OTTAWA LAWYER HEADS TO PARIS
Changes are afoot at Perley-Robertson Hill & McDougall LLP.
The head of its international arbitration group, Andrew McDougall, becomes special counsel to the firm as he relocates to Paris this year. In turn, he also becomes an international arbitration partner with White & Case LLP. The Ottawa firm says the move gives it an added presence in Europe.
Replacing McDougall as head of the international arbitration group at the Ottawa firm is Barry Leon, who has more than 30 years’ experience as counsel and often acts as an arbitrator and mediator.
“I look forward to this next stage in the growth of our international arbitration group,” said Leon.
LAWYER SENTENCED OVER CHILD PORN
A Timmins, Ont., lawyer has received a sentence of two years less a day for his part in child pornography activities.
Superior Court Justice Gregory Ellies sentenced Brad Sloan, 64, last week for possessing and distributing child pornography. Upon release, Sloan will be on probation for two years.
Sloan pleaded guilty to a charge of possession and distribution of child pornography last month. According to the Sudbury Star, Sloan’s e-mails containing the child pornography in question went to five primary contacts and seven additional people.
The children involved in the materials ranged in age from four to 12 with the majority being on the older end of that scale.
“Mr. Sloan not only distributed child pornography, he did so unabashedly as evidenced by the contents of some” of the 600 e-mail messages he sent, the Star reported Ellies as saying.
NEW PARTNERS AT DAVIS
Toronto lawyer Justin Mooney is among five new partners at Davis LLP.
Mooney practices corporate/commercial, real estate, and banking law. The other new partners include Dean Dalke, Megan Filmer, and Richard Lord in Vancouver, as well as Colin Lipsett in Edmonton.
“Davis continues to grow because the partners have worked hard to cultivate a solid foundation,” said managing partner Robert Seidel.
U OF T LAW PROF HONOURED
The Law Foundation of Ontario has awarded University of Toronto law professor Judith McCormack its 2011 Guthrie Award.
The award recognizes recipients for their contributions to access to justice or excellence in the legal profession.
“McCormack is a vociferous and vocal advocate for increased legal aid services and improved access to justice and someone who has done a remarkable job training the next generation of lawyers to remain loyally fixated on their professionalism and the public interest,” wrote those who supported McCormack’s nomination.
“At the same time, she blends just the right amount of idealism with realism for the occasion.”
McCormack is executive director at the university’s Downtown Legal Services Clinic and has worked in private practice in the past. She’s currently on leave from the clinic post. She has also served as chairwoman of the Ontario Labour Relations Board.
“Judith’s distinguished career has been consistently guided by a strong commitment to accessible justice,” said Mark Sandler, chairman of the law foundation’s board.
“She has had an enormous impact because of her influence on law students entering the profession and because of her success in achieving systemic change in law schools, legal clinics, and the tribunal sector, all of which in turn benefits the public of Ontario.”
McCormack received support in her nomination from judges, academics, and legal clinic practitioners.
In the past, McCormack has played a leadership role in the university’s Middle Income Access to Civil Justice Initiative that focuses on helping people who can’t afford to hire lawyers and don’t qualify for legal aid to access the justice system.
BLG PROMOTES 11 TO PARTNERSHIP
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP has promoted 11 lawyers from its offices in Ottawa and Toronto to partnership.
In Ottawa, commercial litigation lawyer André Ducasse and commercial real estate lawyer Sybil Johnson-Abbott were promoted to partnership at the firm.
In Toronto, insurance and tort liability lawyer Tamar Agopian, labour and employment practitioner Lisa Cabel, and corporate commercial lawyer David Faye joined the partnership at BLG.
Other promotions to partner at the firm’s Toronto office included commercial litigators Tyler Hodgson, Isabella Massimi, Brendan Wong, and Katherine Menear.
In BLG’s securities and capital markets practice area, David Surat and Matthew Williams became partners.
