Canadian Lawyer

Corporate-CommerCial law 25 TOP THE MOST INFLUENTIAL Alan D'Silva KRistine RobiDouX Partner, stikeman eLLiott, toronto Partner, GowLinG LafLeUr henderson LLP, CaLGary Calgary lawyer Kristine Robidoux is a leading authority on corruption who specializes in helping businesses comply with anti-bribery and corruption laws, including the often-tricky business of operating in foreign jurisdictions. In 2011, she acted as defence counsel in the first prosecution under the Corruption of Foreign Public Officials act. this year, as lead counsel representing griffiths Energy, which was charged with bribing the Chadian ambassador to Canada, Robidoux oversaw the largest-ever settlement under the CFPOa, to the tune of more than $10 million. By advocating for a robust response to corruption allegations, complete with voluntary disclosures, and turning managers into what she calls "whistle blowers on their own company," Robidoux has positioned herself as a go-to person for compliance with the CFPOa. Her proactive approach to dealing with investigations, by trying to display good faith co-operation with authorities, has helped her clients mitigate the fallout from game-changing corruption charges. Kagan mcleoD What voters had to say: "I worked with Kris on an anti-corruption file over several months. It involved a forensic audit of over 75,000 e-mails and involved the discharge of three top executives due to bribery of elected officials in Africa. She knew her stuff. She worked tirelessly. She was responsive. Amazingly, she was fun and enthusiastic to work with throughout the file. Kris is one of the best lawyers that I have had the pleasure of working with." 26 august 2013 www.CANADIAN L a w ye r m a g . c o m Alan D'Silva is a veteran commercial litigator with 75 appeals under his belt, including eight appearances before the Supreme Court of Canada. Defending metal producer Timminco Ltd. against fraud allegations before the Ontario Court of Appeal last year, he helped set an important precedent barring plaintiffs from bringing secondary-market class action suits if they failed to get leave to appeal within three years. Experts say the decision could significantly reduce defendants' exposure in class proceedings. Known also for his philanthropic work, D'Silva has created the Len and Maureen D'Silva Entrance Scholarship for financially disadvantaged law students at the University of Ottawa and is a strong proponent of pro bono work. What voters had to say: "One of the smartest lawyers around. Well known for his civility in dealing with people." this article prepared with the assistance of David gruber.

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