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Rob Nicholson Minister of Justice and attorney general of Canada, MP, Niagara Falls, Ont. As the minister of Justice and attorney general, Rob Nicholson is clearly a central figure in the Canadian justice sys- tem. He has been involved with politics for years, and was first elected to Parliament in 1984. He was appointed to his current position in 2007, and during his tenure has been no stranger to controversy, particularly within the bar over much of the Conservative government's wave of law-and-order legislation. Recently, he has come under heavy fire after he agreed to the extradition of Marc Emery to the United States. Emery, a well-known Canadian marijuana activist, is currently serving a five-year sentence in the U.S. for selling marijuana seeds, and while Nicholson has received criticism from Emery's fellow activists and others, he would not be swayed. What panellists had to say: "He has a profound impact on law reform." "Deserves a spot on the list, regardless of any opposition to his controversial approach." Richard Peck Partner, Peck & Co., Vancouver Criminal lawyer Richard Peck has been a part of some of the most notorious cases in Canadian legal history. In May, he acted as independent prosecutor for Ontario in the case of criminal charges of dangerous driving and negligence against former attorney general Michael Bryant in the death of cyclist Darcy Allan Sheppard. He con- troversially said charges should be dropped as there was no reasonable chance of conviction. In June, as special prosecutor once again in British Columbia, he announced he'd be revisiting the question of whether criminal charges should be laid against police in the death by Taser of Robert Dziekanski. Also of note, he led a team of nine lawyers and successfully defended Ajaib Singh Bagri, one of the men accused of being the mastermind behind the Air India bombing of 1985. As well, he represented John Robin Sharpe, who was charged with possession of child pornography. Based on Peck's defence, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that prosecution could not stem from works of imagination for personal use. What panellists had to say: "You need to get the big cases to have power and influence. Based on that, he belongs on the list." Harvey T. Strosberg Senior partner, Sutts Strosberg LLP, Windsor, Ont. With the rise of the class action bar in the Canadian legal field in the last 25 years, Harvey Strosberg has emerged as one of the country's top class action lawyers and commercial litigators. He has consistently appeared on any list celebrat- ing the top lawyers in Canada, and served as treasurer of the Law Society of Upper Canada from 1997 to 1999. One of his most famous settlements came during the hepatitis C class action, which settled for $850 million. In total, he has recov- ered over $1 billion for his clients, a statistic that played a significant role in landing him a spot on this list. He continues to front some of the largest class action cases in the country. What panellists had to say: "He's one guy that defendants hope is not leading the charge on the other side." FALCONER CHARNEY LLP The lawyers and staff at Falconer Charney LLP congratulate Julian Falconer on being named one of Canada's Most Infl uential Lawyers. Julian Falconer and his practice group specialize in civil, constitutional and criminal litigation with a particular focus on state accountability. Falconer Charney LLP is a full service litigation fi rm with over 20 years experience serving clients with complex trial and appeal matters. FALCONER CHARNEY LLP Barristers-at-Law 8 Prince Arthur Avenue www.falconercharney.com Toronto, Ontario M5R 1A9 www. C ANADIAN Law ye rmag.com A UGUST 2010 37 alconer_CL_Aug_10.indd 1 7/15/10 3:50:01 PM NICHOLSON: CANADIAN BAR ASSOCIATION