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2025 General Counsel Summit


McCarthy Tétrault is proud to host its sixth annual GC Summit, Canada’s premier forum for legal strategy and thought leadership in the General Counsel community. The 2020s is an era marked by accelerated change and unpredictability, destabilizing social, political and business systems, challenging the assumptions of traditional legal frameworks. We invite you to join legal leaders and top industry minds as this year’s GC Summit delves into strategies for an ever-evolving, ever-uncertain future.

Agenda

11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Registration

11:30 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.

Introductory Remarks – Caroline Zayid, Ontario Regional Managing Partner, McCarthy Tétrault

11:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. 

The Future of Teams: Driving Transformation

A General Counsel plays a critical role as a strategic business advisor but also is the recruiter, manager and leader of a high-performing legal team. Join our panel of prominent GCs who will share insights on the evolution of their team’s roles, identify some of the core competencies and personality types they look for in their legal teams, describe how they anticipate and prepare for future demands of their teams and share some of the practical lessons that they have learned along the way.

Our panel will explore reshaping team dynamics, fostering innovation, and enabling greater team adaptability. This session offers a roadmap for legal leaders to build resilient, high-performing teams that support their organization’s transformation and continuous improvement.

  • Sacha Fraser, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, IBM Canada
  • Dominic Paradis, Senior Vice-President, Legal Affairs and Corporate Secretary, National Bank of Canada
  • Katrina Prokopy, General Counsel, Alberta Securities Commission

Moderated by Sarah Woods, Partner and Co-Chair, International Arbitration Group, McCarthy Tétrault

12:45 p.m. – 1:15 p.m.

Lunch (30 min)

1:15 p.m. – 2:15 p.m

The Future of Crisis: Achieving Control in Increasing Volatility

In today's interconnected world, the pool of stakeholders has grown exponentially, increasing the vulnerability to legal impacts from a diverse range of directions. This panel will explore the heightened appetite for discussions around how significant, rapid changes are reshaping the corporate environment. As a result, General Counsel, who once operated behind the scenes now find themselves thrust into the spotlight, navigating complex legal and ethical challenges in real-time.

Join us for an engaging conversation on adapting to these dynamic shifts and ensuring robust strategies to manage the evolving landscape.

  • Nancy Brennan, Executive Vice-President, Legal, External Affairs and Corporate Secretary, TransAlta Corporation
  • Tariq Remtulla, Senior Vice-President, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary, Parkland Corporation
  • Darren Watt, Chief Legal Officer, RB Global Inc.

Moderated by Awanish Sinha, Partner and Co-Lead | Public Sector, McCarthy Tétrault

2:15 p.m. – 2:30 p.m

Break (15 min)

2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

The Future of Leadership: Executive Harmony

How do the Board, CEO, and GC collaborate to drive governance and strategic decision-making? This panel will explore how these leaders navigate their roles while fostering alignment, trust, and accountability. Our experts will discuss the boundaries and interplay between executive management, board oversight, and the legal function, highlighting best practices for communication and ensuring critical issues are addressed.

Join us to explore the vital role of collaboration and clarity in today’s complex business landscape.

  • Laura Dottori-Attanasio, President and Chief Executive Officer, Element Fleet Management
  • Jonathan Gitlin, President and Chief Executive Officer, RioCan REIT

Moderated by Sunil Kapur, Partner, Chief Executive Officer, McCarthy Tétrault

3:30 p.m.

Closing Remarks – Sunil Kapur, Partner, Chief Executive Officer, McCarthy Tétrault

3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Networking Reception

Introductory Remarks

Caroline Zayid

Ontario Regional Managing Partner, McCarthy Tétrault

Caroline Zayid is McCarthy Tétrault’s Regional Managing Partner for Ontario and a partner in the firm’s Litigation Group. Caroline represents defendants involved in complex class action litigation, frequently leading a multi-jurisdictional team and advising clients as they navigate legal, business and reputational challenges.

Caroline has successfully represented clients at first instance and on appeal, at all levels of court in Ontario, at the Supreme Court of Canada, the Federal Court of Appeal, and the courts of appeal in British Columbia and Saskatchewan.

Caroline’s practice also includes litigating administrative law issues related to public law and professional regulation. As well, Caroline has advised clients facing product recalls and other product liability issues.

Caroline has been a contributing author to McCarthy Tétrault’s publications Defending Class Actions in Canada and Doing Business in Canada. She served for several years as Vice-President of the Stop Community Food Centre in Toronto.

Between 1993 to 1995, Caroline served as a special advisor to the Ontario Minister of Education and Training on legislative matters. For several years, she taught trial advocacy at the University of Toronto Law School and was formerly an instructor in the Ontario Management Development Program at George Brown College. Caroline has also spoken on legal issues in Canada and the United States. Caroline received her LLB in 1988 from Dalhousie University. She was called to the Ontario bar in 1990.