Lexpert Rising Stars 2021: Canada’s Leading Lawyers Under 40

Jump to winners | Jump to methodology | View PDF

The Lexpert Rising Stars Awards are presented by Lexpert magazine and supported by Canadian Lawyer and InHouse magazines. Winners were revealed at the Young Lawyers Summit on November 25, an event brought to you by Key Media. Thank you to our event partner, Fasken; our gold sponsor, KPMG Law; and our supporting organizations, the Women General Counsel Canada and South Asian Bar Association of Toronto. We would also like to thank the advisory panel for dedicating their time to selecting and awarding excellence. 

This year, we received an overwhelming response in our call to nominations — a testament to the legal profession’s commitment to celebrate and develop young talent. 

“The array of candidates is remarkable, not just by the extremely high level of talent, but by its breadth,” says Peter Feldberg, the firm managing partner of Fasken and member of the advisory panel. “The candidates now come from all backgrounds, from all walks of life and from virtually every form of legal experience. They are reflective of the diverse strength of the country itself.” 

Track record of success

Many of the Rising Stars winners are at the top of their game, representing clients in deals and cases at a notably high level of complexity. 

For example, Iris Fischer of Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP recently won a victory at the Supreme Court of Canada in the Sherman Estate v. Donovan case. “It’s a very good day for court openness in this country,” Fischer told Canadian Lawyer when the decision was released. Blakes represented the Toronto Star in its argument that the sealing orders on files were unjustified. 

“This award is definitely a milestone for me,” says Fischer. “But it’s also a chance to thank the people who helped me get to this point. It starts with supportive family and friends, colleagues and mentors. And it also has a lot to do with the clients who trust you with their complex cases.” 

Sharon Singh, specializing in regulatory, governance, environmental and Aboriginal law at Bennett Jones in Vancouver, has also worked on many complex, high-profile matters. There has been a “fundamental shift in our thinking in terms of what economic reconciliation looks like, and it really does go beyond the simple benefit agreements frame-work,” Singh recently told Canadian Lawyer.

Community involvement

In addition to the complex and high-stakes work that the Rising Stars have advised on, these young lawyers are committed to giving back. They all have outstanding track records of community leadership and pro bono work. 

“Not only are each of them extremely talented practitioners, but they are also so generous with their time — giving back to young lawyers and the community through initiatives such as pro bono services, charitable giving and promoting diversity and inclusion in the profession,” says advisory panel member Barbara Silverberg, the head of legal at Dell Canada. 

For example, Rising Star winner Melissa Miller has worked tirelessly since she became partner in 2020 to advocate for legal reform in long-term care facilities. She balances a high volume of mass tort cases, many of which involve the elderly, with political advocacy work. “This is, in my opinion, an apolitical, bipartisan, moral and ethical issue, to have national standards for long-term care,” she told Canadian Lawyer in a recent profile. 

Since his call to the bar, Léon Moubayed, a partner and practice coordinator for the investigations & white-collar defence team at Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP, has worked on many pro bono files at the firm. He currently represents the appellants, the World Sikh Organization and Amrit Kaur in challenging Quebec’s secularism law (Bill 21). He also represents, as a victim, a Montréal synagogue that was vandalized with swastikas. He has appeared before the Supreme Court of Canada on ground-breaking freedom of religion and education cases. 

Contribution to the legal profession

Many of this year’s winners are out-of-the-box thinkers who realize that the traditional skills that lawyers must have — being a fearless advocate and having a mastery of the law — are not enough. Most lawyers must also have business skills, whether they are in private practice or in-house. For Rahim Esmail, lead lawyer for IT procurement with TELUS, this means teaching law students about what corporate counsel do. Esmail acts as principal to law students from the UBC’s Allard School of Law as part of the Norton Rose Fulbright LLP Corporate Counsel externship. Esmail is also a regular contributor to TELUS’ internal professional development sessions. 

“At a high level, this award recognizes that TELUS Legal Services provides valuable opportunities that enable the success of young lawyers,” Esmail says. “At a personal level, this award recognizes that I have successfully executed on those opportunities.”

Contribution to organizational success

“Our Rising Stars have embraced market and social forces demanding mindful engagement in times of accelerating change and uncertainty,” says advisory panel member Hugh MacKinnon, who is the chairman and chief executive officer at Bennett Jones LLP. “The fact that the profession can produce people of such character and accomplishment augurs well for the future.” 

Many of the winners are already leaders at their firm or organization. At McCarthy Tétrault, Pavan Jawanda is highly regarded for his cross-border M&A, private equity and technology expertise. He is co-chair of the national tech M&A group, co-chair of the Vancouver emerging companies committee and extensively involved in U.S. and Asian business development initiatives. 

“Pavan is a unique talent and leading light within his age group among lawyers in Canada. He is already a superstar in the early stages of his career,” says Ted Koffman, head of business law (B.C.), at McCarthys. 

Many of the in-house winners are also leaders in their organizations. Daniel Holden is senior vice president, human resources & general counsel at Nestlé Canada. Holden has a unique, hybrid role among in-house lawyers in Canada, simultaneously leading the legal and human resources functions for Nestlé’s entire Canadian market. Nestlé Canada employs 3,500 people in 20 locations across the country. To succeed, Holden advises young lawyers to focus on what they love doing. “Trying to be exceptional at something you don’t enjoy is a hard road,” says Holden. 

Diversity and inclusion

In a profession rightly criticized for a lack of diversity in its senior ranks, the wide range of backgrounds among these young lawyers is heartening for the future.

“As a Black immigrant woman, the first person in my immediate family to attend university and the first lawyer in my family — this award is not only an honour for myself, but also for my family,” says Sasha Hart, legal counsel at the Canadian Human Rights Commission. “It’s a testament to all the support I’ve been fortunate to receive along my legal journey to date, including from a number of incredible mentors.”

Work-life balance

The perfect balance between work and one’s personal life may be a myth, and many of the Rising Stars are open about the challenges they have faced during these uncertain times. “Winning this award is particularly rewarding in a year filled with tremendous change, including incredible learning and teaching opportunities and times where I’ve gone full throttle, juxtaposed with days where I’ve taken a step back to look after myself and my family,” says Melanie McKague, senior legal counsel at BCE/Bell Canada.

A difficult year

“As we wind through the chaos created by the pandemic, it’s easy to be lulled into a state of pessimism,” says advisory panel member Lucille D’Souza, V.P. & associate general counsel, innovation & operations at Royal Bank of Canada. “But reading what this cohort of phenomenal young lawyers have done should be an inspiration for everyone!”

We congratulate all winners for persevering in a difficult time and maintaining a level of excellence that has genuinely elevated them to the peak of their profession.

Methodology

The Lexpert Rising Stars Awards honour leading lawyers under 40 from law firms, in-house departments and other practices. Members of the legal profession were invited to nominate lawyers qualified in Canada who have made outstanding contributions in their careers thus far.

All shortlisted submissions were forwarded to the advisory panel comprising esteemed leaders and experts within the legal profession. The panel assessed and voted for the selection of winners, considering the following areas of accomplishment:

• Deals, cases or files
• Community involvement
• Contribution to the legal profession& professional development
• Contribution to organizational success
• Client service strategy
• Legal profession awards/accolades

The scores of the judging panel were then tallied to determine the winners. Votes by judges from the same organization as a candidate were voided to prevent a conflict of interest.

2021 Winners