Gillian Scott's hire comes one week after the firm appointed a new chief operating officer
Lenczner Slaght has hired Gillian Scott as its first chief client officer and member of its management committee, the litigation firm announced Monday.
Scott joins Lenczner Salght from Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt, where she most recently served as a partner in innovative products and litigation operations. According to her LinkedIn profile, Scott joined Osler as a litigation associate in 2006 and spent over a decade as a partner at the national firm, acting in various business roles in client development, litigation operations, and innovation.
Her hire follows the firm’s appointment of Claudia Bessant as chief operating officer last week. Bessant joined Lenczner Slaght as director of finance in 2020.
“I’m thrilled to join Lenczner Slaght as chief client officer,” Scott said in a statement to Canadian Lawyer on Monday. “It is an incredibly unique opportunity to leverage my background in litigation practice, client development and operations, and legal innovation to work with a firm laser-focused on litigation.”
In an announcement of the hire, the litigation boutique said Scott will oversee its client-focused business functions, including marketing, business development, legal talent, events, legal support services, and legal project management.
She will also help set the firm's strategic direction in her role on the management committee.
Scott said she plans to “work as part of firm leadership to drive initiatives and build systems that ensure we are future focused, and that the voice and experience of our clients remain central to strategic decision-making in all aspects of the business.”
In a LinkedIn post announcing her new role, Scott said Lenczner Slaght’s hiring of a chief client officer “showcases not only the growth and success” of the firm, “but their investment in their clients, and intentionality in keeping those clients at the center of all their critical decision-making.”
“Thank you to LS leadership for envisioning this role, and for choosing me to build it out,” Scott said.
In a statement, firm managing partner Monique Jilesen said, “We are excited to welcome Gillian Scott to the firm in a new role focused on driving exceptional value for our clients.
“She brings a wealth of experience from her time as a commercial litigator as well as a strategic business leader in client relations, business development, and innovation,” Jilesen added. “We are confident that she will take our firm’s commitment to delivering excellence in advocacy and client service to new heights.”
