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The remainder of the Top 25 in alphabetical order Frank Addario Sack Goldblatt Mitchell LLP, Toronto Justice Rosalie Silberman Abella Justice, Supreme Court of Canada, Ottawa Justice Rosalie Abella's career speaks for itself — her extraor- dinary accomplishments and outspoken demeanor have made her more than worthy of a spot on this list. She was appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada in 2004, and was the first Jewish woman to be named to this position. Throughout her career, she has been an advocate for the role of children after the breakup of families. In her early years, she served as a commis- sioner on the Ontario Human Rights Commission, and was a member of the Ontario pre- mier's advisory committee on Confederation. Her accomplish- ments have been recognized many times by such groups as the University of Toronto, the Canadian Bar Association, and the Canadian Council of Christians and Jews, and she has received over two dozen honorary degrees. What panellists had to say: "Her decisions are often cited as practical and diplomatic." "She has spoken out about the need for the Canadian justice system to adapt to the changing world and understand technology and its impact on law." An expert of criminal and constitutional litigation, Frank Addario was the face of and one of the driving forces behind the Ontario criminal lawyers' boycott of legal aid cases in 2009. The initiative, which Addario spearheaded as president of the Criminal Lawyers' Association, resulted in the government of Ontario increasing legal aid fees, which greatly improves access to justice and delivery of legal services in the province. As a lawyer, Addario has appeared as counsel in every level of court in Ontario and in the Supreme Court of Canada. He also has a long history of volunteer work in the community, serving as direc- tor on boards for organizations such as Canadian Journalists for Free Expression and Jessie's Centre for Teenagers. What panellists had to say: "Addario's steady leadership and strong media presence during the Ontario legal aid boycott were key to the bar's improbable victory in the controversial campaign." David Allgood Executive vice president and general counsel, Royal Bank of Canada, Toronto David Allgood has held his position at the Royal Bank of Canada, the largest financial institution in the country, since 2000. During this time, he has become a leader in the value- billing initiative in Canada, and has raised the bar for in-house counsel across the country. He was also the first to change the numbers of and working relationships with outside law firms, irrevocably changing the face of such relationships in the Canadian legal market. In 2009, he was recognized with the Excellence in Corporate Practice Award by the Association of Corporate Counsel. This past May, he was honoured with the life- time achievement award at the Canadian General Counsel Awards, further cementing his status as one of the country's top general counsel who is able to stickhandle both com- plicated deals and expecta- tions of outside counsel. What panellists had to say: "He is changing the big client law firm relationship model in Canada." www. C ANADIAN Law ye rmag.com A UGUST 2010 29 ABELLA: © SUPREME COURT OF CANADA, PHILIPPE LANDREVILLE; ALLGOOD: SANDRA STRANGEMORE