Gowling WLG partner Mary Thomson receives royal honours

22 November 2018

Gowling WLG is pleased to announce that Mary Thomson, leader of the firm's Canadian Litigation & Dispute Resolution Group, has been awarded the designation of Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order (LVO) by Her Majesty the Queen. She was inducted into the Royal Victorian Order at a ceremony held at Buckingham Palace in London, England on Oct. 17, 2018.

Established by Queen Victoria in 1896, the Royal Victorian Order - emblemized by a badge with a white-enameled Maltese cross - recognizes distinguished personal service to the Monarch or a member of the Royal Family.

Thomson was recognized for her outstanding dedication and tireless work as Chair of Outward Bound International, a position she held from 2011 to 2017. During her years of service to both the Duke of Edinburgh and the Duke of York, she provided leadership and inspiration that consistently reflected Outward Bound's foundational values. Outward Bound is a non-profit organization that provides programs in the outdoors aimed at developing a young person's capabilities, character, self-esteem and concern for others. Outward Bound is present in 33 countries around the world.

In addition to her work with Outward Bound International, Thomson was a member of Outward Bound Canada's (OBC) Board of Directors for more than a decade, and served as its Chair for two of those years. She was also a founding trustee of the OBC Foundation. For these efforts, Thomson received the prestigious Kurt Hahn Award in 2003 from Outward Bound Canada. She was awarded a further Kurt Hahn Award by Outward Bound International in 2017.