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Issue link: https://digital.canadianlawyermag.com/i/1540359
www.canadianlawyermag.com 39 Virani's approach to leadership isn't about staying in predefined lanes. "One of the things that I've done … is gone and sat with security dispatch. I've walked the campus with our security guards," she says. Her reason is simple: "It's important for me to see what they're encountering day to day… otherwise I can't effectively lead them." It's an example of how she brings context and direct experience into a legal role that often remains high-level in other institutions. That principle is central to Virani's work at CAMH, where innovation and collaboration are built into the hospital's strategic direction. "CAMH is very focused on moving mental healthcare forward at the moment," she says. That requires a legal department that can keep pace – not by saying no, but by helping leadership get to yes. BUILDING IN-HOUSE EXPERTISE OVER TIME TO HELP DRIVE THE BUSINESS When it comes to what separates great in-house legal counsel from the rest, Miriam Levin doesn't hesitate. "One of the key criteria is being able to spot risk," she says. That applies everywhere – from M&A to regulatory shifts to contract review. "It's a transferable skill," she explains. "I'm a quick study. I'm naturally curious about the business I'm in." Levin recently stepped into the role of executive vice president and general counsel at Starlight Investments. Her move follows nearly a decade of increasingly senior in-house legal positions and an early foundation at Torys LLP. What defines her approach is a clear grasp of how legal strategy fuels business growth. "My role is being a strategic advisor that's embed- ded in the business," she says. "Acting as a key partner to the CEO and the other executives and working together to drive business growth." This approach reshapes the core of legal operations. Risk is inherent in healthcare – and unavoidable in mental health and research – but it's not a barrier. She describes a process where she outlines the top 10 risks her institution might face. "Of these 10 risks that we've identified, how many are palatable to us?" she says. "Which one or two … might be deal-breakers?" Once that's clear, the task shifts to designing around the obstacles. "Can we find a way to either minimize this risk, work around it, be creative with what we're doing?" Despite moving from a public company to a privately held firm, Levin found the legal operations framework at both companies to be similar. Today, she leads a lean legal function responsible for a wide gamut, overseeing legal, risk, and insurance. The rest of the work is handled through external counsel on an as-needed basis. Her message to lawyers aiming for general counsel roles is direct. Jumping from private practice straight into the GC seat is a stretch. She worked her way up through progressively senior in-house roles at the same company over nearly a decade before taking on the top job. "You don't get that kind of breadth and variety of work when you're in private practice," she says. When the career opportunity at Starlight surfaced, it was strongly aligned with Levin's experience and ambitions. That alignment wasn't just about job responsibilities. It was about purpose. Starlight's stated mission to "invest with impact" is integrated into every aspect of the business. SARAH VIRANI Company: The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) Title: Legal counsel FROM LITIGATOR TO LEGAL INNOVATOR TO THE MENTAL HEALTH FRONT LINES Sarah Virani never expected that overseeing a hospital's security team would fall within the job description of a chief legal officer. "People tilt their head a little bit when I tell them that security is under the legal portfolio, as opposed to under facilities management," she says. But at CAMH, where mental healthcare requires close coordination between clinical, legal, and community systems, the structure makes sense. MIRIAM LEVIN Company: Starlight Investments Title: General counsel "It's important for me to see what they're encountering day to day… otherwise I can't effectively lead them"