Cast your vote: Six Gowling WLG professionals nominated for Canadian Lawyer's "Top 25 Most Influential 2020" list

Gowling WLG is excited to share that six partners have been nominated for Canadian Lawyer's "Top 25 Most Influential 2020" list, which distinguishes lawyers who have played a significant role in the legal profession in Canada and internationally over the past 18 months.

Our partners are nominated in the following categories:

1. Business, including litigation, deals, class actions, etc.

• Michael Bordin
• Selena Kim
• Malcolm Ruby

2. Change-makers: lawyers in any area or type of practice who have been leaders, innovators, or catalysts for positive change in any area of the profession such as diversity, law firm management, education, etc.

• Susan Abramovitch
• Louis Frapporti
• Robert Winogron

Please take a moment to support our nominated partners by submitting your votes for them before June 5 via Canadian Lawyer's online ballot. For more information about their recent achievements, we encourage you to read the brief descriptions below:

• Susan Abramovitch: Having been immersed in the entertainment industry for 25 years, Susan works with many prominent Canadian and international creators, companies and brands. She applies her unparalleled expertise, connections and passion to protect her clients' interests and get them the best deals possible. Susan's "360 degree" approach to understanding her clients is unique in legal representation in the entertainment and sports industries – including the burgeoning area of esports. Her championing of these industries, through advising clients as well as her community involvement, makes Susan a standout in this field.
   
• Michael Bordin: In 2019, Michael successfully argued Fleming v. Ontario, a landmark Supreme Court of Canada civil liberties case that clarified the limits of police powers. The decision clarified what constitutes a breach of the peace and delineated the extent of the common law powers of police, and provided assurance to citizens that their lawful conduct will not result in a form of arrest that is evasive of judicial oversight. Michael represented Fleming at trial and before the Ontario Court of Appeal. His work was essentially unfunded through to the end of the Supreme Court Appeal.
   
• Louis Frapporti: As managing partner of our Hamilton office, Louis has demonstrated a bold vision of collaboration and community. With the goal of bridging the gap between profit and positive client and community impact, he has taken an innovative approach to common challenges of size, revenue and profitability, recognizing that these issues are deeply rooted in the legal industry. Louis has successfully cultivated forward-thinking and unprecedented partnerships with key public institutions – the City of Hamilton, McMaster University and Mohawk College, to name a few – based on a shared strategic mandate to foster economic activity, secure foreign direct investment, commercialize research, and solve technical problems through experiential learning.
   
• Selena Kim: Selena provides clients with strategic advice on all aspects of their intellectual property portfolios, including infringement and validity assessments and freedom to operate opinions. She has been certified by the Law Society of Ontario as a specialist in intellectual property for patents, trademarks and copyrights – and was the first woman to earn the patents designation in the Law Society's history. Most recently, Selena achieved a significant win and a permanent injunction for a patentee at trial involving a patented manufacturing procedure for polymer pipes.
   
• Malcolm Ruby: Under Malcolm's leadership, the firm's litigation team achieved a remarkable result on behalf of a class of disabled Canadian veterans in the nationally certified class proceeding Raymond Michael Toth v. Her Majesty the Queen (2019 FC 125). On January 30, 2019, the Federal Court approved an all-inclusive "mega-fund" settlement of $100 million for disabled veterans and their families, along with funds to cover legal fees and disbursements. The settlement ensures that the veterans, and their eligible families or estates, will receive compensation for suffering harm based on discriminatory policies and practices.
   
• Robert Winogron: Since 2016, Robert has acted as lead counsel in the Indian Day School Class Action (McLean v. Canada), a national class action seeking justice for survivors of Indian Day Schools and their families. In August 2019, the Federal Court approved the historic $1.47-billion DSCA settlement agreement, which recognized for the first time the physical, psychological and sexual abuse suffered by the 200,000 Indigenous students who attended day schools across Canada. The agreement ensures that survivors, as well as their families and communities, will receive the justice they have long deserved.

Once voting closes, the top five candidates will be chosen from each category and featured in the September issue of Canadian Lawyer. We thank you for your support.

About Gowling WLG

With more than 1,400 legal professionals in 19 cities worldwide, Gowling WLG provides clients with in-depth expertise in key global sectors and a suite of legal services at home and abroad. We see the world through our clients' eyes, and collaborate across countries, offices, service areas and sectors to help them succeed, no matter how challenging the circumstances.