Roberto Aburto, a partner in Gowling WLG's national Municipal Law Group, is among Ottawa's "Forty Under 40" for 2021 according to the Ottawa Business Journal (OBJ) and the Ottawa Board of Trade. The Forty Under 40 awards are widely recognized as the Ottawa region's most sought-after business award for people under the age of 40 who are both highly successful in their careers and committed to developing Ottawa's business community.

Focusing his practice on development disputes, Aburto represents clients from all sides of the development industry, including developers, municipalities, municipal councillors and community organizations. His ability to bring the perspectives of all industry players to his work has earned him a strong reputation as a highly effective counsel in the construction and development industry.

In recent years, Aburto has been instrumental in building up the firm's Municipal Law practice in Ottawa, growing the local team from two to seven lawyers since 2016. It is currently one of the largest Municipal Law teams in Eastern Ontario.

"Roberto's natural ability to forge and maintain professional relationships with diverse industry insiders and community leaders is one of the reasons he is such an invaluable member of our team," said Wayne Warren, managing partner of Gowling WLG's Ottawa office. "He is constantly thinking of ways to better serve his clients and community."

Personally committed to the principles of diversity and inclusion (D&I), Aburto is co-chair of Gowling WLG's National Diversity and Inclusion Council and is often directly involved in the firm's D&I and pro bono projects. In October 2020, he was an Excellence Award recipient at the Canadian Law Awards, for his leadership of the firm's Pro Bono Gender Markers Initiative, a project in partnership with the Canadian Centre for Gender & Sexual Diversity.

Outside of the firm, Aburto is very active in the community. He is a mentor in the Canadian Hispanic Bar Association's mentorship program and currently sits on the County of Carleton Law Association's Board of Trustees, and on the Board of the Ontario Expropriation Association. He is also a member of the Greater Ottawa Home Builders Association's Builder Development Council and Urban Infill Committee.

The 2021 Forty Under 40 awards will be broadcast online and on television on June 23 at 8 p.m. ET. A full list of this year's recipients is also available on the Ottawa Business Journal website.

Previous Gowling WLG recipients of the Forty Under 40 award include Gordon Cudney (2017), Michael Crichton (2015) and Karen Hennessey (2014).