l’audit et l’impératif de protection du secret professionnel et du privilège.

La nouvelle PPC, une FAQ et l’organigramme des protocoles de communication peuvent être consultés sur la page Web suivant : www.cba.org/Publications-Resources/Practice-Tools/Joint-PolicyStatement-on-Audit-Inquiries.

Parmi les changements les plus importants, citons l’inclusion expresse des juristes d’entreprises, ce qui a pour effet de reconnaître leur rôle élargi face à la clientèle. Citons également la volonté de régler des préoccupations concernant les protocoles de communication avec les auditeurs, en particulier en ce qui concerne les délais relatifs aux demandes de renseignements et aux réponses.

Un webinaire a eu lieu le 25 mai afin d’expliquer l’incidence du PPC sur la pratique au quotidien. Vous pouvez vous inscrire à la version archivée du webinaire sur www.cba.org/pd. ❚

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The CCCA would like to thank the 2016 National Conference sponsors and exhibitors for their generous support.

L’ACCJE tient à remercier les commanditaires et les exposants de la Conférence nationale de 2016 pour leur soutien généreux.

www.ccca-accje.org Taste of Canada Food Festival Festivale de la gastronomie canadienne

Conference Partner / Partenaire de la Conférence

Spring Training Camp Camp de formation du printemps

Plenary Sponsor / Commanditaire d’une séance plénière

Delegate Bags Trousses de la Conférence

Monday Night Reception Réception du lundi soir

Luncheon / Déjeuner

Workshop Sponsors / Commanditaires des ateliers

Photographer Photographe

Lanyards Cordons

Graphic Recorder Sponsor Commanditaire du <<graphic recorder>>

Exhibitors / Exposants

®

{ Inside Edge }

The Unexpected In-House Career Advantage

By Jonathan Cullen

Counterintuitively, working in-house often offers more opportunities for lawyers to make a difference beyond their sole client. I only realized this when the organization I work for saved my son’s life.

F

or a profession whose members are ethically obligated to zealously defend our clients’ interests, we often fail to translate that zeal into passion for our careers. However, I believe the spark we need is right under our feet, in our own organizations. Although going in-house to a single client may appear to narrow a lawyer’s sphere of influence, the opposite is closer to the truth. Our privileged position allows us to make a difference well beyond our organization. It sometimes just takes a turning point to see this opportunity.

Four years ago, I found out my son was going to be born with Down syndrome.

Tristan spent his first four months clinging to life at the Montreal Children’s Hospital, undergoing heart surgeries and battling a transient form of leukemia. My career inflection point was on his seventh day of life, the day a nurse administered a chemotherapy medication to my son. It saved his life.

The medicine was invented and developed by my employer, and only client, Pfizer.

Over the following months, I reflected on how I could use my experiences and skills as a lawyer for something grander. I knew I would be a different person when I went back to work. I just wasn’t sure how.

When I moved from private practice to an in-house role at Pfizer, I was concerned I would be narrowing my sphere

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of influence. However, Tristan’s experience showed me that being an advisor to an organization that does so much good is an incredible opportunity. I am more than a lawyer. I have something to contribute to patients, healthcare, the legal profession and the business community.

As lawyers, we are taught many skills useful in achieving public good: persuasion, advocacy and public speaking to name a few. I wanted to use these skills to not only defend my client’s interests but also advance Pfizer’s mission to innovate to bring therapies to patients that significantly improve their lives. And suddenly there was no time to waste.

I began volunteering with the organizations that saved my son: the Montreal Children’s Hospital and the West Island Association for the Intellectually Handicapped. When I’m asked to speak at events internally at Pfizer or externally with stakeholders, I speak of my personal connection to healthcare. I aim to move listeners to action through an emotional connection and storytelling. In doing so, I am also trying to break down the perception of lawyers as unfeeling, analytical cost centres. Before I speak, I often think of Tristan and how different my life would have been without the very people sitting in front of me.

You don’t need to wait for a cataclysmic life event to find your career passion.

Try the following strategies.

1. Create your own inflection point.

Choose a day and commit to reflection. Ask trusted friends and colleagues for guidance. Absorb all their input and imagine the future.

2. Begin with the end in mind. Choose an objective that has meaning to you. It’s fine if the objective changes as you learn, but if you start with no destination in mind, you’re sure to land there. Keep your head in the long game.

3. Learn, learn, learn. Intellectual curiosity is invaluable. As you progress, your chosen objective will become clearer or you’ll realize you need to change goals.

Choose the learning method that works best for you. I participate extensively in mentoring, including the CCCA program; and read everything I can on leadership, management, innovation, persuasion and negotiation.

My reflection time told me I could both defend Pfizer’s interests as its lawyer and be an advocate for its mission. That overlap has been the key to unlocking my career passion. That is the unexpected inhouse career advantage. Lawyers are not often seen in this light. I am committed to being part of changing that. Zealously. ❚ Jonathan Cullen is Vice President of Legal Affairs and General Counsel for Pfizer Canada Inc. He received the CCCA’s 2016 Up and Comer Award and was named a 2015 Lexpert Rising Stars Leading Lawyer Under 40.

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