Two Gowling WLG partners named in Benchmark Litigation's second annual "Under 40 Hot List"

04 August 2017

Gowling WLG's Jaimie Lickers and Scott A. Smith have been listed in the 2017 edition of Benchmark Litigation's Under 40 Hot List ― a significant achievement for these two Indigenous law partners.

Introduced in 2016, the Under 40 Hot List is an accolade from Benchmark Litigation that honours the achievements of North America's most accomplished legal partners who are 40 years of age or younger. The list is the result of an exhaustive peer review process and case examination that assembles a pool of young, up-and-coming lawyers.

Jaimie is a partner in Gowling WLG's Hamilton office with a practice focused on Indigenous, regulatory and construction law. She has experience dealing with First Nations on a variety of matters, including taxation, trusts, self-government, regulatory matters and consultation issues. She also has considerable experience dealing with construction matters and disputes, and provides advice regarding environmental protection and assessment.

Jaimie is an experienced advocate and has appeared before the Supreme Court of Canada, the Federal Court of Appeal, the Ontario Court of Appeal, the Federal Court of Canada, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice and the Tax Court of Canada.

In 2017, Jaimie was also awarded a Lexpert Zenith Award — an honour that celebrates the advancement of women who have demonstrated excellence and thought leadership in the legal profession. Earlier this year, she became the first Indigenous woman to be admitted to the Gowling WLG partnership.

Scott is a partner at Gowling WLG with a national practice at the confluence of environmental and Indigenous law. He works out of the firm's Vancouver and Toronto offices and advises Indigenous peoples and companies across Canada on Indigenous, environmental assessment, regulatory, and constitutional issues for major energy and natural resource projects.

Scott is regularly involved in high profile regulatory hearings and related litigation, and has appeared before regulatory tribunals and courts across Canada. He has also negotiated precedent-setting agreements between Indigenous peoples, companies and other governments in Canada, and has extensive experience advising clients on the Crown's duty to consult and accommodate Indigenous peoples.

Earlier this year, Benchmark Canada also named Gowling WLG "Aboriginal Law Firm of the Year" — for the second year in a row. In 2016, Benchmark Canada recognized more than 40 Gowling WLG professionals as Canada's foremost litigators.

Gowling WLG offers strategic litigation advice and representation to clients across Canada and around the world. With in-depth advocacy capabilities spanning a full range of practice areas and industries, Gowling WLG's Litigation & Dispute Resolution Group delivers comprehensive, practical advice in a wide range of litigation matters.