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www.canadianlawyermag.com 21 www.canadianlawyermag.com 21 leading on ethics initiatives, engaging in ongoing teaching and training, and giving back, which has tremendous value." Recent statistics from IBISWorld highlight Canada's substantial legal community and how those recognized as influential have distin- guished themselves from a vast pool of peers. • There were 33,855 law firm businesses as of 2023, a 0.2 percent decline from 2022. • The number of businesses providing services as law firms in Canada decreased 0.2 percent per year on average over the five years between 2018 and 2023. • Canada's 14 provincial and territorial law societies govern over 136,000 lawyers, Quebec's 4,200 notaries, and Ontario's 10,600 independent paralegals in the public interest. • As of April 2023, there were 57,000 lawyers and 11,000 paralegals in Ontario. What has influenced the Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers in their careers? David Sowemimo – Most Influential Changemaker Founder and managing lawyer at WatchMaker Injury Law At age 17, Sowemimo emigrated from Nigeria as an international student to attend the University of Manitoba. He arrived alone, and now, as a parent of two children, he wonders how his father must have felt letting him go. "I had to figure things out by myself and learn how to stand up and advocate for myself in schooling and employment," he says. "I think all those experiences brought me to where I am today. I'm advocating passionately for my client, but also trying to objectively see the legal and factual issues so as not to expose them to unnecessary costs." METHODOLOGY Canadian Lawyer called for nominations between March 25 and April 19 from legal groups, readers, and our panel of writers and editors. Qualifying nominees were then included in a reader survey in the following areas: changemakers; human rights, advocacy, and criminal law; business; in-house; and government, non-profits, or associations. Based on the reader survey results, a short list of nominees was then sent to our Editorial Board members to vote for a maximum of five winners in each category. For eight years, the civil litigation lawyer has been fiercely advocating for victims of serious and catastrophic personal injuries, who often lack a voice against large insur- ance companies. His prior experience working as an adjuster at a major insurance company gave him a unique perspective on assessing a case objectively and finding the path to obtaining the best client outcome. Sowemimo's early days establishing himself in Winnipeg were critical to shaping how he practises law at his boutique firm in Edmonton, AB, and what he has subse- quently achieved: • Founding the David Sowemimo Law Entrance Scholarship at the University of Manitoba, a first-of-its-kind $6,000 annual award to encourage Black students to choose law • Being honoured as a Leading Lawyer to Watch in the 2024 Canadian Lexpert Directory • Getting involved in police oversight to ensure marginalized people's voices are included in discussions relating to policing, serving as a commissioner on the Edmonton Police Commission and chair of the Professional Standards Committee When not working tirelessly to achieve settlements for his clients through the Alberta Court of King's Bench court process and alternative dispute resolutions, Sowemimo is making a difference for Black law students at his alma mater, empha- sizing diversity and representation within the legal profession. "I'm happy and humbled when I meet students whom the scholarship has impacted and they are pursuing their dreams," he says. "It gives me a lot of joy because I remember those days when I was trying to go to law school, and I just didn't see how I could do it financially." Sowemimo also draws on his personal and lived experiences to bring the concerns of marginalized and racialized people to the police service, paving the way for more posi- tive relationships. One mentor from his articling days influenced Sowemimo's perspective on serving clients and helping them success- fully navigate a complex legal system. Norm Assiff, founder of the award- winning personal injury firm Assiff Law in Edmonton, taught him the importance of personalizing client interactions with face- to-face meetings. "We drove the three-hour trip to Calgary from Edmonton during my first week as an articling student, and he told me that it only takes one file to destroy all the good work you've done," Sowemimo recalls. "He said, 'You've got to give 100 percent to every file,' which has stayed with me."