Gowling WLG congratulates clients on Canadian General Counsel Awards

12 June 2019

Gowling WLG is delighted to congratulate a number of its clients who were honoured at the annual Canadian General Counsel Awards (CGCA), presented Monday night in Toronto.

Karin A. McCaskill, former senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary for Empire Company Ltd. and Sobeys Inc., received the prestigious BLG Stephen Sigurdson Lifetime Achievement Award.

Recently retired, McCaskill is widely regarded for her strong and accomplished leadership of Sobeys' in-house legal department. She has earned particular praise for her stewardship of that department during a pivotal period of transition, where the Sobeys' legal team became increasingly vital to the strategic growth of both companies as they sought to expand across Canada.

"Karin's vision and realization of a diverse and efficient legal department was truly remarkable," said Joëlle Boisvert, partner and Sobeys' client team leader at Gowling WLG. "What truly set her apart is the thoughtfulness and consideration she exhibited toward her team. She was an exceptional mentor who always pushed her colleagues to grow both professionally and personally."

Gowling WLG also extends its congratulations to Jennifer Suess, senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary of RioCan. Suess received the Environmental, Social and Governance Award for her tireless promotion of corporate practices that contribute to the well-being of communities in which RioCan operates - as well as for championing a culture of ethics, good governance, environmental sustainability and corporate integrity throughout her company.

In addition, Phil Shaer, chief legal officer of Canopy Growth Corporation, received the Osler Purdy Crawford Deal Making Award. A widely respected legal industry leader, Shaer has been instrumental over the past three years in helping Canopy Growth Corporation navigate a series of complex, multi-million dollar transactions pivotal to company's international expansion plan.

Both RioCan and Canopy Growth Corporation are important clients of Gowling WLG, and we applaud Suess and Shaer on these significant achievements - as well as those of all of this year's CGCA finalists.