Canadian Lawyer

Thomas Conway treasUrer, Law soCiety of UPPer Canada, ottawa As treasurer of the Law Society of Upper Canada, Tom Conway is overseeing a massive change in the profession, leading efforts to respond to the articling crisis in Ontario by proposing an alternative to articling through the introduction of the Law Practice Program. Now that the law society is accepting proposals for LPP pilot projects, Conway's influence promises to reshape legal licensing in Ontario. He faced significant opposition to get it through and is now heralding further changes to legal training in the province. His leadership on this front will likely change the face of legal licensing across the country. What voters had to say: "Tom has continued to push for change in his second term engaging with everyone from the law schools to sole practitioners to the national firms on law society issues." 25 TOP THE MOST INFLUENTIAL Marc-André Blanchard Chairman and Chief exeCUtive offiCer, mcCarthy tÉtraULt LLP, toronto In a time of uncertainty in the legal profession, MarcAndré Blanchard has been proactive in reimagining how big firms will deliver legal services in the future. Through his tenure as chairman and CEO of McCarthy Tétrault, he has introduced significant changes to the business of law. Under Blanchard, the firm was first to introduce legal project management to identify inefficiencies, make budgets more predictable, and increase value. He also helped establish a dedicated service delivery team that works to assess clients' needs and creates staffing models using firm lawyers, in-house counsel, and third-party providers. He, too, has also made diversity a priority, and was recently given a Catalyst Canada Honours award for promotion of women in the profession. Congratulations to Geoff Cowper, QC, on being named one of Canadian Lawyer's Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers. We are proud of Geoff's efforts as Chair of British Columbia's Justice Reform Initiative and as the Leader of our firm's Litigation Group. Local insights … global know how. What voters had to say: "Marc-André's influence is creating a permanent shift in the way law firms operate and interact with clients and the public in Canada." VANCOUVER CALGARY TORONTO OTTAWA MONTRÉAL QUÉBEC CITY LONDON PARIS www.CANADIAN L a w ye r m a g . c o m JOHANNESBURG august 2013 29

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