Legal news and trends for Canadian in-house counsel and c-suite executives
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14 www.canadianlawyermag.com/inhouse GC PROFILE in Cuba and three years in Mexico. Although he relished his time abroad, he was keen to return to the private sector in Canada — and to maintain the opportunity to travel. "I identified Major Drilling as a company that was operating internationally and has a strong presence in Latin America, which is really where my passion lies. It just so happened that the general counsel at the time was thinking about retirement, so, after probably a year of discussions, we made it work and it was a great fit," says McLaughlin. Establishing a goal to shrink the perceived gap between employees in the field and corporate head office and deliver messages in a way that resonates with employees, McLaughlin launched an online legal education platform called Lawyer's Corner to foster a better understanding of on-the- ground legal issues for front-line workers. "The online legal education platform has been a way to humanize head office and break down some of those psychological barriers that folks might have in the field when they think of head office," says McLaughlin. He also arranged for videos to be filmed that would be both educational and entertaining, covering topics such as anti-corruption training, contract negotia- tions and data protection. "With organizations like ours that are spread across the globe, there is a real risk that the legal department can get lost in the shuffle and that compliance obligations could fall victim to this out-of-sight-out-of-mind syndrome," says McLaughlin. "If you're not creative in your approach, passing things through the legal department can be seen as FIND LEADING CANADIAN LAWYERS Visit lexpert.ca/500 to find a ranked lawyer The Lexpert®/American Lawyer Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada is the most comprehensive annual guide to Canada's top legal talent, profiling the lawyers most recommended by their peers in 38 practice areas. You can use the guide to: make informed business decisions validate your choices stay on top of Canadian legal issues In addition to extensive lawyer bios with photos, the directory also features: contributions from leading practitioners across Canada highlights of cross-border issues recent developments in their practice areas When you are looking for specialized legal counsel, turn to the resource that showcases peer-ranked Canadian legal talent. Lexpert - ALM House Ad_.indd 2 3/22/2020 12:04:54 AM Named among Lexpert's Rising Stars, 2018 – Leading lawyers under 40 Selected as Emerging Canadian Leader for Banff Forum, 2018 Named by 21 Inc. as one of Atlantic Canada's top 50 leaders under 40, 2015 Trilingual (English, French, Spanish) Previously served for nine years in Canada's foreign service, including six years in Latin America FACT FILE