Connect

A message from Kate McNeill-Keller and Eli Mogil, co-leaders of our National Alumni Program

Hello friends and a warm welcome to the Spring 2023 edition of our Alumni Newsletter.

2023 has marked a period of renewal and workplace reconnection both at McCarthy’s and throughout the legal industry. As the new co-leads of McCarthy Tétrault’s National Alumni Program, we are strengthening the focus of our Alumni Program on facilitating and providing opportunities for meaningful connections with you. Our goal is to support you in nurturing and growing your relationships within this fantastic network of people who are a part of the McCarthy Tétrault community. No matter when, where, or how your career intersected with our firm, we are committed to maintaining our connectivity and to fostering the bonds you formed with your friends and colleagues.

In that spirit, we have recently launched a refreshed National Alumni Committee and are moving forward with strategic initiatives designed to enhance our Alumni experience. Here are some important highlights:

1. Alumni Events. We are hard at work planning a slate of exciting in-person events over the coming months. This will provide you with an excellent opportunity to reconnect with colleagues and friends. Please stay posted for details and invites.
2. Alumni Advisory Board. We are excited to launch our first ever Alumni Advisory Board, a working group of our firm’s alumni who will play a key role in expanding and strengthening our alumni network and working closely with us to ensure we are offering our Alumni a tailored and effective program. If you are interested in being a part of this initiative, we would love to hear from you – please email us at emogil@mccarthy.ca or kmcneill@mccarthy.ca.
3. Alumni News. We always look forward to hearing about where you are and what you are up to! If you have any news that you would like to share in future newsletters, please send a note to alumninews@mccarthy.ca.
4. Alumni Tracking. We are working to ensure we keep in touch and have up-to-date contact information for our alumni who are interested. If you have changed roles or have updated contact information, please email us at alumninews@mccarthy.ca so that we can stay connected.
5. Feedback Survey. We want to ensure that our Alumni Program serves your interests and we want to hear from you. Please take a minute to complete the survey found below to tell us what you would like to see in future alumni events, programs and editions of this newsletter.

We are here for you and welcome your input. If you would like to connect on any of the above or if you have any other feedback on how we can continue to foster meaningful and useful connections between you, the firm and our alumni network, please reach out to either of us directly at kmcneill@mccarthy.ca or emogil@mccarthy.ca.

Thank you in advance for your engagement and support – we look forward to working with all of you and hope to see many of you (in person!) soon.

Kate & Eli

SPOTLIGHT: Catching-up with Marianne Bolhuis, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at the Canadian Olympic Committee

Every two years, Canada’s top athletes compete on the global stage, representing Canada at the Olympic Games with the dream of bringing home gold. Marianne Bolhuis is proud to be a key part of the “team behind the Team”, supporting Team Canada as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary with the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC).

We recently caught up with Marianne to talk about her role and how she used teamwork, creative thinking and a values-based approach to support and guide the COC through the chaos of a global pandemic.

Marianne’s Path to the COC

Marianne began her career as a summer and articling student at McCarthy Tétrault in Toronto before joining the firm’s Technology, Communications and IP group as an Associate from 2003 - 2005. While highly engaged in her practice, she ultimately determined that she was drawn to the client side of the business. 

“When practicing law, you can lose the other side of your advice and work. I wanted to know what clients did with legal advice and how their problems resolved, which led me to transition towards the business side.”

This curiosity led her to make the in-house leap, joining Moneris, a Canadian financial technology company specializing in payment processing, in 2005 where she was able to build her business acumen in the world of emerging technologies. From there, Marianne moved to Diageo, a British multinational beverage alcohol company. While initially responsible for Canadian legal affairs, Marianne was provided with the opportunity to go global, spending time in Amsterdam on secondment at Diageo’s global brand headquarters and building expertise across the Diageo enterprise. It was a major professional stepping-stone, requiring Marianne to come up the knowledge curve quickly in a complex regulatory landscape and to flex her adaptability and teamwork skills in a global role. 

Joining the Team Behind Team Canada

Marianne loved her time at Diageo, but when the COC came calling in 2018, she recognized it as an opportunity that she could not pass up.

“Like my previous experiences, it was an industry I’d never really worked in. But I was always active and loved what sport contributed to my life. It's good for the health and well-being of communities, kids, and fans, and the Olympics take that inspiration to a whole other level.”

As Marianne explains, the values-based nature of the COC and the Olympic movement was key to why she was drawn to the role, and she chose to join the not-for-profit because of the work that they were doing and the values that the organization and its leadership were advancing. That personal “purpose-lead” focus on values has proven to be an ongoing and important compass for Marianne as she has navigated the challenges faced by the Olympic sport world in recent years, including the impact of the global pandemic on in-person competition, the emerging critical discourse around safe sport, and the “pressure cooker” that is the Olympic Games.

“There is rarely one right answer to an issue. There may be an answer that favours the legal decision, or one that favours the brand or the athlete or any number of other perspectives. And, the decision may need to be made in the next hour. That is why it is important to root decisions in values, and to be guided by those values to make the best decision you can in a given circumstance. Values don’t tell you what to do, but you can almost never go wrong if your decision is rooted in values.”

Navigating the Pandemic

When the global pandemic started to emerge in March 2020, the international sporting community was forced to respond in real time to the threat of COVID-19, particularly in light of the fact that the opening of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games was imminent. In her role as General Counsel, Marianne worked as part of the COC executive leadership team together with a number of important stakeholders, including first and foremost the elected Athletes’ Commission, to make and support critical and often difficult decisions. Not the least of which, was the decision in March 2020 to announce that for the safety of the athletes and their communities, Team Canada would not compete at the Tokyo Games if they were held in Summer 2020. In supporting the decision-making process that led to this call, Marianne and her colleagues again went back to the values-based approach.

“We announced that we would not be sending the Canadian team to the Tokyo Games at a time when it had not yet been announced that the Games would be postponed. It was a difficult decision. Athletes were having to say they were willing to give up on their dreams, but our focus remained on the fact that it was the right thing to do. Ultimately, athletes were drawn to a higher purpose around this message, channeling their energy towards inspiring Canadians during a very difficult time.”

Reflecting back on that difficult and challenging time, Marianne sees a number of positives arising from the pandemic, not the least of which is an enhanced focus on health and well-being both leading up to and at Games, which was critical to being able to have the 2022 Beijing Winter Games proceed safely and improving conditions for athletes going forward. Many of the safety initiatives implemented for Beijing have become permanent and will be in place for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, protecting Canada’s athletes and allowing them to perform at their highest and focus on their pursuit of the podium.

Another key point of pride for Marianne in her work at the COC is the ongoing contribution of the COC to safe sport, working with national sport organizations (many of which do not have in-house legal support), government and other stakeholders to ensure that all athletes are able to compete in a sporting world that prioritizes physical, mental and emotional safety and a positive and inclusive field of play. 

“When I think of what drives me, I think about safe sport. Knowing that when I leave this organization, sport in this country will be better and safer for the work that we have done. The impact of this is at a national level with our elite athletes, but it stretches all the way down to our kids – it’s impactful stuff that will affect millions, and though challenging it is pretty awesome to be able to work on it.”

Words of Advice

One of Marianne’s personal passions is mentorship. She has had the privilege of terrific mentors and champions over the years and reflects on that as having been key to her success and professional fulfilment. In closing out our conversation, we asked Marianne what advice she would share with new lawyers or those thinking about transitioning to the in-house world: 

“Think beyond your legal hat. It is table stakes that you're going to be providing the best legal advice, but making sure that you understand the business aspect, from values to the core drivers, is vital, because no real-world situation will fit perfectly into the applicable law. Take the time to understand the position of the person that you're advising and the business dynamics of the situation. Asking the extra questions so that you can give your client the full picture and equip them to make the strategic, real world business decisions they need to make will allow you to get to the next level from a client service perspective.”

Our thanks to Marianne for taking the time to speak with us – good luck in Paris and Go Canada Go!

What’s New With You?

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

Award Winners

• Roger Chouinard (Business Law Partner, Toronto: 1999 – 2010), Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary, QuadReal Property Group, was recognized as Law Department Leader Of The Year at the Canadian Law Awards
• Miranda Lam (Litigation Partner, Vancouver: 2006 – 2021), Chief Legal Officer & Vice President, Business Development, Acuitas Therapeutics, Inc., won the YWCA Women of Distinction Award for Business and the Professions for her work with McCarthy Tétrault’s Inclusion Now initiative

Promotions and New Positions

• Sara Albert (Litigation Associate, Calgary: 2015 – 2017) - Founder, Albert & Co. Law
• Mélanie Allaire (Clients & Markets Senior Director, Montréal: 2021 – 2023) - Head of Indigenous Relations, CN
• Bram Abramson (Business Law Associate, Toronto: 2006 - 2014) - Commissioner, Ontario Region, Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission
• David Boisvert, (Business Law Associate, Québec City : 2010 – 2011) - Investisseur d’impact, Fondaction
• Colleen Bonnyman – (Litigation Associate, Calgary: 2021 – 2023) - Claims Counsel, Alberta Lawyers Indemnity Association
• Olivier Coche (Litigation Associate, Montréal: 2012 – 2015) - VP Litigation and Regulatory Investigation, National Bank Financial
• Chloé D’Astous (Business Law Associate, Montréal: 2015 – 2017) - Lawyer, Environmental Law, Hydro-Québec
• Alicia De Praeter (Business Law Associate, Montreal: 2009 – 2014) - Senior Legal Counsel, FLO EV Charging
• Sarah-Maude Demers (Litigation Associate, Montréal: 2015 - 2022) - Legal Counsel, Desjardins Group
• Danielle Douglas (Labour & Employment Associate, Vancouver: 2016 – 2022) - Employment Counsel, GeoComply
• Nicole Fitz Simon (Litigation Associate, Calgary: 2018 – 2023) - Legal Counsel, Alberta Utilities Commission
• Catherine Frémont, (Business Law Associate, Montréal: 2014 – 2016) - Chief of Staff – President & CEO, Canadian National Railway Company
• Stephen Fulton (Business Law Associate, Toronto: 2012 – 2017) - Director, Legal, BlackRock, Inc.
• Patricia Gauthier (Litigation Associate, London UK and Montréal: 2000 – 2007) - Global Commercialization Head, Latent Diseases, Moderna
• Allyson Hopkins (Litigation Associate, Calgary: 2015 – 2018) - Senior Legal Counsel, Regulatory, Canadian Western Bank
• Will Horne (Business Law Associate, Toronto: 2018 – 2023) - Director of Legal and Stakeholder Relations, Rodan Energy Solutions Inc.
• Sherena Hussain (Tax Law Associate, Toronto: 2011 – 2015) - Founder, Academic Collaboration Consulting
• Nish Jain (Business Law Associate, Toronto, 2019 – 2022) - Co-Founder, Alchømy Alternatives
• Paul A. Kunynetz (Business Law Associate, Toronto: 2012 – 2019) - General Counsel, Mr. Lube Canada
• Manfred Lam (Business Law Associate, Toronto: 2001 - 2003) - Managing Counsel, Personal Banking, CIBC
• Laurence Landry-Plouffe (Labour & Employment Associate, Montréal : 2017 – 2021) - Centre de services scolaire de Montréal
• Pippa Leslie (Litigation Associate, Toronto: 2020 – 2023) - Legal Counsel, Dispute Resolution & Regulatory, BDO Canada
• Mark McEwan (Business Law Partner, Toronto: 2012 – 2022) - Director, Legal, OMERS Infrastructure
• Nicolas Monet (Labour & Employment Associate, Montréal: 2021 – 2022) - Journalist, Métro Média
• Luke Morassut (Litigation Associate, Vancouver: 2021 – 2023) - Investigative Counsel, BC Securities Commission
• Lan Nguyen (Litigation Associate, Calgary: 2016 – 2022) - Legal Counsel, Pembina Pipeline Corporation
• Tracey Pearce (Litigation , Toronto: 1990s) - President, Scene+. See related article.
• Dominique Paiement (Business Law Associate, Montréal, 2016 – 2022) - Senior Legal Counsel, Lightspeed Commerce
• Kathy Plante (Labour and Employment Associate, Montréal: 2004 - 2007) - Associate Deputy Minister, Department of Justice
• Ryan Plener (Labour and Employment Associate, Toronto: 2019 – 2023) - Legal Counsel, Colleague Relations, Grant Thornton
• Alex Reid (Business Law Associate, Montréal: 2020 - 2023) - Prime Solutions & Financing Attorney, Assistant Vice-President, BNP Paribas
• Paul Santache (Business Law Associate, Toronto: 2019 – 2023) - Legal Counsel, Guardian Capital
• Joe Scarfo (Business Law Associate, Montréal: 2000 – 2003) - Vice President & General Counsel, CGI
• Monique Shebbeare (Litigation Associate, Toronto: 1999 – 2003) - Tax and Estate Planner, TD Wealth Management Services
• Stéphanie St-Jean (Litigation Associate, Montréal: 2012 - 2021) - Project Leader, Boston Consulting Group (BCG)
• Kevin Stenner (Litigation Associate, Calgary: 2014 – 2017) - Legal Counsel, Neuron Mobility
• Valérie Trudeau (Business Law Associate, Québec City: 2021 – 2023) - Senior Legal Counsel, National Bank
• Christopher Zawadzki (Business Law Associate, Toronto: 2015 – 2023) - Senior Legal Counsel, Northland Power

Board Appointments

• Catherine Fagnan (Business Law Associate, Toronto: 2005 – 2012) - Advisor to the Board at Polaris Renewable Energy Inc.
• Robert Fenton (Litigation Associate, Toronto: 1994 – 2001) - Chair of the Board of Directors, CNIB
• Kelly McDermott (Labour & Employment Associate, Toronto: 2008-2010) – President, Ontario Bar Association

Judicial Appointments

• Marie-Eve Bélanger (Litigation Partner, Montréal: 2006 – 2023) - Appointed a Judge of the Superior Court of Québec
• Shaun E. Finn (Litigation Counsel, Montréal: 2006 - 2015) - Appointed a Judge of the Superior Court of Québec
• Sébastien Pierre-Roy (Litigation Partner, Montréal: 2001 - 2008) - Appointed a Judge of the Superior Court of Québec

Other News:

• Susy Opler (Litigation Partner, Toronto: 1985 - 1999) recently taught “Confronting Unconscious Bias on the Front Lines of Administrative Justice” at The Society of Ontario Adjudicators and Regulators

Alumni in the Community

Alexandre Blanchard, Associate General Counsel, KPMG

Alexandre Blanchard (Litigation Associate, Toronto: 2014 – 2017) joined KMPG LLP in 2017 as Associate General Counsel, Litigation and Regulatory. Alexandre leads a number of initiatives at KPMG and is an ambassador tor the Pride@KPMG network. He organizes internal and external events, panels and training relating to this community and serves as an advocate.

Since 2015, Alexandre has been the youngest board member of the Club canadien de Toronto, an organization of over 300 members that acts as a catalyst and unifier for the francophone communities within Toronto’s business, academic, cultural and government circles. He recently moderated a panel for Club canadien about the importance of academic freedom with the President of University of Montreal, Daniel Jutras, and the CEO of Intact Insurance, Louis Gagnon. In addition, Alexandre co-founded the ReleveON Awards organized with the support of Radio-Canada, Club canadien de Toronto and the Société économique de l’Ontario. He acted as co-president of the Awards from 2018 to 2022, providing a platform to celebrate young francophone leaders within Ontario.

Alexandre is also the founder and co-president of the University of Montreal Alumni network within the Greater Toronto area, dedicated to welcoming and supporting graduates in the Toronto region, and, to support the University’s fundraising goals.

Sherena Hussain, Founder, Academic Collaboration Consulting

Sherena Hussain (Tax Associate, Toronto: 2012 – 2015) founded Academic Collaboration Consulting (“ACC”) in 2018. ACC is a global boutique consulting firm offering training and advisory services that is changing management advisory. It does so by colliding leading academic research and best practices to upskill its clients and help them implement new business models. Sherena actively supports the advancement of high-impact training for public and private organizations by using in-person and on-line engagement innovations, simulations, and capacity building applications. Sherena has also assumed roles across commercial ventures related to bleeding edge AI, digital twinning and zero emission technologies including as Chief Operating Officer, FleetZero Inc. and as Chief Executive Officer, Tecium Designs Inc.

As a legacy initiative from the 2018 G7 Summit held in Quebec City, Sherena had the opportunity to partner with a consortium of leading institutional investors to create a solution that will address growing climate change and social inequality by stimulating investment in global infrastructure. This initiative evolved into a pioneering education program known as the Sustainable Infrastructure Fellowship Program and incubating blended finance transactions. Sherena is also involved in several G20 initiatives, including the African Infrastructure Fellowship Program and Values20 this year in India.

Sherena is often invited to speak at key international gatherings of business, government and international NGOs seeking to advance sustainability and equitable development. This includes speaking at UN COP events, Davos, NY Climate Week, and SXSW, among others. Her advocacy work here in Canada involves promoting women into development roles in which she was inducted as a ULI Women Leadership Initiative (WLI) Champion. Sherena chairs several industry initiatives including WLI’s Allies and Partnerships in Action sub-committee.

Dr. Elizabeth Koester, Sessional Lecturer, University of Toronto

Dr. Elizabeth Koester (Labour & Employment Partner, Toronto: 1987 – 1998) is a Sessional Lecturer at the University of Toronto. She recently published an award-winning book based on her dissertation, In the Public Good: Eugenics and Law in Ontario, which examines the history of the eugenics movement in Ontario through the lens of the law.

Fourth Annual GC Summit

In March 2023, McCarthy Tétrault hosted our 4th Annual GC Summit with a focus on how the varied GC hats - Risk Manager, Team Leader and Executive Leader - fit in a time of unprecedented change. We would like to thank the following alumni for their contribution as panelists at this year’s summit:

• Peter Brady (Litigation Partner, Toronto: 200014 - 2020), General Counsel at Vale Base Metals;
• Ellen Yifan Chen (Business Law Associate, Montréal: 2017 - 2022), General Counsel at Audiokinetic Inc.; and
• Sarah Qadeer (Business Law Associate, Montréal: 1997 - 1999), Chief Legal Officer at Deloitte Canada.

Read more about the summit and the key takeaways here.

CPD Credits

Don’t miss the upcoming accredited CPD programs below. For more questions about these seminars or to access our CPD library (including highly sought-after professionalism and EDI credit courses), please contact clientevents@mccarthy.ca.

McCarthy Tétrault Advance™: Appellate Quarterly

Date: July 26, 2023, 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. (ET)

Location: Webinar

Description: Join McCarthy Tétrault’s National Appellate Litigation Group as we discuss appeals of importance to the Canadian business community during the last quarter. Each session brings you up-to-date on recent appellate developments across Canada.

McCarthy Tétrault Advance™: Coast-to-Coast L&E Series: Your Top Questions Answered

Date: September 14, 2023, 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. (ET)

Location: Webinar

Description: Join us for a webinar presentation as the National Labour and Employment Group answers the most commonly asked questions that we have heard from you recently.

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In Memoriam

• Ann Bigué (Business Law, Montréal: 1982 - 2008)
• Graeme Norwood (Business Law, Toronto: 2012 – 2016)

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.

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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.