CCLA Trustees Election 2016

We are very excited to present the list of candidates for the 2016 Trustees election! The candidates are:

• Rosalind Conway
• Andrew Ferguson
• Mark Habib
• Allison Klymyshyn
• Jean-François Laberge
• Anne-Marie Magneron
• Sean May
• Daljit Nirman
• Craig O'Brien
• Mark Seebaran
• Lawrence Silber
• Laurie Tucker

We will send a reminder to those who haven't voted during the second week of voting. All votes must be cast by 5:00 PM EST on Friday, February 12, 2016.

The results of the election will be announced in the third week of February. Pursuant to our by-laws, members will vote to elect this slate of candidates at our Annual General Meeting on Thursday, March 10, 2016.If you have any questions about this election or the voting process, please email the CCLA at info@ccla-abcc.ca. 

The following member groups are considered to be voting members of the CCLA:

• Lawyers from any year of call, engaged in full time or part-time practice, who live and/or practice in Ottawa
• Lawyers not in practice but who live in Ottawa
• Honourary members of the CCLA who reside or practice in Ottawa

The following CCLA members are considered to be non-voting members and will not be receiving ballots for this election:

• Students – law, articling, or paralegal
• Paralegals
• Judges
• Lawyers not in practice who live outside of Ottawa

Candidate Profiles

Rosalind Conway

This would be my fifth term serving you as a trustee.

I have worked on issues relating to membership, articling and legal aid. Last year I sat ad hoc on the Ottawa Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee.

I am on a committee with other trustees considering whether and how the CCLA should respond to the Law Society’s consultation paper on Compliance-Based Entity Regulation.

The eligibility criteria for Legal Aid certificates were recently expanded, and the CCLA was one of the voices that sought these changes.

As a barrister with over 30 years of experience, and a dedicated member of the CCLA since 1988, I believe my background, insight and experience as a trustee will continue to benefit the County of Carleton Law Association, one of the most respected law associations in Ontario.

Please visit my website if you want to know more about me: www.rosalindconway.com.

Andrew Ferguson (2009 Call)

I have had the pleasure of meeting many of you over my last seven years of practice, both as counsel on client matters and at bar events such as the Civil Litigation Conference. I am now seeking your vote so we can continue to maintain and foster the collegiality of the local bar which truly makes Carleton County an exceptional place to practice. I believe that the CCLA and its programming are central to this goal while also providing top-notch CLE.

With two young toddlers at home (being raised by parents who are both civil litigators), I have a vested interest in working to maintain the high standards of the both the present and future CCLA. My four-year old is already quite the advocate when looking for another story at bedtime.

I would be honoured to work with the other trustees to advance the interests of our colleagues, friends and peers.

Mark Habib

I am again seeking your support for election as CCLA Trustee. With 26 years of experience in both small and large firms, I believe that I am qualified to advance the interests of a wide constituency of the CCLA Membership. In my earlier years, I practiced exclusively in the areas of civil litigation. With time and the development of a busy General Law practice, my focus is now primarily in the area of Real Estate and Commercial Law. My experience provides me a unique background from which to speak to a wide range of issues that affect our membership. Over the past year I have worked hard to provide meaningful input to the Board as well as to the CCLA Real Estate Lawyers Committee. I look forward to the opportunity to contribute further to the CCLA and in particular, to advance the interests of solicitors at the Board and Committee level.

Allison Klymyshyn

During the past two years as CCLA trustee, I have enjoyed chairing the CCLA Working Group on Alternative Business Structures and co-chairing the Membership Committee, bringing you our now annual CCLA Holiday Festive and Spring Fling at the Knox Church. As co-chair of the Membership Committee, I am also excited to be working towards a more inclusive and relevant CCLA through the establishment of a Diversity Committee.

Originally from Saskatchewan, my first career was in music. While studying piano performance in Montreal, an injury made a career change necessary. I made the switch to law and upon completion of my degree immediately moved to Ottawa with my young family. 16 years later, my entire career has been here. I articled and practised at two local law firms and am now a partner at Cavanagh^LLP.

The CCLA, its programming and collegiality, has been an integral part of my career in Ottawa. I would be honoured to be re-elected as a trustee and ask for your support to do so.

Jean-François Laberge

I hope you will support my nomination in the 2016 CCLA Trustee Election. With your vote, I will be able to add my unique experience of working within various organizations that make up our legal community to the CCLA’s Board. As a past member, now the Co-Chair of the CCLA’s New Lawyers, Articling Students and Paralegals Planning Committee, I have worked with a wonderful team to create the One Day Summit, a new cornerstone CLE conference. I was the founder and first ever President of the Young Lawyers Committee of the Association des juristes d’expression française de l’Ontario ("AJEFO”). I have been and continue to be both the Regional Representative of the AJEFO for the Outaouais Region and a Lecturer at the University of Ottawa French Common Law Section: I believe I will be able to work to reinforce and create new partnerships that will ensure continued and ameliorated services to our bar, for both young and less young, in both official languages. Thank you for vote and for your support.

J’espère recevoir votre appui en tant que futur membre du Conseil d’administration de l’ABCC. Votre vote me permettra d’ajouter mon bagage unique de travail auprès de divers organismes de notre communauté légale au Conseil d’administration de l’ABCC. En tant qu’ancien membre et ensuite coprésident du Comité de planification pour les nouveaux avocats, stagiaires et parajuristes de l’ABBC, j’ai travaillé avec une merveilleuse équipe afin de créer le Sommet-en-une-journée, une nouvelle et importante conférence de formation juridique. Je fus le fondateur et premier présent du Comité des jeunes de l’Association des juristes d’expression française de l’Ontario ("AJEFO”). J’étais et je continue d’être le représentant régional de l’AJEFO pour l’Outaouais, ainsi qu’un Chargé de cours à la Faculté de droit de l’Université d’Ottawa – section de common law (français) : je crois sincèrement être capable de renforcer et de créer de nouveaux partenariats qui assureront des services continus et améliorés à notre barreau, autant pour les jeunes que les moins jeunes, et ce, dans les deux langues officielles. Je vous remercie de votre appui et de votre vote.

Anne-Marie C. Magneron (2014 Call)

Anne-Marie carries on a solicitor’s practice, focusing on Wills and Estates, Real Estate and Corporate Law. She is a recent graduate from the French Common Law Program at the University of Ottawa. Before attending law school, she held the position of Administrative Assistant to the President, Allan Rock, and to the Vice-President pro tempore, Bruce Feldthusen (also the Dean of the Faculty of Law). While attending law school, she was an Editor for the Ottawa Law Review. She completed her articles at a large downtown Ottawa firm before accepting a position with Dust Evans Grandmaitre. Anne-Marie is passionate about advancing the interests of the profession, dedicating countless hours to promoting client confidence by, among other things, partaking in the Lawyers Feed the Hungry, the elementary school Mock Trial Program and serving on the Executive Committee of the OBA’s Young Lawyers Division.

Sean May

It has been a privilege to serve as a trustee with the CCLA for the past two years. Working with and on behalf of the members of the local bar on issues affecting us all, has been a tremendous experience. Over the past year, the CCLA has addressed many areas of interest for the legal community, including membership, continuing legal education and enhancement of services. I hope to have the opportunity to continue as a Trustee in 2017.

Je suis fier d’être un membre de votre organisation. J'ai le plaisir de vous partager ma fierté et mon grand intérêt à poursuivre mes fonctions auprès de votre organisation dans l'année à suivre.

Daljit Nirman

I would bring a wealth of experience to the Board of Trustees through my 25 years of work in my areas of specialization. Foremost, I have a diverse and varied legal background as an immigration, corporate, administrative and property lawyer. Further, I would bring important diversity to the Board. Through my twelve years of practice in Ottawa, I have worked with clients representing the full scope of Ottawa's ethnically and religiously diverse community.

Finally, I believe strongly in giving back to the community. During my years in Ottawa, I have been a president, director, board member, or committee member for five organizations, including United Way, OCISO, the CCLA itself and two bar associations representing South Asian lawyers in North America.

I believe that with my extensive experience with Ottawa's diverse community and non-profit work, I would make an excellent addition to the Board of Trustees. I hope that I can count on your vote. My professional biography and community involvement can be found at www.NirmansLaw.com. Thanks for your time and support.

Craig O’Brien

Through decades of diligent work, the CCLA has helped create a regional legal practice environment that is the envy of practitioners across the province. I am seeking re-election to the CCLA Board for 2016 to help continue that work. I have been a CCLA member since my articling year in 2006 and Trustee since 2011.

Through my involvement in the CCLA, I have developed a great appreciation of the unique benefits that the CCLA provides to its members through its advocacy on behalf of the local bar, the (comparatively) affordable continuing legal education programs it runs, and the myriad networking opportunities it fosters. In 2014 and 2015, I was a member of the New Lawyers and Articling Students Planning Committee that organised a highly successful full day "Summit Conference” designed to address both substantive legal issues and to welcome the newest members of the CCLA to the local bar. I will continue my involvement to assist newly called lawyers and paralegals in our region to access the resources and mentorship programs that they will need to become efficient and effective. I would be honoured to be re-elected to the CCLA Board.

My professional biography with the law firm of Nelligan O'Brien Payne LLP, can be found at: www.nelligan.ca/e/craigobrien.cfm

Mark Seebaran

I would like to promote linkages between those members who practice either civil, family or criminal law. Improving continuing education, our social and professional networks, or promoting our region at the County and District level serves the interests of all of our members. I am a federal prosecutor who also has fifteen years’ experience in the civil litigation bar. I would like to represent the interests of all the practice areas that are reflected in our membership, where we can act together, and also where differences may recommend individual solutions.

J’aimerais créer des liens entre nos membres des barreaux civil, familial et pénal à l’ABCC. Améliorer la formation professionnelle, nos réseaux sociaux et professionnels, ou promouvoir notre région à l’échelle des districts et comtés sert les intérêts de tous nos membres. Je suis un procureur fédéral en droit criminel, mais j’ai aussi une expérience de quinze années dans la pratique du litige civil. J’aimerais représenter les intérêts de tous les champs de pratique de nos membres, là où un travail collectif s’impose, et aussi lorsque les différences peuvent suggérer des solutions individuelles.

Lawrence Silber

Having served as Trustee for one year, I can honestly say that I have just gotten my feet wet. I still have a lot to learn and much to contribute. I continue to serve on the CCLA Solicitors Conference organizing committee. I have participated on many non-profit boards and have the governance experience necessary to act as a Trustee. I have witnessed first-hand the hard work and commitment of the Trustees who have the best interest of the local bar to ensure that we all enjoy an exceptional working environment. I believe that solicitor’s representation on the Board has improved over previous years, and as a solicitor, I will continue to advocate for solicitors to ensure that their issues are heard and addressed. I look forward to continuing to participate on the Board and appreciate your continued support to do so.

Laurie Tucker

I have long considered running for the CCLA but wanted to ensure I had the time to devote to the position so I could serve the CCLA members well. I have sat on the Board of the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association since 2004, including on the Executive. I have enjoyed this work immensely and learned a lot about Board work and governance. My work on the OTLA Board will be ending in April, which affords me the opportunity to consider where and how else I might contribute.

Since coming to Ottawa in 1999, I have been involved with and benefited from the work of the CCLA. Most recently, I have been working as a member of the Planning Committee for the annual Civil Litigation conference. I have enjoyed this work as well and look forward to the opportunity to be even more involved through my work as a Trustee.

Je songe à poser ma candidature pour l’ABCC depuis longtemps. Cependant, je voulais m’assurer d’avoir suffisamment de temps à dévouer aux membres. Je suis administratrice du conseil d’administration de l’Ontario Trial Lawyers Association depuis 2004, et présentement membre du comité exécutif. J’ai beaucoup apprécié ce travail et j’ai grandement appris au sujet de la gouvernance. Mon mandat auprès d’OTLA prendra fin en avril. J’aurai donc l’occasion de rediriger mes efforts afin de contribuer à la communauté juridique.

Malgré le fait que je ne parle pas français, je suis fière d’être associée dans un cabinet bilingue et je reconnais l’importance d’offrir des services en français.

Depuis mon arrivée à Ottawa en 1999, j’ai bénéficié de l’ABCC. Récemment, j’ai travaillé au sein du comité de planification des conférences sur les litiges civils. J’ai bien aimé ce travail et je souhaite avoir l’occasion de poursuivre mon implication en tant que membre du conseil d’administration.