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A Message From Our CEO 

Welcome to the McCarthy Tétrault Alumni newsletter. The vibrancy of our firm’s alumni network is extraordinary. You, our alumni, have achieved greatness in your careers and your communities. From holding top positions in the judiciary, to playing leadership roles in Canadian companies, to leading not-for-profit and pro bono initiatives – the value of the breadth of experience cannot be overstated. The relationships within this network enable connections, knowledge, and ideas to be exchanged amongst one another. This in turn drives opportunities and growth in the Canadian marketplace.

It is with immense pride that I stepped into the role of CEO on January 1, 2025. I have had the good fortune of calling this firm my home for the last 25 years. This firm is in my DNA, and I suspect many of you feel the same way. Regardless of what we do on a daily basis, we have all shaped our careers through interactions with incredible people. Our firm’s culture of excellence, collaboration, innovation, and inclusion has pushed McCarthy Tétrault to where it is today, and is what makes this alumni network so amazing.

In 2025, we are focused on a number of things, including refreshing our strategy. We are working on strengthening the journey our people take with McCarthy – from day one to the eventual transition to, and including, alumni. We want to drive more value for all of you, such that the ongoing connection to the firm is something you derive significant benefit from. Please stay tuned as we will keep you informed as this work progresses.

I look forward to seeing the McCarthy alumni community thrive, enhancing our connections with one another professionally and personally. I encourage you to tap into this network and engage with former colleagues regularly.

Thank you for being part of something so special.

Sunil Kapur, Chief Executive Officer

What's New With Us?

Thank you Dave Leonard!

We would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to Dave Leonard, whose second and final term as CEO of McCarthy Tétrault ended on December 31, 2024. Dave joined the firm in 1992 as an articling student and served many years as a litigator and partner before being elected CEO in April 2016.

Under his exemplary leadership, counsel, and vision, the firm developed our pioneering industry strategy, introduced several award-winning innovations, and expanded our reach into new businesses and markets, including the opening of the firm’s New York office. He successfully guided the firm through the COVID-19 crisis. In 2021, Dave was named Managing Partner of the Year at the Canadian Law Awards.

Every day, Dave executed his vision for the future of our firm, leading with integrity, respect, and compassion. He remained focused on prioritizing our people, our clients, and our communities.

Dave, thank you for everything you accomplished for the McCarthy Tétrault community. We are happy to officially welcome you to the Alumni family!

Meet The Firm’s New Leadership Team

We are delighted to share that effective January 1, 2025, Sunil Kapur officially stepped into the role as Chief Executive Officer. Sunil was the firm’s Practice Group Leader of our National Litigation and Dispute Resolution Group and has been a respected leader and mentor at the firm for 25 years. In his role, Sunil continues to further strengthen our commitment to exceptional client service, innovation, and inclusiveness, ensuring our clients' success now and in the future. His strong and principled leadership skills, sharp business acumen and innovative approach to client service will be invaluable to our firm and our clients. Joining Sunil as part of the Senior Leadership Team are:

• Éric Gosselin, National Leader, Practices, People and Professional Development
• Shevaun McGrath, National Leader, Strategic Initiatives
• Matthew Peters, National Leader, Transformation
• Karl Tabbakh, National Leader, Markets and International Business
• Chris Jackson, Interim Chief Financial Officer

What’s New With You?

From winning awards, to starting new roles, check out what some of your former colleagues have been up to since our last newsletter:

Awards

Juliamai Giffen (Business Law, Calgary: 2005-2011) Associate General Counsel at Pembina Pipeline Corporation, received the Western Canada General Counsel Environmental, Social and Governance Award

Michèle Lefaivre (Business Law, Montréal: 2008-2017) Managing Director, Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, received the Lexpert Rising Stars Leading Lawyers 40 and Under Award

Jonathan Odumeru (Litigation, Toronto: 2014-2016) Senior Counsel, TD Bank Group, received the Lexpert Rising Stars Leading Lawyers 40 and Under Award

Michael O’Brien (Litigation, Toronto: 2013-2019) Partner, Tyr LLP, received the Lexpert Rising Stars Leading Lawyers 40 and Under Award

Darren Watt (Business Law, Vancouver: 1999-2004) Chief Legal Officer, RB Global, received the Western Canada General Counsel Deal Making Award

Promotions and New Positions 

Arlene Alvares, (Business Law, Toronto: 1997 – 2002) Consultant, Legal, Compliance & Strategy Advisor, Arlene Alvares Consulting

Daphne Anastassiadis (Litigation, Montréal: 2021 – 2025) Legal Counsel, Ethics & Compliance, Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ)

Matthew Appleby (Business Law, Toronto: 2007 - 2017) Assistant General Counsel, Transamerica

Ormonde Benson (Business Law, Toronto: 2000-2009) Executive Director and Head of Canadian Legal, Rabobank Canada Agricultural Banking

Cassidy Bishop (Litigation, Calgary: 2019-2025) Legal Counsel, Canadian Natural Resources Limited

Sabrina Bruno (Business Law, Toronto: 2016-2020) Commercial Counsel, Canada, Mondelēz International

Isabelle Chouinard (Business Law, Québec City: 2021-2025) Conseillère juridique, Desjardins

Philippe Côté (Business Law, London: 2019 – 2024) Head of Legal, Cosmetic Physician Partners Europe

Will Fyfe (Financial Services, Toronto: 2012-2014) General Counsel, Brookfield Renewable North America

Myreille Gilbert (Business Law, Québec City: 2011-2024) Analyste Experte à la Réglementation (Finance Durable), Autorité des Marchés Financiers (Québec)

Keith Guinn (Litigation, Calgary: 2012-2024) Regulatory and Compliance Legal Counsel, High Tide Inc.

Emilie Hunkin Guay (Litigation, Québec City : 2023 – 2024) Legal Counsel, Industrial Alliance Insurance and Financial Services Inc.

Bruce Karn (Business Law, Toronto: 2023-2024) Vice President, EllisDon

Iris Li (Business Law, Toronto: 2018-2024) Senior Legal Counsel, Private Investment Transactions, Manulife

Val (Naranjo) Lucas (Litigation, Vancouver: 2019-2025) Deputy General Counsel, Elk Valley Resources

Heather Mallabone (Litigation, Vancouver: 2021-2022) Legal Counsel, Commercial, Aritzia

Nathaly Marcoux (Litigation, Montréal: 2000-2007) Assistant Deputy Minister, Ministry of the French Language

Kiana Mozaffari (Business Law, Calgary: 2024) Architecture Student, Dalhousie University

Etienne Ravilet Guzman (Business Law, Montréal: 2016-2021) Vice President, Legal, Foran Mining

Kyle Riddell (Business Law, Vancouver: 2021-2025) Senior Corporate Counsel and Assistant Corporate Secretary, Elk Valley Resources

Mark Risebrough (Litigation, Calgary: 2018-2024) Counsel, Canacre Ltd.

Sonny Santos (Business Law, Montréal: 2022-2025) Legal Counsel, Innergex

Trachy Solhi (Business Law, Toronto: 2021 – 2025) Counsel, Sun Life

Louis Therrien Lapointe (Business Law, Montréal: 2022-2024) Directeur, Affaires Juridiques, Boralex

Board Appointments 

Nancy Carroll (Business Law, Toronto: 1986-2025) has been appointed to the Board of Directors of Manulife Financial Corporation (MFC) and The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company

Judicial Appointments

Simon Chamberland (Litigation, Montréal: 2003-2024) appointed to the Superior Court of Québec for the district of Montréal

Ryan P. Rabinovitch (Tax, Montréal: 2011-2017) appointed to the Tax Court of Canada

Linda Shin (Litigation, Toronto: 2000-2006) appointed to the Ontario Superior Court of Justice

Retirements

Barbara Boake (Bankruptcy & Restructuring, Toronto: 1985 – 2025)

Nancy Carroll (Business Law, Toronto: 1986-2025)

Mendy Chernos (Litigation, Calgary: 1994-2024)

Abraham Costin (Real Property, Toronto: 1982-2024)

Jonathan Grant (Business Law, Toronto: 1991-2024)

Dave Leonard (CEO/ Litigation, Toronto 1994-2024)

Regional Spotlights: Alberta

Wilson Acton

Wilson Acton (Business Law, Calgary: 2008-2018) received his B. Sc.(Agriculture) from the University of Saskatchewan and an LLB from the University of Calgary. After joining McCarthy Tetrault in 2008 as a Business Law associate, he worked his way up to Partner focusing primarily on M&A and Capital Markets. Wilson left the firm to become a serial-entrepreneur, having co-founded: Whipcord, data centre operator, in 2018 (acquired by C15 Edge); Blackcloud, cryptocurrency producer, in 2018 (acquired by Luxxfolio); Verge Ag, agriculture-tech software, in 2019; and Intangible Properties Exchange, AI/ML data analytics, in 2021. 

Wilson is also an active member of the business community and has served as a Board Member of KidSport Calgary for over 13 years, an organization that helps cover the costs of registration fees and provides no-cost equipment so that all kids ages 18 and under can participate in a season of sports. Since 2020, he has also been a Board member for the Alliance Trust Company (trust services), Alberta IoT Centre of Excellence (not for profit), HomeTeam Live (sports software), StoreToDoor (logistics software), and an Advisor to Weave VC (venture capital fund).

Going back to his roots in agriculture from his time before law, he has since founded and is the Managing Partner of Tall Grass Ventures, a leading agriculture and food investment firm based in Calgary, Alberta focused on investing experience and capital into the future of agriculture. Working closely with the other members of the team, Wilson drives the strategic direction of the firm and collaborates with investors, the management teams with which the firm invests and other members of the ecosystem.

Sandra (Aigbinode) Lange

Sandra (Aigbinode) Lange (Litigation, Calgary: 2017-2023) graduated from the McGill University Faculty of Law and completed her articles with the Ministry of the Attorney General (Criminal), Crown Attorney’s Office in Ontario before relocating to Alberta to work as a Crown Prosecutor where she prosecuted criminal and regulatory offences in the Provincial Court of Alberta and the Alberta Court of King’s Bench. She joined McCarthy Tetrault in 2017 as a Litigation Associate where she litigated a wide variety of corporate commercial litigation and arbitration areas including oil and gas, energy, employment, insurance, and construction disputes and appeals. Sandra also litigated pro bono cases on behalf of firm clients and community organizations at the Supreme Court of Canada.

During her time at the firm, she was actively involved in several firm initiatives, including as the Alberta Region Chair of the firm’s Race Action Group, Co-Editor of the firm’s International Arbitration Blog, Supervising Lawyer for the Indigenous Youth Outreach Project with Siksika Nation, and was heavily involved in student recruitment and formal mentoring programs.

Sandra is also engaged in the broader Calgary community including as a Guest Instructor at the University of Calgary Faculty of Law, teaching both Trial Advocacy and Civil Procedure, serving as a Board Director for the Young Canadian Arbitration Practitioners, Past Chair for the City of Calgary’s Community Peace Officer Oversight Committee, Judge for Top 40 Under 40 YYC, and a BLSA Canada mentor for several years.

Her extensive experience culminated in her transition to her current role as Senior Legal Counsel role at AltaLink (a Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company and one of Canada’s largest electricity transmission companies) in late 2023. In this role, Sandra manages all of AltaLink’s litigation matters, including complex investigations, arbitrations, and regulatory disputes.

In her spare time, Sandra enjoys volunteering in her community, travelling to learn about other cultures, playing pickle ball (badly allegedly), and spending time with her two children, Jax and new baby, Lucy Joy.

Jeremy Busch-Howell

Jeremy Busch-Howell (Business Law, Calgary: 2013-2019) graduated from the University of Saskatchewan College of Law and completed both a summer and articling term at McCarthy Tétrault before joining the Business Law group in Calgary. While at the firm, Jeremy was involved in some of Canada’s largest M&A transactions (including two of the five largest M&A transactions in Canada's history) and completed both domestic and cross-border securities offerings totaling in the tens of billions of dollars.

Jeremy left the firm in 2019 to help build the in-house legal group at NorthRiver Midstream, a Brookfield portfolio company and one of western Canada’s leading gas gathering and processing businesses, as the Director, Legal. When he finished the job, he was tasked with leading NorthRiver Midstream’s legal and procurement teams as the Director, Legal and Procurement. In 2022, Jeremy left NorthRiver Midstream to join the executive team at Total Energy Services, a TSX-listed energy services company with approximately 2,500 employees and operations in Canada, the United States and Australia, as the Vice President, Legal, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary. Jeremy is also a member of the board of directors of Total Energy’s Canadian operating companies, Bidell Gas Compression, Opsco Process Corp., Savanna Drilling, Savanna Well Servicing and Total Oilfield Rentals.

Jeremy believes in community involvement. He spent seven years volunteering on the board of directors of the Volunteer Centre of Calgary, a non-profit organization focused on connecting volunteers with causes throughout Alberta. He also currently volunteers on the board of directors of the Distress Centre Calgary, a non-profit organization that provides 24-hour crisis support, professional counselling, youth peer support, and navigation and referrals through 211 and a coordinated entry program. He is also a member of the Legal and Contracts Committee of the Canadian Association of Energy Contractors (CAOEC) and provides mentorship to junior lawyers in Alberta through the Law Society of Alberta’s Mentorship Express program.

The Legacy of Gordon Shrum

Our founding firm in Vancouver was Shrum, Liddle and Hebenton. Unlike our founding firms in central Canada, our history in Vancouver is a little shorter, dating back to the 1960s. Shrum, Liddle and Hebenton grew rapidly, becoming one of Vancouver’s leading firms by the 1980s, merging with McCarthy & McCarthy in 1989-1990, and winning the SCC fight to create the first truly national firm. Gordon Shrum remained a daily part of our firm until well into the 2000s. Everyone who met Gordon will confirm that he was a wonderful conversationalist, witty and fun, with wide-ranging interests. He is described as wicked smart, fastidious, and someone who adhered to high standards in everything he did.

Gordon passed in 2018. He planned to leave the bulk of his estate to charity and did so through a donor-advised fund managed by the Aqueduct Foundation, through which he sought to make an impact in various areas: health, education, the environment, youth, and social services. In the years since 2018, his Fund has done just that. 

Recently, a reception was held to celebrate Gordon’s legacy at the recently-finished Gordon B. Shrum Building at the University of British Columbia, which will house the UBC School of Biomedical Engineering.

We know you will all be inspired and impressed to know of Gordon’s incredible legacy, not just in the culture of excellence we continue to uphold at McCarthy Tétrault, but in his Fund’s contributions throughout our community.

Alumni Gatherings: Reconnecting and Reminiscing

Our events are great ways to reconnect with former colleagues and friends from McCarthy Tétrault. We are working on our next slate of events. Don’t miss out! Please ensure you are subscribed to our Alumni Mailing List to receive your invite. For more information, or to request an invitation to our alumni events, please email alumninews@mccarthy.ca.

Our team has recently hosted the following regional events:

Alumni Reunion Cocktail Parties

Last fall, we hosted our Montréal and Québec City Alumni for cocktails in both the Montreal and Quebec City offices respectively.

Articling Year Reunion Events

Recently, we hosted our Vancouver articling classes from the years 2011/2012, 2012/2013 and 2013/2014.

6th Annual GC Summit: The Future in Focus

This past February, our firm hosted our 6th Annual General Counsel Summit. This year’s Summit focused on how the role of GC helps shape organizations to be more resilient for the future. During the course of this incredible event, our speakers and attendees discussed how navigating crisis and helping future-proof organizations starts by building strong teams, staying well informed, and keeping the executive team aligned with legal.

Thank you to alumni Sacha Fraser, Darren Watt and Jonathan Gitlin for participating as panelists!

A summary of the key takeaways can be found here.

For more information or to find out how you can get involved in future summits and other firm events, please email alumninews@mccarthy.ca.

CPD Credits

Need CPD credits? Find all our e-learning offerings on our website. You can also view a summary of your CPD credits earned at our internal programs and meetings (on your dashboard, click on “View Details” next to your year of call, under “My Jurisdictions”).

Below are the links and CPD instructions for our current archives by region:

British Columbia
Ontario
Québec (English)
Québec (French)

To subscribe to receive notifications of blogs, newsletters and events relevant to you, please sign up via our website. For questions or assistance with the CPD program, please email alumninews@mccarthy.ca.

Stay Connected 

Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, we want to hear from you. Stay connected with colleagues, friends, and mentors from McCarthy Tétrault and receive invitations to firm and industry events.

Stay connected to our network by subscribing to alumni event invitations and news.

Find out about our community programs.

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. 

Share information for future newsletters or let us know if we’ve missed anything or need to make any amendments by emailing alumninews@mccarthy.ca.