Canadian Lawyer InHouse

3 CANADIANLAWYERMAG.COM/INHOUSE JULY/AUGUST 2019 www.canadianlawyermag.com/inhouse President: Tim Duce Editor-in-Chief: Tim Wilbur Editor, Canadian Lawyer InHouse: Gabrielle Giroday Copy Editor: Patricia Cancilla Art Directors: Brianna Freitag, Steve Maver Lead, Media Production Coordinator: Catherine Giles Sales and Business Development Head of sales: Paul Burton paul.burton@habpress.ca 416-649-9928 Consultant, Strategy and Business Development: Ivan Ivanovitch ivan.ivanovitch@habpress.ca 416-887-4300 Account Executive: Steffanie Munroe steffanie.munroe@habpress.ca 416-315-5879 Canadian Lawyer InHouse is published 6 times a year by HAB Press, 312 Adelaide Street West, Suite 800, M5V 1R2. Web: www.canadianlawyermag.com/inhouse LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/groups/3380194 Twitter: @CLInHouse Editorial advisory board: Sanjeev Dhawan, Hydro One Networks Inc.; Jonathan Lau, Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario; Fernando Garcia, CargoJet; Lynn Korbak, Toromont Industries; Julia Shin Doi, Ryerson University; Dorothy Quann, Xerox Canada; Lorne O'Reilly, Dow Chemical Canada ULC; Jolie Lin, Sierra Systems; Dean Scaletta, Manitoba Public Insurance; Robert Piasentin, Sierra Systems; Yonni Fushman, Aecon Group Inc.; Tony Linardi, Golder Associates. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reprinted without written permission. The opinions expressed in articles are not necessarily those of the publisher. Information presented is compiled from sources believed to be accurate, however, the publisher assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions. Canadian Lawyer InHouse disclaims any warranty as to the accuracy, completeness or currency of the contents of this publication and disclaims all liability in respect of the results of any action taken or not taken in reliance upon information in this publication. Publications Mail Agreement #40766500 ISSN 1921-9563 Copyright © 2019 G.S.T./H.S.T. Registration #R703184911 RT0001 To subscribe or change addresses E-mail Keith Fulford at keith.fulford@habpress.ca RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESS TO: CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT 312 Adelaide Street West, Suite 800, Toronto ON. M5V 1R2 @CLInHouse @canadianlawyerinhouse A llow me to say hello. This is my first issue of Canadian Lawyer InHouse magazine. It's a community I have had the pleasure of working with in my prior role as editor of Law Times, which focuses on the Ontario legal community. As I've already discovered, the in-house community is a tight-knit one, even in a geographi- cally large country. Its needs are specific and unique, and this issue of InHouse has a wide breadth of insight on ways the role of in-house counsel is evolving. The focus of this issue is the 14th annual General Counsel roundtable, where five lawyers from very different companies have addressed the business advisory role of in-house counsel. Each lawyer's take on how they can best bring value to their respective business is refreshing. "I think there is an expectation that a GC will contribute widely to a company's business. I find that people come to me for advice and perspective as opposed to a strict legal interpreta - tion. That's not what my executives are looking for," says Alison Harnick, general counsel and corporate secretary at First Capital Realty Inc. "They want that perspective, that bird's-eye view that I think as lawyers we're well pos- itioned to take because we do work with all the different disciplines." With that expectation in mind, this issue explores some of the up-and-coming areas that are top of mind for those practising in the field. We have a column and an article on the future of blockchain. Investments in the technol- ogy are surging, but, so far, there hasn't been widespread adoption. "Exploring is probably the right way to describe where most organizations would be in the market," says Andrew McCoomb of Norton Rose Fulbright LLP in Toronto. "It is very experimental in terms of the big industry applications." Lawyers familiar with blockchain and its uses break down its value. There is also important insight on protecting a company's IP portfolio in this issue. For all the technological innovation, some say part of mastering the portfolio is collabora - tion with others hard at work on creations. For example, Panagiota Dafniotis, assistant general counsel and head of the intellectual prop- erty group at the RBC law group in Montreal, says communication and education are key. "That's really what gives you the greatest traction and adoption in the organization be- cause the moment people understand and are engaged in a particular strategy, that's really when you get the most traction and success in protecting what needs to be protected in your company," she says. It's certainly a heady time to be in-house counsel, which is why staying informed is more important than ever. IH Editor's Box By Gabrielle Giroday The in-house world is where it's at

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