KNOCKING DOWN THE WALLS – BUILDING GENDER EQUALITY IN LAW

February 16, 2023 | ARCADIAN COURT TORONTO

#WomenInLawCA

This conference has been approved for 4 hours and 10 minutes of Professionalism Content and 40 minutes of EDI Professionalism Content by the Law Society of Ontario, 5.5 hours of CPD credits by the Law Society of British Columbia and 5 ethics hours of CPD credits by the Law Society of Saskatchewan

ABOUT


Women in Law Summit Canada is a one-of-a-kind event that celebrates, empowers, and supports women leaders in the legal profession to reach their goals. 

Featuring panel discussions, keynote presentations, fireside chats and interactive networking to enable women in law to thrive at all stages of their careers, this event aims to promote gender diversity and allyship, encourage women to break barriers in law, and support the next generation of legal talent with meaningful connection. 

Join us at Arcadian Court Toronto on February 16, 2023 to recognize female achievement, discussion solutions for today’s hurdles, and build a more inclusive legal culture.

Why attend?

  • User Icon

    Re-connect in-person with colleagues from across the legal landscape with opportunities to network and make new connections throughout the day

  • Chat Icon

    Learn the latest insights on pushing forward DEI in law from inspiring senior partners, thought leaders and changemakers

  • Idea Icon

    Discover actionable takeaways on how to conquer challenges, lean into opportunities, and successfully negotiate

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    Stay ahead of the latest legal best practice and thought leadership to create positive change in the profession

2023 SPEAKERS


Leila Rafi
Leila Rafi

Partner
McMillan LLP

Charlene Theodore
Charlene Theodore

Chief Inclusion Officer
McCarthy Tétrault

Sylvie Rodrigue, Ad.E.
Sylvie Rodrigue, Ad.E.

Partner
Torys

Sandeep Tatla
Sandeep Tatla

Chief Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Officer
Fasken

Sandra Perri
Sandra Perri

Senior Vice President and General Counsel
Sun Life Canada

Janice Rubin
Janice Rubin

Co-Founder and Co-Managing Partner
Rubin Thomlinson

Justice Renée M. Pomerance
Justice Renée M. Pomerance


Ontario Superior Court of Justice

Teresa Donnelly
Teresa Donnelly

West Region Sexual Violence Crown, Sexual Violence Advisory Group
Ministry of the Attorney General

Mana Khami
Mana Khami

Partner
Harrison Pensa

Shara Roy
Shara Roy

Chief Legal Counsel
Ernst & Young LLP

Tenisha Younge Wint
Tenisha Younge Wint

Manager of Diversity and Inclusion
Cassels, Brock & Blackwell LLP

Daniel Steinberg
Daniel Steinberg

Co-Founder and CEO
Lawbrokr™

Naomi Loewith
Naomi Loewith

Director of Strategic Partnerships – Canada, Investment Manager and Legal Counsel
Omni Bridgeway

Catherine Meade
Catherine Meade

Vice President – Community, Sustainability & Social Responsibility
Ontario Lottery & Gaming Corporation

Karima Kanani
Karima Kanani

Partner
Miller Thomson LLP

Tara Vasdani
Tara Vasdani

Managing Partner
Remote Law Canada

Sudevi Mukherjee-Gothi
Sudevi Mukherjee-Gothi

Partner
Pallett Valo

Thomas Kim
Thomas Kim

Chief Legal Officer and Company Secretary
Thomson Reuters

Jocelyn Tatebe
Jocelyn Tatebe

President
Women’s Law Association of Ontario (WLAO)

Natalie Worsfold
Natalie Worsfold

Partner, Tax Litigation & Service Innovation
Counter Tax Litigators

Monica Goyal
Monica Goyal

Lawyer and Director of Legal Innovation
Caravel Law

Gail Henderson
Gail Henderson

Associate Professor
Queen’s University Faculty of Law

Jennifer Mathers McHenry
Jennifer Mathers McHenry

Founding Partner
Mathers McHenry & Co

Heather Fisher
Heather Fisher

Associate
Gowling WLG

2023 AGENDA


All times in ET
  • Registration and breakfast
  • Opening remarks from chairperson
    Sudevi Mukherjee-Gothi
    Sudevi Mukherjee-Gothi

    Partner
    Pallett Valo

  • Keynote: Authentic leadership lessons

    What are the New Leadership Rules? It’s no longer enough to be an exceptionally skilled practitioner, rainmaker, business strategist, or to master the art of relationship building with clients. Market leading firms and in house legal departments of the future will be steered by lawyers that have additional tools in their leadership toolkit, including change management and DEI strategies. Young lawyers, the future leaders of our profession, come equipped with new ideas and perspectives. How can we build workspaces that welcome this new generation of lawyers? What does your leadership team need to do now to ensure your firm remains or emerges as a market leader in the future? Hear from Charlene Theodore in this keynote session exploring what it means to be an authentic leader today and for the future.

    Charlene Theodore
    Charlene Theodore

    Chief Inclusion Officer
    McCarthy Tétrault

  • Panel: Breaking the boys club – a novel approach to business development as a woman

    In recent years, many traditional business development activities, like sports matches and client dinners, have shifted in priority, as clients re-evaluate their time and firms refresh their strategies. But where do we go from here? Business development still proves critical to lawyers’ careers, but how can we approach it authentically as women, and what is proving effective these days? 

    • Explore alternative approaches to business development to impress your clients  
    • Gender neutral ideas and tips on how to reframe your approach to business development  
    • A look at natural relationship-building, rather than transactional incentives: remote group workshops, family-friendly activities, and more 
    • Discover fresh examples of business development best practices that work in a hybrid setting 
    Moderator
    Daniel Steinberg
    Daniel Steinberg

    Co-Founder and CEO
    Lawbrokr™

    Panelists
    Janice Rubin
    Janice Rubin

    Co-Founder and Co-Managing Partner
    Rubin Thomlinson

    Naomi Loewith
    Naomi Loewith

    Director of Strategic Partnerships – Canada, Investment Manager and Legal Counsel
    Omni Bridgeway

    Karima Kanani
    Karima Kanani

    Partner
    Miller Thomson LLP

  • Interactive networking coffee break
  • Negotiating beyond the gender pay gap – How to represent and empower yourself

    Pay and power gaps still exist in the legal profession, with women largely compensated less than men, and with less representation in leadership and partnership positions. Law firms promote their diversity targets but very few firms release their data on renumeration or partnership diversity. This practical session will provide you with the confidence to demonstrate your value and negotiate your renumeration, while meeting the needs of your organization. 

    • How to prepare for the conversation to get the outcome you want 
    • Strategies for negotiation and demonstrating your worth beyond billable hours  
    • Understanding your compensation expectations, incentives, and career progression  
    • Alternative compensation models that value performance and outcomes
    Leila Rafi
    Leila Rafi

    Partner
    McMillan LLP

  • Panel: Taking action – Pushing forward gender parity, diversity, and inclusion in law

    Firms have stated the importance of women and diversity for over twenty years, but very little has changed to advance inclusivity. Women in equity partnerships remains low, with women disproportionally populating the bottom third of compensation lists. How can we push forward positive inclusive change – and what will it take to finally achieve gender equality in law? 

    • How firms can demonstrate their commitment to DE&I by providing equal work opportunities 
    • Considering restructured compensation packages to recognize areas of practice beyond the traditional billable hours structure  
    • How to engage more men to help – strategies that male allies can deploy to support women in law  
    • Does reframing the gender pay gap as the gender pay deficit help? 
    • How can we overcome unconscious bias to elevate more women into senior leadership roles? 
    Moderator
    Sandeep Tatla
    Sandeep Tatla

    Chief Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Officer
    Fasken

    Panelists
    Shara Roy
    Shara Roy

    Chief Legal Counsel
    Ernst & Young LLP

    Thomas Kim
    Thomas Kim

    Chief Legal Officer and Company Secretary
    Thomson Reuters

    Jennifer Mathers McHenry
    Jennifer Mathers McHenry

    Founding Partner
    Mathers McHenry & Co

  • Networking lunch
  • Panel: Navigating mentoring and sponsorship as the workplace evolves

    Leveraging the support of different mentors throughout your career is widely acknowledged as pivotal to success, but how have approaches to mentorship changed in the hybrid workplace? Sponsorship is equally important for career progression, but how can remote working lawyers overcome proximity bias to remain visible for opportunities? This panel will navigate traditional and alternative routes to mentoring and sponsorship in a hybrid workplace.   

    • Best practices to maximize the benefits of mentoring relationships 
    • Mentoring vs sponsorship – how to know which type of support you need or should offer  
    • Optimizing mentoring relationships in a hybrid workplace – how has mentoring changed since the pandemic?  
    • How to find the best fit in mentoring relationships  
    Moderator
    Mana Khami
    Mana Khami

    Partner
    Harrison Pensa

    Panelists
    Sandra Perri
    Sandra Perri

    Senior Vice President and General Counsel
    Sun Life Canada

    Catherine Meade
    Catherine Meade

    Vice President – Community, Sustainability & Social Responsibility
    Ontario Lottery & Gaming Corporation

    Sylvie Rodrigue, Ad.E.
    Sylvie Rodrigue, Ad.E.

    Partner
    Torys

  • Fireside Chat: A woman’s path to the judiciary
    Representation of women on the judiciary is improving, but certain groups continue to be underrepresented. How do we encourage more women and other underrepresented groups to apply to the bench? What is the job of a judge really like? Join us for an interactive session with Justice Renée Pomerance, a judge of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice since 2006. In dialogue with Teresa Donnelly, Ministry of the Attorney General, Justice Pomerance will speak about the challenges and rewards of the judicial role.
    • how judges approach their tasks
    • the elements of impartiality and objectivity
    • the importance of diversity
    • the role of civility in litigation
    • why it is a such a humbling and extraordinary privilege to serve the public in a judicial capacity
    This session is a valuable opportunity to ask questions about these issues, and others.
    Justice Renée M. Pomerance
    Justice Renée M. Pomerance


    Ontario Superior Court of Justice

    Moderator
    Teresa Donnelly
    Teresa Donnelly

    West Region Sexual Violence Crown, Sexual Violence Advisory Group
    Ministry of the Attorney General

  • Networking & coffee break
  • Panel: Attracting the next generation of legal talent – How can law firms change to meet new demands?

    With the challenging recruitment landscape and competition to acquire new talent, there is a need for the legal profession to make cultural changes. It has become clear that millennials and Gen Z do not share the traditional values of working all the hours for large compensation packages – many of their priorities are more nuanced and based on culture, increased flexibility and work/life balance. This panel will explore how to meet the demands of younger generations.  

    • Embracing the new norm: strategies to attract the next generations of legal talent 
    • A look at the priorities of emerging leaders and the benefits law firms can offer in response 
    • Should more law firms implement partnership agreements that specify when a partner will retire? 
    • Learn from the insights of young emerging lawyers and law students starting to plan their careers 
    Moderator
    Jocelyn Tatebe
    Jocelyn Tatebe

    President
    Women’s Law Association of Ontario (WLAO)

    Panelists
    Tenisha Younge Wint
    Tenisha Younge Wint

    Manager of Diversity and Inclusion
    Cassels, Brock & Blackwell LLP

    Tara Vasdani
    Tara Vasdani

    Managing Partner
    Remote Law Canada

    Gail Henderson
    Gail Henderson

    Associate Professor
    Queen’s University Faculty of Law

    Heather Fisher
    Heather Fisher

    Associate
    Gowling WLG

  • Fireside Chat: The future of law and legaltech – The latest insights you need to know

    Developments in legaltech in recent years have reshaped the way that lawyers communicate and deliver their services. What are the latest legaltech trends shaping the profession post-pandemic, and how can lawyers leverage these trends to build their practice? In this session, hear from a key industry leader on some of the most pressing trends that are currently reshaping legal practice – and what you need to know to remain an informed and effective leader today.  

    • Legaltech trends and opportunities, such as digital transformation, AI, and integrated services, and how they impact women in law 
    • The influence of legaltech on the profession’s gender diversity and inclusion priorities 
    • What’s next? – Anticipating developments in legaltech in 2023 and beyond 
    Natalie Worsfold
    Natalie Worsfold

    Partner, Tax Litigation & Service Innovation
    Counter Tax Litigators

    Monica Goyal
    Monica Goyal

    Lawyer and Director of Legal Innovation
    Caravel Law

  • Closing remarks from chairperson
    Sudevi Mukherjee-Gothi
    Sudevi Mukherjee-Gothi

    Partner
    Pallett Valo

2023 SPONSORS


Silver Sponsor

  • Leap

Associate Sponsor

  • Cassels Brock & Blackwell

2023 VENUE


ARCADIAN COURT TORONTO

Thanks for taking part in the Women in Law Summit Canada 2023

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