Legal news and trends for Canadian in-house counsel and c-suite executives
Issue link: https://digital.canadianlawyermag.com/i/1260137
www.canadianlawyermag.com/inhouse 1 canadianlawyermag.com/inhouse EDITOR'S DESK A career-defining opportunity T he COVID pandemic has wrought much human suffering, so seeing it as opportunity can seem wrong-headed at best, heartless at worst. But, for in-house counsel, the pandemic could offer them a key opportunity to shine. The lawyers profiled in this edition, many of whom are working on initiatives that predate the pandemic, demonstrate some of the key skills that are in high demand and short supply in this challenging time: Communication: Like politicians, business and public institutions are handling unprecedented conditions that require a clear message. Julia Shin Doi of Ryerson University has always been tasked with communication in her role, so co-ordinating her virtual team was a familiar challenge. "Technology has made such a difference. There will be no turning back after this," she said in outlining how she communicated with her team (p. 14). Balancing risk and reward: For cybersecurity, companies must strike a fine balance. As Imran Ahmad said (p. 27), "A lot of people turn to in-house counsel as the best risk management advisor within the organization because they can balance legal and business in a meaningful way." The pandemic also requires a similar balance; in this case, between ensuring society remains healthy but also functions economically. Tracking data and implementing efficiencies: Lynn Mahoney at Bruce Power said a system her team is implementing allows it to track requests from the organization's 4,300 employees and produce metrics to help monitor trends (p. 30). As systems are designed to track health metrics in the pandemic, Mahoney could likely provide lessons learned. Taking an ethical approach: In-house counsel are often the moral compass at their organizations, as Cheryl Foy and Ken Fredeen outline in their Ethics column (p. 32). With rights of privacy and personal safety at stake in the pandemic response, in-house counsel have the experience to navigate the difficult decisions facing leaders across Canada. While in-house counsel do not welcome a crisis any more than anyone else, they are uniquely qualified to shine when one comes along. They should not feel shy to see the current crisis as an unprecedented opportunity to show us why. Tim Wilbur, Editor-in-Chief Canadian Lawyer InHouse is published 6 times a year by HAB Press Limited. KEY MEDIA and the KEY MEDIA logo are trademarks of Key Media IP Limited, and used under license by HAB Press Limited. CANADIAN LAWYER INHOUSE is a trademark of HAB Press Limited. 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 #41261516 ISSN 0703-2129 ©2020 GST/HST Registration #703184911RT001 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESS TO: CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT 20 Duncan St., 3rd Floor, Toronto, ON, M5H 3G8 EDITORIAL Editor-in-Chief Tim Wilbur Production Editor Patricia Cancilla Writer Lucy Saddleton CONTRIBUTORS Vincent de l'Étoile, Cheryl Foy, Ken Fredeen, Abbas Kassam, Matt Norwood, Stephen Pike ART & PRODUCTION Art Director Marla Morelos Lead, Media Production Coordinator Catherine Giles Global Production Manager Alicia Chin SALES & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT VP, Media & Client Strategy Dane Taylor Senior Business Development Manager Steffanie Munroe Business Development Manager Lynda Fenton National Account Executive Abhiram Prabhu CORPORATE President Tim Duce Events and Conference Manager Chris Davis Chief Information Officer Colin Chan Human Resources Manager Julia Bookallil Global CEO Mike Shipley Global COO George Walmsley HAB Press Limited 20 Duncan St., 3rd Floor Toronto, Ontario M5H 3G8 tel: +1 416 644 8740 www.keymedia.com EDITORIAL INQUIRIES tim.wilbur@keymedia.com CIRCULATION/ADDRESS CHANGES/ SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRIES Keith Fulford tel: 416 649-9585 • fax: 416 649-7870 keith.fulford@keymedia.com ADVERTISING INQUIRIES legaladvertise@keymedia.com ISSUE 15.03 canadianlawyermag.com/inhouse While in-house counsel do not welcome a crisis any more than anyone else, they are uniquely qualified to shine when one comes along.