Seven law firms made new announcements
Welcome to this week’s roundup of movements among major law firms, in which we sum up significant hires, promotions, departures and other announcements.
Baker McKenzie
The firm named George Avraam as the new managing partner of the firm’s Toronto office.
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Avraam is a partner and former chair of the North America employment and compensation practice group. His practice focuses on trial and appellate litigation. He has represented clients in complex litigation matters, including partnership disputes at professional service firms, fraud, labour and employment, human rights, and administrative and public law matters.
He is a fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers. Based in Maryland, CLEL is a distinguished body of individuals drawing its membership from leading lawyers, academicians, and scholars in the field of labour and employment law.
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP
The firm appointed Joel Jones as the new chair of the partnership board, effective July 1.
The board is made up of elected regional representatives of partners from each of the firm’s offices in Montréal, Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary, and Vancouver. It provides overall direction, oversight, and governance for the firm.
Jones is a partner in the firm’s Calgary office. He specializes in M&A, financing transactions, and corporate and securities regulatory requirements relating to stock exchange listings, corporate governance, continuous disclosure obligations, and shareholders’ meetings. He also represents corporate clients in negotiation, drafting, and review of various commercial agreements.
“As incoming chair, I am very excited to work with our outstanding leadership team and partners nationally to guide the firm to new heights through our ongoing evolution,” said Jones. “Our goal is to position BLG for the future in order to best serve our clients in Canada and abroad and maintain our position as Canada’s law firm.”
DLA Piper (Canada) LLP
The firm named Colin Brousson and Edmond Lamek as the new co-chairs of the firm's restructuring group.
Brousson represents major stakeholders in corporate restructuring transactions and acts for parties in insolvency proceedings, including debtors, lenders, purchasers, secured and unsecured creditors, directors, trustees, receivers, and monitors. He also practises in the area of Indigenous law, focusing on economic development.
Lamek practises in the areas of insolvency and corporate restructuring. He has advised numerous clients, such as financial institutions, secured and unsecured creditors, debtor-in-possession lenders, indenture and bankruptcy trustees, receivers, corporate debtors, and boards of directors.
“Colin and Edmond are accomplished and experienced insolvency lawyers who have acted on numerous high-value and significant restructuring matters within Canada and internationally,” said managing partner Robert Seidel “Their combined leadership of the Canadian group is sure to strengthen both our local ties and global presence, as well as our ability to deliver value and results to our clients.”
Lavery de Billy LLP
The firm welcomed three new associates to the Quebec City, Montreal, and Sherbrooke offices:
- Philippe Brassard and Anne-Philippe Pelchat – business law group
- Michaël Deslauriers − litigation and dispute resolution group
Meanwhile, Julie Doan is now a senior notary in the Montreal office’s business law group.
Minden Gross LLP
The firm appointed Roger Rosemin as the new chief operating officer.
Rosemin replaces Diane Carty, who is retiring from the firm after 40 years of service. He previously served as chief operating officer at a litigation and restructuring boutique law firm and a full-service business law firm in Toronto.
Stikeman Elliott LLP
The firm welcomed two new associates in the Toronto office:
- Zuhayr Merali − real estate group
- Daniel Lupinacci − corporate group
Merali deals with commercial real estate matters concerning purchase, sale, leasing, and financing of real properties. He also maintains a commercial leasing practice, having acted for institutional landlords and various tenants in relation to retail, industrial, and office leases.
Lupinacci specializes in banking, corporate finance, M&A, capital markets, and general corporate and commercial law. Before joining the firm, he served as counsel and assistant corporate secretary for the Royal Bank of Canada.
The firm also welcomed Annabelle Mathieu as an associate in the Montreal office’s corporate group.
Mathieu’s practice focuses on securities, capital markets, corporate governance, and M&A. She previously practised law at several business law firms in Paris.
Thornton Grout Finnigan LLP
The firm announced that Rebecca Kennedy joined the Insolvency Institute of Canada − Canada's premier forum for leadership in commercial restructuring and insolvency.
Kennedy practises in the area of bankruptcy and insolvency. She has experience dealing with receivership, security enforcement, debt collection, creditors’ rights, debtor protection, and forbearance agreements.
She has represented lenders, debtors, receivers, trustees, inspectors, court-appointed monitors, and debtor-in-possession financiers in regional, national, and cross-border insolvency proceedings.
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