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25 TOP Earl Cherniak Partner, Lerners LLP, Toronto Arguably one of the most respected and decorated litigators in Canada, Earl Cherniak has been recog- nized with some of the high- est honours in the country's legal field. In 2008, he was the recipient of the Law Society of Upper Canada's most prestigious award, the Law Society Medal. In 2004, he was the first recipient of the Ontario Bar Association's award of excellence in civil litigation. He has been involved in many landmark cases and has earned his reputation as one of the most skilled lawyers in his area of practice representing clients such as Conrad Black and securities lawyer Joseph Groia. What panellists had to say: "The epitome of hard work, discipline, and organization. Professionalism, respect, and civility are his daily workers." MOST INFLUENTIAL Irwin Cotler MP Mount Royal, Montreal Irwin Cotler may be the most well-known human rights lawyer in the country. He is currently a member of Parliament, a position he was first elected to in 1999 — at the time, his victory (with 92 per cent of the vote) was considered to be one of the most stunning electoral victories of the century. His career continued to flourish when, in 2003, then prime minister Paul Martin named Cotler the minister of Justice and attorney gen- eral. He played a key role in making the Supreme Court of Canada the most gender-representative Supreme Court in the world when he appointed justices Rosalie Abella and Louise Charron. As a noted human rights and peace activist, Cotler's place on this list remains solid. What panellists had to say: "He is Canada's leading expert on international law and human rights." "As a member of Parliament, Cotler continues to argue for a balanced and fair justice system." Purdy Crawford Counsel, Osler Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, Toronto Hailing from Nova Scotia, Purdy Crawford's career in the realm of corporate and commercial law has been a long and successful one. He became a partner at Osler Hoskin & Harcourt LLP in 1962 and by 1970 had moved his way up the ranks to senior partner. He left the firm from 1985 to 1995 to join Imasco Ltd. as CEO. After rejoining Oslers in 2000, Crawford took on the role of counsel, a position that he still holds today. Recently, he played a key role in the restructuring effort of $35 billion worth of asset-backed commercial paper that had grown stagnant on the Canadian market in 2007, taking a heavy toll on investors. He was also commissioned by the federal govern- ment to oversee a proposal for the establishment of a single securities regulator in Canada. His career is one that has been recognized many times throughout the years; he became an officer of the Order of Canada in 1996, was inducted into the Nova Scotia Business Hall of Fame in 1997, and in 2000 was inducted into the Canadian Business Hall of Fame and named Ivey Business Leader of the Year. What panellists had to say: "His work on the related issues of a single securities regulator and the ABCP fiasco will have a direct impact on the nature of Canadian corporate law as it develops in the post- recession period." www. C ANADIAN Law ye rmag.com A UGUST 2010 33 THE CRAWFORD: JOHN HYRNIUK