Legal news and trends for Canadian in-house counsel and c-suite executives
Issue link: https://digital.canadianlawyermag.com/i/50885
60-SECOND the support of Geza Banfai of Heenan Blaikie LLP, called the Construction Sector In-house Counsel Forum. The idea was that the CSIC would help pro- mote the sharing of thoughts and ideas around working as in-house counsel in the construction industry. The inaugu- ral meeting was held in June. "We had a warm response from over 50 people in the industry in similar jobs, not just construction, but consulting and engi- neering as well," says Becker. After majoring in English, Becker attended law school at the University of Western Ontario. At the time, she wanted nothing other than to become a litigator, so when it came time to article, she looked for a firm that focused on litigation. The result was articling and then working for small Toronto con- struction litigation boutique Glaholt & Associates (now Glaholt LLP). Later, a few members of the firm split off to create McLaughlin & Associates and Becker went with them, learning a diverse skill set along the way. SNAPSHOT THE LAWYER: Jody Becker THE COMPANY: EllisDon Corp. • Becker studied law at the University of Western Ontario and was called to the Ontario Bar in 2001 • After years in private practice as a litigator, she moved to EllisDon to take on a multi-faceted role • Her work on multimillion-dollar P3 deals earned her the Tomorrow's Leader Award at the 2011 Canadian General Counsel Awards • Becker sits on the construction law executive for the Ontario Bar Association • She's also a mother to two boys, aged seven and five than spending money on lawyers to liti- gate a problem after the fact. "Some of the companies I worked with in private prac- tice were moving toward more upfront review of contracts and more strategic considerations at the outset of a project rather than fighting about it later on," she says. "In light of the decline in the amount of matters that were going to trial, I was starting to feel a lot less like a litigator and a lot more like a solicitor. That part of it started to interest me a great deal," says Becker. So when the opportunity arose at EllisDon to go in-house, she decided to give it a shot — particularly because she thought she would be in more of a position to prevent matters from going to trial. "That's what led me here." Today, Becker says she's found a new She found, however, as her private practice grew, she was doing less litiga- tion as companies became much more focused on preventing problems rather passion for law that doesn't involve litigat- ing. "You start with a few pieces of paper and you could end up with a billion-dol- lar hospital," she says. "There's a concrete reminder at the end of the day of what you've done." IH [Across the street, down the block or Canada wide — our commercial team is ready for you. ] For over 100 years, legal professionals have trusted Stewart Title to provide title insurance for their commercial real estate transactions. Some of the world's best hotels, golf courses, resorts, office towers and business centres are insured by Stewart Title. Our global reach and financial strength, combined with the expertise of our Commercial Team, enable us to handle the most complex transactions. With Stewart Title, you can close real estate transactions with security and peace of mind. Visit www.stewart.ca to view some of our recent transactions, or call us at 1-888-667-5151 for a quotation. Untitled-3 1 INHOUSE OCTOBER 2011 • 4/30/10 12:51:05 PM 37