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McCarthy Tétrault Alumni Newsletter
December 2025
A Message From Heidi Gordon, Ontario Region Alumni Lead
Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of stepping into the role of Alumni Lead of our Ontario Region. I cannot imagine a more exciting initiative to be a part of! It’s been 16 years since I joined the firm as a student in the summer of 2009, and during this time, I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know so many of you. Our alumni community is at the heart of everything we do, and your achievements, insights, and ongoing engagement continue to inspire us to find ways to elevate the alumni experience. We value your connection to the firm, and are committed to fostering meaningful opportunities for you to network, grow and celebrate together.
This was an eventful year for our alumni program. We had the pleasure of seeing so many of you at events such as “The Journey: A McCarthy Tétrault Reunion” at the St. Regis in September. Based based on your feedback from that event, we are already planning the next one: stay tuned for more information! We also had the pleasure of launching our new Professional Journey Office, dedicated to supporting the professional journeys of each of our lawyers, which includes enhancing our alumni program. You can learn more about this initiative, and Jennifer Rafauli, who has joined us to lead the Professional Journey Office, in this newsletter.
And one last thing… please continue to share your personal and professional updates with us, along with contact information. You can share all your updates by email to alumninews@mccarthy.ca. Your journeys inspire so many others within our community, and we love having the opportunity to celebrate with you.
Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!
Heidi Gordon
Partner | Ontario Region Alumni Lead
What’s New With You?
From winning awards, to starting new roles, check out what some of our colleagues have been up to since our last newsletter:
Marc-André Blanchard
Litigation, Montréal: 1997 – 2016) receives the 2025 Testimonial Dinner Award on April 24 in Toronto
Karl Bjurström
(Real Property and Planning, Toronto: 2015 – 2017), back right, as Aide-de-Camp (ADC) to the Queen Consort during the Royal visit to Canada
Paul Cassidy
(Business Law, Vancouver: 2014 – 2022) with the newly built cabin at Camp Cassidy
Alumni Updates
Have you recently been promoted, won an award, been appointed to a board or made an exciting career move (or know someone who has)? Send your updates to be featured in our next edition!
Contact UsWhat’s New With Us: Introducing the MT Professional Journey Office
We are excited to announce the launch of our MT Professional Journey Office, our new national office dedicated to supporting our lawyers at every stage of their career with us—from their very first day through to their alumni experience.
Joining our firm as the leader of the PJO is Jennifer Rafauli. With over 20 years of experience as both a lawyer and a talent development leader, Jennifer brings a wealth of expertise to our firm. In her new role, she will oversee our Alumni Program, guide the integration of our evolving legal service delivery tools, and lead the strategy and operations for two key talent development initiatives: MT Academy, focused on legal education, and MT Advance, providing mentoring, coaching, and leadership development. Jennifer will work closely with Éric Gosselin (Partner & National Leader, Practices, People & Professional Development), Robin MacAulay (Chief Professional Resources Officer) and Laura Millman (National Education Director) to drive these initiatives forward.
Most recently, several of our Alumni joined us on a Professional Journey Panel for our 2025 Summer Student Open House. We would like to extend our sincere thanks to our Alumni participants Caitlin Norton, Jessica Laham, and Nish Jain, who were joined by current team members Alex Steele and Vivian Sy, for sharing their insights and experiences with prospective summer students.
The PJO recognizes that legal careers are individual and unique. We are proud to hire exceptional individuals and to celebrate the diverse and successful paths our lawyers and Alumni choose to follow. Our goal is to ensure that all our lawyers and Alumni feel supported throughout their career journeys and remain deeply connected to the McCarthy Tétrault experience and community.
We look forward to involving our Alumni in our PJO initiatives. If you have questions about the program or are interested in getting involved, please send us an email at alumninews@mccarthy.ca.
Regional Spotlights: Ontario
Nancy Carroll
(Business Law, Toronto: 1986 – 2025)
Stephen Scholtz
(Litigation, Toronto: 1993 – 1998)
Nicole Rumble
(Business Law, Toronto: 2014 – 2018)
Adam Armeland
(Real Property and Planning, Toronto: 2013 – 2017)
Nancy Carroll (Business Law, Toronto: 1986 – 2025)
Sailing into Retirement: Honouring Nancy Carroll’s 40-Year Voyage at McCarthy Tétrault
After more than 40 years at the firm, Nancy Carroll has officially retired from the McCarthy Tétrault partnership, leaving behind a legacy that helped shape the Canadian insurance industry.
Nancy joined the firm’s Toronto office in 1984, bringing with her a strong academic foundation: a BA (Hons) in Political Science and History from Mount Allison University, an MA in International Political Studies from Queen’s University, and a JD from the University of Toronto. Over her four decades in private practice at McCarthy Tétrault, she built a reputation as one of the country’s leading legal minds in M&A and insurance regulatory work.
Nancy’s fingerprints are on some of the most significant insurance transactions in Canada, including the first demutualizations of a life insurance company and a property & casualty insurance company in Canadian history. She was at the forefront of shaping the firm’s expertise in the insurance industry, having served as the Head of the firm’s National Insurance and Reinsurance Group.
Retirement hasn’t slowed her down. When she retired from our firm in February 2025, Nancy joined the Board of Directors at Manulife Financial Corporation—Canada’s largest life insurer and a global industry leader. She also continues to serve on the Board of the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation, where she’s been a director since 2021. Her involvement with the Foundation runs deep: during her time at McCarthy, she was a passionate fundraiser and team leader for the annual Walk to Conquer Cancer, often topping the charts as the Walk's highest individual fundraiser, and a cyclist on Team McCarthy Tetrault in the annual Ride to Conquer Cancer.
Outside the boardroom, Nancy remains just as active. She and her husband Steven are longtime members of the Royal Canadian Yacht Club, where they enjoy sailing. She also finds time for travel with a cycling trip in Vietnam in November 2025, sailing in the BVI, winters in Naples, Florida, yoga, ballet, skiing and family, with visits to her daughter Allison and son-in-law Sam in Baltimore and daughter Elyssa in Vancouver—pursuits that take center stage in this new chapter of her life.
Nancy can be contacted at nancyjoancarroll@gmail.com and 416-625-7733.
Stephen Scholtz (Litigation, Toronto: 1993 – 1998)
From Bay Street Beginnings to the C-Suite: Stephen Scholtz’s Journey to CIBC’s Global Chief Legal Officer
When Stephen Scholtz first joined McCarthy Tétrault as a summer student in the early 1990s, he was laying the groundwork for a career that would eventually see him leading the global legal function of CIBC. Stephen’s path has been marked by steady progression, a knack for litigation and dispute resolution, and a reputation for wise counsel.
After seven formative years at the firm, Stephen’s moved to Ogilvy Renault, further sharpening his legal skills before joining CIBC in 2006. There, he climbed the ranks—from Senior Litigation Counsel to Head of Litigation and Employment Law, to Deputy General Counsel for Canada, then Senior Vice-President and General Counsel for Canada, and now, Global Chief Legal Officer overseeing legal strategy for the bank worldwide.
His leadership has not gone unnoticed. “Stephen is a respected leader on our team, and he is well positioned to take on the leadership of our legal affairs globally,” said CIBC’s president and CEO, Harry Culham, in a recent announcement. Stephen’s experience advising on complex legal, regulatory, and governance matters is seen as a key asset as the bank looks to the future.
Reflecting on his journey, Stephen’s credits his time at the firm as foundational, providing the skills and perspective that have guided his career in the financial sector. With degrees in Arts, Social Sciences, and Law from the University of Ottawa, Scholtz’s story is a testament to the value of strong mentorship, lifelong learning, and the enduring connections forged at McCarthy Tétrault.
Nicole Rumble (Business Law, Toronto: 2014 – 2018)
Pension Powerhouse: Nicole Rumble’s Legal Leadership
Nicole Rumble began her journey as a summer student at the firm, eventually joining the firm’s Business Law Group as an associate, where her practice focused on M&A, capital markets, and corporate governance. During her time as an associate, Nicole completed a secondment at Slate Asset Management, gaining hands-on experience in the fast-paced world of asset management and further broadening her expertise in corporate law.
Nicole left the firm to join Sun Life Financial, where she provided strategic and proactive advice on complex international M&A transactions and strategic investments, as well as securities, corporate governance and regulatory matters. A few years later, Nicole had the opportunity to bring the experience she gained at the firm and Sun Life to University Pension Plan (UPP) – a then newly created pension plan whose purpose is to bring greater pension security to Ontario’s university sector. Nicole initially helped build the infrastructure for the implementation of UPP’s investment strategy, which included developing legal precedents and processes, and drafting policies. Today, as Senior Legal Counsel, Investments, Nicole supports the onboarding of new universities, executes investment transactions, and advises on regulatory compliance.
Nicole is passionate about mentorship and has devoted time to mentoring and championing younger lawyers throughout her career. While at the firm, she was involved in student recruitment, mentored students and junior lawyers and benefited from having supportive and inspiring mentors. While at Sun Life, she supervised a student enrolled in Toronto Metropolitan University’s Law Practice Program and served on the Application Review Committee for Avenue: Black and Indigenous Undergraduate Law Internship Program, an annual internship program to help Black and/or Indigenous undergraduate students in Canada gain real-world experience in the legal industry. At UPP, she leads the summer legal student program.
Adam Armeland (Real Property and Planning, Toronto: 2013 – 2017)
From Law to Lunch: How Adam Armeland Is Reshaping Canada’s Food Scene—With a Little Help From His Son
In the heart of Toronto’s bustling food innovation scene, Adam Armeland is cooking up something big… and it’s not just in the kitchen! Adam traded in his legal briefs for food halls when he and a couple of close friends co-founded Kitchen Hub, Canada’s first virtual food hall, in 2019.
The idea was simple but bold: bring top-tier restaurant brands together under one roof, offering turnkey kitchen spaces designed for delivery-first operations. In a world where off-premises dining is booming, Kitchen Hub gives restaurants a low-risk way to expand and thrive. Under Adam’s leadership, the company has grown to multiple flagship locations and is now expanding across the country, redefining how Canadians experience food delivery.
Kitchen Hub has partnered with major landlord’s including Hines, Westbank Corp., Peterson Group, First Capital Realty, Longo’s, Manulife and AIMCo to deliver a unique digital-first food amenity to their projects. Kitchen Hub provides design, construction, leasing, technology, and operation services to bring these amenities to life.
But the entrepreneurial spirit doesn’t stop at the office. At home, Adam’s nine-year-old son, Sam, is already making waves with his own venture: Sam Cooks, a home-based cookie business that sold over 2,000 cookies in just two months. Using AI-powered tools, Sam built his own e-commerce site overnight, proving that digital entrepreneurship isn’t just for grown-ups. His story is a sweet reminder of how accessible business-building has become, and how a supportive environment can spark big ideas, even in small hands.
Whether it’s helping restaurants scale or encouraging his son’s cookie empire, Adam is driven by a passion for innovation, community, and empowering others. Kitchen Hub isn’t just a business. It’s a platform for growth, creativity, and change in the food industry.
To learn more about Kitchen Hub’s vision, visit https://kitchenhub.com. And for a taste of Sam’s entrepreneurial journey, check out https://samcooks.ca.
We Want to Hear From You
Do you know someone (perhaps you?) who we should turn the spotlight on in a future newsletter? Send us your suggestions. We want to hear from and about you.
Contact UsAlumni Gatherings: Reconnecting and Reminiscing
Celebrating our Alumni on the Bench – Ontario Region
Throughout our 170-year history, McCarthy Tétrault has been proud to see more than 90 of our colleagues appointed to the bench, including six to the Supreme Court of Canada. From the Ontario region alone, 32 alumni have joined this distinguished group. To honour their achievements and lasting impact, this past June we were delighted to welcome these alumni for a special reception celebrating their judicial appointments and remarkable professional journeys.
During the reception in June we were able to capture this rare group photo of some of the McCarthy Tétrault alumni who have gone on to serve in our courts
Summer Patio Series at Chef’s Hall
Summer Patio Series
This summer, we launched a Summer Patio Series, held over three evenings in July and August at Chef’s Hall. The series brought together over 100 of our alumni and lawyers who began their careers with us as summer/articling students between 2001 to 2021. The series provided a casual setting for alumni to drop in for one event or attend all three, with a particular focus on reconnecting with former articling class colleagues. It was wonderful to see so many familiar faces enjoying good company and conversation. Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make the series a success!
The Journey: A McCarthy Tétrault Reunion
This past September, we were thrilled to welcome our Ontario alumni to the St. Regis Toronto for an evening filled with great food, drinks, conversation, and plenty of laughter. The event brought together nearly 300 attendees, including more than 170 alumni, making it a wonderful opportunity to reconnect and reminisce. Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make the evening such a success. Photos from the event are available here.
Ontario alumni reunion at the St. Regis Toronto
British Columbia alumni women’s event in the Vancouver office
Paint or Be Painted: An Alumni Women’s Event
In October, we were delighted to host a group of our women alumni from the British Columbia Region for a special Paint and Pamper event. Guests could choose to get creative with a chocolate painting session or unwind with a manicure or hand massage. The evening provided a wonderful opportunity for genuine connections and meaningful conversations. Thank you to everyone who joined us—what a fantastic time we had together!
Articling Year Reunion Events
The Toronto articling class of 1994/1995 met this past October for their 30th year reunion! 15 of the 25 members were in attendance. A great time was had by all.
Articling Year 1994 - 1995
Front row: Kelly Mulcair, Noël Brown, Teresa Walsh, Malini Moorthy, Richard Fowler, Marsha Lindsay
Middle row: Daniel Black, Lisa Johnson, Marion Annau, Peter Neumann, Andrew Parker, Mary Catherine Chambers, Heather Hutchinson, Ted Crysler, Karen Savoy, Jennifer Witzel
Back row: Ravi Lall, Sally Bryant Ballingall, Tycho Manson, Robin MacAulay, Sarah Hyndman, Silvio D'Addario, Catherine Decaire, Cecilia Lee, Bernice Fan
Front row: Noël Brown, Bernice Fan, Marsha Lindsay, Cecilia Lee, Terri Walsh, Jennifer Witzel, Sarah Hyndman Fitzpatrick, Marion Annau, Sally Bryant
Back row: Tycho Manson, Robin MacAulay, Andrew Parker, Daniel Black, Richard Fowler, Ted Crysler
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, email us at alumninews@mccarthy.ca.
Contact UsIn Memoriam
We remember and honour our Alumni who have recently passed away. Our thoughts are with their loved ones.
Colin Coolican (Business Law, Toronto: 1968 – 1980)
Kevin Kemp (Litigation, Toronto: 1991 – 1993)
Vivian Ntiri Nkongolo (Litigation, Toronto: 2016 – 2020)
Rosemarie Wertschek (Tax, Vancouver: 1975-2002; 2005-2015)
CPD Credits
Need CPD credits? Below are the links and CPD instructions for our current archives by region. To subscribe to receive notifications of blogs, newsletters and events relevant to you, please sign up here. For questions or assistance with the CPD program, please email alumninews@mccarthy.ca.
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Contact UsStay 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.
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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.
National Alumni Committee
- Kate McNeill-Keller, National Co-Lead
- Eli Mogil, National Co-Lead
- Jody Aldcorn, Regional Lead, British Columbia
- Pantelis Kyriakakis, Regional Lead, Alberta
- Heidi Gordon, Regional Lead, Ontario
- Jean Lortie, Regional Lead, Québec
- Emil Stanca, Co-Editor, Alumni Newsletter
- Selena Brown, Co-Editor, Alumni Newsletter
Alumni Advisory Board
- Arlene Alvares, Consultant, Legal, Compliance & Strategy Advisor, Arlene Alvares Consulting
- Ellen Yifan Chen, Federal Commissioner, National Battlefields Commission
- Mario Fiorucci, CEO, Restaurant Equipment Distributors of Canada Ltd. (R.E.D. Canada)
- Joseph Guiyab, Sessional Lecturer, Department of Management, University of Toronto)
- David Tennant, Counsel, Castle Law Professional Corporation
- Teresa Walsh, Adjudicator, Ontario Government
- Alexi N. Wood, Founding Lawyer, St. Lawrence Barristers PC
Professional Journey Office
- Jennifer Rafauli, Head of the MT Professional Journey Office
- Éric Gosselin, Partner & National Leader, Practices, People & Professional Development
- Robin MacAulay, Chief Professional Resources Officer
- Laura Millman, National Education Director