Practicing with integrity in an in-house position, whether in the private or public sector, has always required special skill; but along with the advantages of the insider’s perspective come particular challenges. The fact of having one client — the corporation or the government[1] — means that an in-house lawyer is particularly vulnerable when there is…
The lack of integrity (actual or perceived) in public office and the private boardroom is a critical reason we are now experiencing what has been described as a crisis in leadership[1] and trust.[2] A deficiency of trust is indexed as the number one problem confronted by business and political leaders today. According to several studies,…
It is difficult to imagine a worst case scenario than United Airlines’ now infamous conduct on April 9, 2017, that permitted a 69 year old doctor named David Dao – under United Airlines care and control as a boarded and seated passenger – to be assaulted, bloodied, and dragged from its overbooked airplane with a…
The legal profession around the world is in a period of major – even transformational – change.[1] The global market for corporate legal services has become increasingly competitive. In this legal environment we are seeing the world’s largest accounting firms offering legal services (outside of the U.S.) to mid to large, national, and multinational corporate…
Our society assigns important powers and responsibilities to the members of its judiciary. Apart from the traditional role of an arbiter which settles disputes and adjudicates between the rights of the parties, in Canada judges are also responsible for preserving the balance of constitutional powers between the two levels of government in our federal state. …
Worldwide, corporations across business sectors are under pressure to reduce the overall costs of legal services without compromising on either quality or service. Corporations are looking for and expecting from their legal counsel greater efficiency, predictability, and cost-effectiveness in the legal services they contract for and receive. As noted by one legal commentator, this basic…
Populism may be the most important force in global politics today. Within this new geopolitical environment, leaders in Canada, the U.S., the UK, Europe, and Australia, among others, face challenges of extraordinary scale and complexity, and confront some of society’s most critical issues both at home and abroad – the economy (economic insecurity, globalization, technology…
The challenges companies face domestically and internationally demand a General Counsel or Chief Legal Officer with a steady hand, a cool head, the ability to think carefully, and the competence to act timely and in an appropriate manner as the circumstances require. Effective General Counsel or Chief Legal Officers (hereinafter referred to as General Counsel)[1]…
Justice Robin Camp was appointed as a judge of the Federal Court in June 2015. Before his appointment to the Federal Court, he was a judge of the Provincial Court of Alberta (Criminal Division), to which he was appointed in March 2012.[1] Overview While a judge of the Provincial Court, Justice Camp presided over the…
Public discourse and civility lies at the heart of our democracy and our legal profession in Canada, the U.S., the UK, and Australia. Unfortunately there appears to be less civility in society generally today, less courtesy, fewer manners. In the political arena and in public discourse, the rhetoric is harsher and the decibels are higher,…
