Canadian Lawyer InHouse

June/July 2020

Legal news and trends for Canadian in-house counsel and c-suite executives

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FACT FILE 16 www.canadianlawyermag.com/inhouse Toronto and subsequently moved to Ottawa where she practised with Gowling for three years in the business law group. In 1998, she returned to Toronto and took her first in-house role as assistant general counsel at IMAX and her career took off from there. She went on to spend nine years as counsel at York University before landing at Ryerson in 2011. Since moving to the in-house world, Shin Doi has made her mark as an accomplished legal professional and earned many accolades, including the Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019 and the Canadian Corporate counsel Association Award of Excellence in 2017. Not only has she excelled in her legal career, but Shin Doi also has a notable career in academia, serving as an adjunct professor at Osgoode Hall Law School and at the University of Toronto faculty of law, and she taught in contract drafting workshops for Osgoode Professional Development and the Canadian Corporate Counsel Association. She recently added bencher at the law society of Ontario to her list of duties and she joined the board of directors of LawPRO, an insurance provider for the legal profession. Shin Doi is also the co-founder and past president of the Korean Canadian Lawyers Association. As general counsel, Shin Doi is the chief legal advisor to the president and the executive group, so she advises on anything that has a reputational impact on the university. While Ryerson's legal department works with external counsel for matters including labour negotiations, international legal work and real estate transactions, Shin Doi also aims to manage legal work in-house where possible. The legal team recently argued an injunction in court, sharing the legal duties with external counsel instead of outsourcing completely, which ultimately saved 50 per cent of the legal costs. "We shared the load of the file, which is great for both parties," says Shin Doi. "We're really harnessing our legal power in-house. When in-house counsel is involved in cases, we have in-depth knowledge of the case and we can help with managing client expectations and providing history and preparing graphs." Another initiative that Shin Doi has been working hard to support is the launch of Ryerson's law school, which is expected to open in September, under the leadership of Dean Donna Young. Shin Doi and her team have been working on legal community relations, providing input for course outlines and advising on all corporate commercial aspects of opening a law school. Students at the new law school will receive a legal education that examines contemporary issues such as technology, equity, diversity and inclusion, as well as access to justice and social innovation. "It's a great opportunity for us, as a legal team, to be involved in the business aspects of the university," says Shin Doi. Shin Doi's goals for the year ahead include succession planning and career development for her team of 20, which includes six lawyers and three law practice program candidates. "I want to ensure that everyone in the legal department is learning, developing and engaged — especially in this new environment," she says. "I want to ensure that team members have the opportunity to pursue certifications, graduate programs and continue professional development, all the while engaging in high-quality legal work." "I want to ensure that everyone in the legal department is learning, developing and engaged — especially in this new environment." Adjunct professor at Osgoode Hall Law School and at the University of Toronto faculty of law Bencher at the Law Society of Ontario Co-authored Behind and Beyond Boilerplate: Drafting Commercial Agreements (Thomson Reuters) Member of the board of directors of LawPRO, an insurance provider for the legal profession FACL Lifetime Achievement winner (2019) CCCA Award of Excellence winner (2017) Co-founded Diverse Champions for Diversity GC PROFILE

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