Congratulations to Susan Abramovitch, Gowlings partner and one of Canada’s leading entertainment lawyers, who was honoured as a 2014 Lexpert Zenith Award winner at a gala event last night in Toronto.
The prestigious award recognizes Susan’s leadership and practice excellence in the area of entertainment law. Recipients were evaluated and selected by an advisory board of distinguished members of the Canadian legal community.
“Susan has earned a reputation as one of the best entertainment lawyers in the business through her rare combination of legal expertise, business savvy and creative energy,” said Scott Jolliffe, Gowlings chair and CEO. “The Zenith Award is a wonderful reflection of the tremendous career she’s had thus far, and the many accomplishments that are no doubt ahead of her.”
Counting many prominent Canadian and international artists, entertainment companies and brands among her clients, Susan delivers strategic business advice across a range of entertainment platforms, including film, television, music, digital media, video games and sports. As leader of Gowlings’ Entertainment Law Group, she is highly skilled in drafting and negotiating contracts and agreements, advising on deal terms and structures, resolving disputes, counselling on international industry standards and managing rights acquisitions.
In addition to her busy practice, Susan devotes much of her time to teaching, mentorship and community service. She is the program director for Osgoode Hall Law School’s popular Continuing Legal Education Certificate in Entertainment Lawand is a course lecturer at McGill University’s Faculty of Law. She also spent 10 years as an adjunct professor at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Law and served on the Board of Trustees of the National Film Board of Canada for six years.
Toronto Life magazine named Susan one of Toronto’s 50 most influential people in 2012. The publication described her as the city's “most sought-after entertainment lawyer…dispensing legal advice to individuals and companies both large and small…and acting as a de facto agent, brand manager and chief confidante.”
Susan has been repeatedly listed as a top entertainment lawyer in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, a key resource for corporate counsel and law firms seeking to engage Canadian legal talent. She is also consistently ranked in other international and domestic guides, including Who’s Who Legal and the Legal Media Group’s Expert Guides series.
The complete list of this year’s Lexpert Zenith Award winners can be found in the October 2014 issue of Lexpert magazine.