Marni Pernica is a Partner at Aird & Berlis LLP and Co-Practice Group Leader of the firm’s Tax Group and Estates & Trusts Group. She offers thoughtful and effective estate and succession planning for clients ranging from young families who are just starting out to multi-generational families who are looking for the best way to transition assets to the next generation. Marni enjoys navigating the complexities that arise in complicated and layered family structures. Having worked as an estates and trusts litigator before focusing on planning and administration, she has foresight to the potential disputes that can arise and brings a holistic perspective when presenting various estate planning options. Estate planning often involves deeply personal elements and Marni goes beyond the role of simply providing legal counsel – she is a confidant and provides practical advice on how to navigate sensitive family dynamics.

In her practice, Marni focuses on estate, income tax and succession planning, including cross-border planning, planning to reduce estate administration tax, the preparation of wills, powers of attorney and trusts, and assisting with estate administration. Additionally, she advises clients on how to reduce personal and corporate tax, including the effective use of a family trust, and she has significant experience with cross-border planning for clients who have U.S. or other foreign connections.

Marni has been involved with multiple professional organizations, including the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners, the Canadian Tax Foundation and the OBA Trusts and Estates Section. She is currently Vice-Chair of the OBA Trusts and Estates Section Executive. During her time as Public Affairs Liaison, Marni was at the forefront of the OBA’s successful efforts to lobby the provincial government to permit virtual witnesses of wills and powers of attorney during the pandemic. She was heavily involved in consultations with the office of the Ministry of the Attorney General to assist with modernization and substantive changes to various pieces of Ontario estate planning legislation. During the pandemic, she also signed on with Lawyers for the Front Lines, an OBA initiative offering front-line health-care workers complimentary 30-minute consultations to discuss wills and estate planning.

In addition to managing her growing practice and busy homelife as a mother, Marni is also a leader in her community. She sits on the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto’s professional advisory committee as well as its professional development team. Through the UJA’s Women’s Philanthropy arm, Marni has helped educate women on financial literacy, entrepreneurship, investing and the importance of estate and tax planning. She also recently joined the professional advisory committee for the Jewish National Fund.

Through her personal and professional involvement, Marni is always seeking out ways to help people from all walks of life recognize the importance of estate planning. She frequently writes and speaks on topics involving tax, estate planning and business succession planning and has contributed to various publications, including The STEP Journal, The International Comparative Legal Guide: Private Client and Key Developments in Estates and Trusts Law in Ontario.

Preet Gill is a partner in the Litigation department, specializing in the analysis of complex and novel legal issues with a focus on insolvency and debt restructurings. She has been described by colleagues as “simply invaluable” to the firm’s most challenging mandates and lauded for her “outstanding legal acumen, excellent judgment and subtle and strategic thinking”.

Preet has represented parties in a large number of insolvency and restructuring proceedings, including under the CCAA and CBCA, and has been an integral part of the team in a number of significant commercial, civil fraud and auditor liability cases, appearing before all levels of Court.

Preet’s legal expertise has resulted in her being widely published in an array of legal publications, as well as being interviewed on her areas of expertise, including her work in connection with legal issues arising out of Covid-19.

Preet also serves as Chair of the Toronto Student Committee, overseeing student recruitment and the student program, in addition to sitting on numerous other firm partnership committees and being a mentor to younger lawyers. Outside of work, Preet continues her strong passion for mentorship through organizations such as the South Asian Bar Association and South Asian Women in the Law.

Luke Morrison acts as lead counsel on transactions in the oil and gas and power/renewable energy space. He has extensive experience in the areas of M&A involving energy assets, the commercial aspects of energy insolvencies and restructurings and Indigenous co-ownership transactions involving energy infrastructure. Clients benefit from Luke’s dedicated, pragmatic and collaborative deal-oriented approach.

Luke also assists energy clients on a full spectrum of project development matters, including co-ownership structuring, joint development issues, operations, marketing and supply/offtake transactions. He has developed specialized expertise in advising on new or emerging energy transformation projects such as carbon capture and sequestration, solar/wind and hydrogen and the application of new energy technologies, such as in relation to lithium extraction, blockchain and well site/facility re-purposing.

Luke’s experience spans a diverse range of landscape-shaping transactions in the Canadian energy sector, from conventional oil and gas to large-scale renewable projects. Highlights of Luke’s recent mandates include the acquisition of Canada’s largest urban solar project, the ongoing development of Canada’s largest proposed integrated blue hydrogen production project and multiple landmark/precedent-setting energy restructuring deals.

BLG Partner Michelle Maniago has significant experience with highly complex commercial and corporate litigation and arbitration across a range of industries and legal subject matters. Her cases include defence of high-profile provincial, national, and multi-jurisdictional class actions involving claims relating to consumer protection, price-fixing, environmental protection, privacy, and banking issues. She is the co-chair of BLG’s disputes training program and a regional lead of its appeals group. She is regarded as a leader in virtual disputes (conducting one of the first e-trials in BC in 2012), and is a frequent author and speaker about commercial law topics.

BLG Partner Hugh Meighen specializes in international arbitration and litigation. With over ten years as dedicated arbitration counsel, Hugh represented Canadian and international companies governed by major arbitration rules. Co-author of Guide to the PCA Arbitration Rules (Oxford University Press, 2014) and adjunct professor of international commercial arbitration and sports disputes and arbitration at Osgoode Hall Law School. Fellow of Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and member of NextGen roster of arbitrators at Arbitration Place. Who’s Who Legal recognized Hugh as a Global Leader in Arbitration in 2022 and named him one of ten Most Highly Regarded partners under 45 in the Americas in 2021.

BLG Anne Merminod is an experienced litigator with distinguished expertise in class actions. As a partner at BLG’s Montreal office, Anne focuses on defending class actions from certification (or authorization, in Quebec) through to the appellate level. Her deep understanding of class actions makes her highly sought after as a writer and speaker. She is listed among the Best Lawyers in Canada (Class Action Litigation), in Chambers (Class Action Defence) and in Benchmark Litigation’s “40 & Under Hot List,” which highlights top litigators in the U.S. and Canada. In 2022, she was recognized by Benchmark Canada as an emerging talent.

Simina is an emerging leader on highly-acclaimed debt financing transactions with a stellar reputation for dedication to her clients, exhibiting a thorough yet commercial approach. She provides specialized expertise on bilateral and syndicated financings across a range of sectors, including energy, healthcare, agriculture, renewables, and aviation, displaying a keen sense for growth and innovation. At BD&P, Simina maintains a strong commitment to mentorship, where she is known for her approachable nature and generosity with her time. Simina’s practice demonstrates a history of accelerated accomplishments. Simina immigrated to Canada in 1996 from Romania, speaking only Romanian and French. Within a decade, she would gain early admission into the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Law and go on to become lead counsel on some of the largest financings in the Canadian market.

Simina was named a “Next Generation Partner”, banking & finance, in The Legal 500 Canada, and has been recognized in her field annually since 2020 by similar publications. As a parent of two active boys, she brings this tenacity to her community involvement, support of the arts, and passion for long-distance running–often raising awareness for local organizations and fundraising initiatives.

Steven Kennedy is an accomplished custodian of his client’s domestic and international Intellectual Property portfolios, working with rights holders and brand owners to secure, manage, and enforce their intellectual property in Canada and abroad.

Committed to his community, Steven provides pro bono IP legal services for several clients and has been a regular fundraiser and participant in community theatre for charity, soliciting sponsorships and appearing in the annual Nightwood Theatre Shows.

Steven is also committed to the future of Cassels, serving as a resource for IP law and providing training at all levels, from incoming clerks to new partners. He is also an active member of the firm’s LGBTQ2S+ affinity group, an LGBTQ2S+ mentor to incoming articling and summer students, and a panelist at Bay Street’s “firm hop” for prospective LGBTQ2S+ law students.

Certified by the Law Society of Ontario as a Certified Specialist in Intellectual Property (Trademarks) and ranked in both Enforcement and Prosecution by World Trademark Review’s WTR100, Steven applies an “asset-based” and holistic approach to his clients’ needs. He treats each client’s asset as though it were his own – making him an invaluable business partner.

Natalie co-leads Counter’s tax dispute group.

Natalie has over fifteen years of experience resolving tax disputes. She works with private company CEOs and high-net-worth individuals. She designs strategies that lead to smart settlements.

Natalie finds new ways to deliver better results. Her ability led the firm to create its tax dispute framework. Now, every client and litigator benefits.

Legal and business leaders recognize Natalie’s performance in and outside the courtroom. She has received several awards. She speaks on tax topics, case assessment, tax dispute strategy, and decision science.

To learn more about Natalie and Counter, visit countertax.ca.

As SVP, People and Culture & General Counsel at Enwave, Jessica is responsible for establishing and running the company’s legal department, while also overseeing its strategy for attracting, developing and retaining top talent. Jessica has played a key role developing both “social” and “governance” policies and programs forming Enwave’s ESG strategy.

Prior to joining Enwave, Jessica was a Partner at Fasken, focused on corporate governance, corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, and general corporate matters in a variety of industries, including energy, mining, cannabis, pharma, and technology. Jessica held leadership roles focused on the recruitment and development of exceptional talent and was an active leader in many other people-centered programs, including diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

Jessica was the founding President and is a former director of Young Women in Law. She holds an MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business, a Juris Doctor from Osgoode Hall Law School, and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Windsor. She has also completed the Certified Legal Project Manager program and the Diversio DEI Professional Certification program.

Fanming Meng is the General Counsel at InnVest Hotels, the largest owner of hotels in Canada. As a member of the executive team, Fanming has played a key role in formulating and implementing InnVest’s strategic initiatives. Fanming has quarterbacked a broad range of complex transactions, including going-private transaction of a public REIT, internal reorganization involving hundreds of entities, portfolio-level financing, and acquisitions of iconic properties. He was instrumental in setting up InnVest’s new businesses that provide hotel management, procurement, and construction services.

Before joining InnVest, Fanming spent five years as a student and lawyer practicing at Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP, advising multinational clients on a variety of corporate, real estate, and private equity transactions.

Prior to his legal career, Fanming was an experienced management consultant in Singapore. Having founded and grown his own consulting business, he understands firsthand the challenges entrepreneurs face in establishing and developing their businesses. He actively helps budding entrepreneurs navigate complicated legal and business terrains. He coached many talented young entrepreneurs, several of whom went on to run successful businesses.

Fanming holds a JD from University of Toronto and is licensed to practice in Ontario and New York.

Caroline Briand is a partner in the litigation group at Langlois Lawyers’ office in Montréal. She specializes in Indigenous law, constitutional law, administrative law as well as professional and disciplinary law. Her practice focuses on negotiation, consensus building with other stakeholders and land users, and capacity building. Since her beginnings, Caroline has worked in Indigenous and constitutional law and is passionate about the history and legal and social concerns of Indigenous peoples in Canada. She advises Indigenous governments, organizations, businesses and individuals, particularly in matters of Aboriginal and treaty rights, Aboriginal title, hunting, fishing and trapping rights, funding of public services and access to these by Indigenous communities and individuals, review and implementation of governance processes, as well as mining and other natural resource development. As part of her administrative law practice, she advises and represents professional orders and other regulatory bodies, particularly with respect to governance matters and judicial reviews. She also advises and supports organizations and institutions in matters of sexual violence and discrimination, particularly in the context of administrative investigations and is certified by the Barreau du Québec as a lawyer who conducts workplace psychological harassment investigations.

Alison is a skilled labour and employment lawyer. She advises employers in Alberta and Ontario in a wide range of industries across the public and private sectors, including oil & gas, banking, food and agriculture, aviation, and health care. Alison cultivates long term and in-depth client relationships where she develops significant knowledge of her clients’ business operations, priorities, and long-term goals. She works closely with in-house counsel as well as human resources and labour relations professionals to address day-to-day employment and labour law challenges, ongoing litigation, and develop sound labour relations strategy.

A strong advocate, Alison regularly conducts hearings before the Alberta Labour Relations Board and grievance arbitrators and represents employers in all forms of employment litigation and before human rights tribunals. She has appeared before the Courts of Alberta and Ontario, the Federal Court, labour relations boards, labour arbitrators, and the Ontario Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal.

Alison is also an experienced, thorough, and insightful workplace investigator. She has cultivated a thriving practice in this area and is regularly retained by employers and other counsel to investigate complex allegations of discrimination, harassment, bullying, and violence in the workplace. Alison also conducts workplace assessments, consults on investigations, and conducts training on workplace investigations.

At McLennan Ross, Alison is Chair of the Marketing Committee where she leads a committee of lawyers and collaborates with the firm’s marketing department to oversee the marketing budget and initiatives across three offices. In this role, over the last three years, Alison led the firm’s rebranding initiative and brand launch, including the development and launch of a new firm website, www.mross.com.

Alison recently participated in a task force engaged in a review of the firm’s partnership policy, including a review of diversity, equity, and inclusion in partnership admissions.

With a strong track record of mentoring and coaching associates and articling students, Alison is currently the formal mentor to four associates and regularly serves as an articling principal. She is a consummate team player who consistently involves junior lawyers in her files to ensure they develop practice skills and client relationships.

Alison is a regular presenter on complex topics in the area of labour and employment law including recent presentations for the Canadian Association of Counsel to Employers on Navigating the Legal Waters of the Coronavirus Vaccines; the Advocates for Employers of Canada on Post-Pandemic Workforce Management; the Canadian Bar Association; and the Human Resources Institute of Alberta.

Ashley is an experienced litigator, with a practice focusing on insurance defence and commercial litigation, as well as a skilled workplace investigator. She is a partner at McLennan Ross and has worked closely with the insurance practice group’s leadership since becoming a partner.

Ashley’s diverse practice includes a multitude of different files. She defends complicated professional liability claims, including matters with numerous lawsuits, and her clients now consider her specialist in her field. She has extensive experience working on casualty claims, including those with multiple claimants, multiple accidents, credibility, mitigation, and causation issues. Ashley has been co-counsel in multimillion dollar property loss claims involving lengthy examinations and commissioning of expert evidence and often acts in subrogated matters.

She advocates for her clients, regularly attends mediations and settlement conferences, and completes coverage opinions, including one addressing the apportionment of liability in workers’ compensation, which was eventually adopted by the Court of Appeal. Ashley represented the defendant in Herman v Telfer, a decision involving an analysis of privacy law in the context of personal injury files and the disclosure of required records. She is routinely contacted by external and internal lawyers about her involvement in this decision, addressing the status of law with respect to obtaining undertakings, prior records, expert reports, and transcripts.

Over and above her litigation practice, clients regularly turn to Ashley to handle workplace investigations. She is skilled at tailoring each investigation to her client’s business structure, workplace culture, and unique needs. She conducts investigations that are thorough and impartial, yet efficient and discrete. Ashley has experience addressing allegations of discrimination, harassment, sexual misconduct, bullying, workplace violence, and managing ethical and whistleblower complaints.

Ashley is passionate about client continuing education and routinely organizes and conducts educational sessions for her clients. In addition to her focus on clients, she often organizes internal sessions for her fellow partners and associates. Her attention to growth doesn’t stop with professional development as she routinely mentors students and associates at McLennan Ross LLP and acts as a principal to articling students.

Ashley has been giving back to the community for more than two decades. She has worked with food banks, served food to the homeless and, within the City of Calgary, she sat on the board of the Shakespeare Company, the board of the Norfolk Housing Association, and a board addressing Daffodil Days for the Canadian Cancer Society. In the legal community, Ashley volunteers as a moot judge at the University of Calgary and has long been involved in board governance within the Canadian Bar Association, both provincially and nationally. She is presently the Vice-Chair of the national Insurance Section of the CBA and, in 2023, she will transition to Chair of the Insurance Section with the CBA.

McMillan LLP is one of Canada’s leading national law firms with offices in Montréal, Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver and Hong Kong. As a full-service business law firm, McMillan’s wide-ranging expertise serves public, private and not-for-profit clients nationally and around the globe, across a broad array of industries with particular emphasis on infrastructure and construction; natural resources and energy; technology and technology transactions; and transportation. With globally recognized expertise and acknowledged leadership in cross-border transactions and investment into Canada, raising debt and equity, resolution of complex disputes and guidance through complex regulatory regimes, the firm provide creative and solutions-oriented business and legal advice to their clients. The firm values — respect, teamwork, commitment, client service and professional excellence — are at the heart of McMillan’s commitment to serve their clients, their local communities and the legal profession.

McMillan LLP is one of Canada’s leading national law firms with offices in Montréal, Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver and Hong Kong. As a full-service business law firm, McMillan’s wide-ranging expertise serves public, private and not-for-profit clients nationally and around the globe, across a broad array of industries with particular emphasis on infrastructure and construction; natural resources and energy; technology and technology transactions; and transportation. With globally recognized expertise and acknowledged leadership in cross-border transactions and investment into Canada, raising debt and equity, resolution of complex disputes and guidance through complex regulatory regimes, the firm provide creative and solutions-oriented business and legal advice to their clients. The firm values — respect, teamwork, commitment, client service and professional excellence — are at the heart of McMillan’s commitment to serve their clients, their local communities and the legal profession.

Sinziana Hennig is a notable litigation lawyer, mentor, and educator. Over the years, Sinziana has curated an impressive track record of strong advocacy in complex, high-stakes corporate and commercial litigation matters. Looking to expand her legal expertise, Sinziana completed graduate studies at the University of Oxford, finishing second in the Bachelor of Civil Law. Sinziana contributes to the civil litigation bar through her involvement with The Advocates’ Society, and actively strives to shares her knowledge with the next generation of lawyers through volunteering as a lecturer at her alma mater and mentoring associates inside and outside the firm.

J.R. Laffin is widely recognized as a leading dealmaker and talented public M&A lawyer. He advises on many of Canada’s most sophisticated and complex M&A transactions, offering strategic solutions and innovative approaches. J.R. was honoured in 2021 as a Top 10 M&A lawyer in Canada by a global news outlet for his leadership in high-profile transactions. He is known for his legal expertise, professionalism and collaborative approach helping clients complete industry-altering transactions. In addition to his distinguished legal presence, J.R. provides leadership as public M&A practice group head and is an active mentor to junior lawyers providing advice and support.

Ryan Watkins is a partner at Whitten and Lublin PC. Over the last decade, Ryan has focused his practice on employment law, advising employees and employers in all types of workplace disputes. While he counsels clients in all areas of employment law, he focuses on wrongful dismissals, constructive dismissals and human rights.

As an experienced litigator, Ryan has successfully represented both plaintiffs and defendants at various tribunals and all levels of court in Ontario, including the Ontario Court of Appeal. Although Ryan has experience handling very complex workplace cases, he holds a special interest in representing the disadvantaged, especially in ‘David versus Goliath’ type matters, where Ryan can make a significant difference for his clients. He has negotiated significant monetary settlements for clients against some of the largest multinational corporations in the world.

A thought leader within employment law, Ryan is often engaged as a speaker for employer professional organizations and provides public commentary to media outlets on current employment legal issues. Passionate about improving diversity in law firms, Ryan has published articles and speaks on this topic at conferences. As a leader within his firm, he has co-founded the firm’s student committee and is a mentor to junior lawyers.