Legal news and trends for Canadian in-house counsel and c-suite executives
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38 www.canadianlawyermag.com/inhouse FASKEN HONOURED FOR DIVERSITY ACHIEVEMENT In recognition of its commitment to diversity, Fasken has achieved Mansfield Rule 2.0 certification, confirming at least 30 per cent women, LGBTQ+ and minority lawyers were considered for 70 per cent or more of leadership roles at the law firm. Participating firms were tracked from July 2018 to July 2019. "Mansfield Rule certification recognizes our efforts to increase diversity and inclusion in our roles, committees and leadership activities," says Katherine Pollock, chairwoman of Fasken's diversity and inclusion committee. The firm has signed up for Mansfield 3.0, which adds lawyers with disabilities to the process. disabilities, all of whom are encouraged to apply for positions at the firm. The bank's talent management team assists with finding and recruiting diverse candidates. Vivacqua meets regularly with students from diverse backgrounds in the early stages of their career to talk about opportunities at CIBC for summer positions or articling positions and to connect with others in the legal community to enhance their opportunities. The legal team also operates a mentor partnership that involves mentoring newcom- ers to Canada, some of whom have a law degree from a foreign jurisdiction but are not qualified to practise in Canada. "We try to open up paths for them using our legal connection and their legal background to see if there might be a fit for them in other areas of the bank," says Vivacqua. CIBC employees can join a range of people networks offered by the firm, including the Black Employee Network, Asian Employee Network, Pride Network, Women's Network and the WorkAbility Network for employees with disabilities. The bank also partners with external organizations such as Catalyst and Women In Capital Markets for staff develop- ment and networking opportunities. make sure you don't miss those important things in your life. If you have your kid's piano recital at two o'clock in the afternoon, don't miss it. I encourage my team to get out and not miss that opportunity, while recognizing there is still a job to be done." In addition to its focus on gender diversity, CIBC's legal team also places a strong emphasis on offering opportunities to visible minorities, Indigenous people and those with DEPARTMENT PROFILE "We try to open up paths for them using our legal connection and their legal background to see if there might be a fit for them in other areas of the bank." Frank Vivacqua, CIBC