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8:00am
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Breakfast & Registration (sponsored by Heuristica)
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8:30am
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Opening Remarks
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8:45am
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Keynote Address: "Disinformation and You: How a Polluted Information Environment Threatens the Law"
Justin Ling is a freelance journalist who covers politics, democracy, the law, national security, misinformation, extremism, and where all those things intersect. He is a contributing columnist to the Toronto Star, a contributor to Foreign Policy, WIRED, and The Walrus, and has contributed to a swath of other outlets. He hosted the podcasts The Village and The Flamethrowers, and he writes the newsletter Bug-eyed and Shameless, all about our current information ecosystem.
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9:30am
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Privacy & New Technologies: A Chat About the Legal Realities of Generative AI (sponsored by McInnes Cooper)
AI’s evolution to generative AI – think ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude – is disrupting almost every aspect of your organization’s operations. There are, of course, real benefits to generative AI. Lower costs and increased productively are the most often cited. But those benefits aren’t without real legal risk, such as privacy breach, intellectual property infringement and discrimination. The challenge: Navigate those legal risks while capturing the benefits generative AI offers your organization.
Join this stellar panel as they look at:
- How to incorporate generative AI in your legal team
- How to prepare your Board and Executive Team to manage generative AI in your organization
- Practical generative AI due diligence tips you can implement today
Speakers:
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10:15am
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Break
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10:45am
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Enhancing Financial Integrity: A Forensic Accountant’s Insights into Commercial Agreements and Terms (sponsored by MNP)
Unlock the power of precise contract language to safeguard your organization’s financial interests and mitigate the risk of disputes. This session is designed to equip in-house counsel with the expertise to effectively scrutinize and refine financial terms within agreements, and provide strategic value when advising the relevant stakeholders and business units.
We’ll dissect the financial clauses pivotal to the fiscal success of agreements, illuminated by real-world scenarios where ambiguous or poorly constructed accounting-related language led to conflicts. Our focus spans various agreements, offering a comprehensive analysis of financial terms to highlight critical considerations for drafting robust contracts.
Join our experts to learn how to:
- Strategically craft language to secure financial rights.
- Identify and rectify vague or ambiguous financial terms to prevent interpretative disputes.
- Enhance your proficiency in reviewing and negotiating contracts with a keen eye on financial and accounting implications.
- Ultimately strengthen your defense against potential legal challenges.
Speakers:
- Corey Bloom, Partner & Eastern Canada Leader, Forensics & Litigation Support, MNP
- Isabella Nicolini, Senior Manager, Forensics & Litigation Support, MNP
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11:30am
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Beyond Land Acknowledgements: Embedding Indigenous Values in Organizational Governance (sponsored by LexisNexis)
Today, Canadian organizations must move beyond symbolic gestures and demonstrate their commitment to reconciliation with Indigenous peoples through tangible action. Our panelists will share knowledge about legal duties, including the duty to consult, and explore the business case for engaging with Indigenous communities and incorporating Indigenous values into organizational objectives and decision-making.
You’ll come away with:
- An understanding of some of the legal requirements related to Indigenous rights in Canada.
- Practical guidance from case studies from organizations actively working towards truth and reconciliation.
- Key business reasons for embedding Indigenous perspectives in governance and decision-making processes.
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12:15pm
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Lunch
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1:15pm
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Respectful Workplaces: Microaggressions and Subtle Discrimination (sponsored by Stewart McKelvey)
In today's workplaces, discrimination can take many subtle forms that may go unnoticed, but their impact is real — affecting culture, morale, and creating legal risks.
Join our expert panel for an interactive session where we will:
- Dive into real-world case studies to dig deeper into issues of potential discrimination, and look at how to effectively investigate and resolve them.
- Provide guidance on mitigating unconscious bias and the effects of microaggressions.
- Outline the essentials for guarding against liability risks and building a respectful workplace.
Speakers:
- Ruth Trask, Partner, Stewart McKelvey
- Lynn Iding, CPHR, CCIP, Inclusion Strategist, Stewart McKelvey
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2:00pm
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Building High-Performing Legal Teams (sponsored by The Counsel Network)
In today’s rapidly shifting legal market, attracting and retaining top in-house talent goes beyond offering competitive pay. Dal Bhathal from The Counsel Network, one of the most connected lawyer recruitment firms in Canada, will share proven strategies for recruitment, retention, and talent development.
Drawing on findings from the In-House Counsel Compensation & Career Survey 2024, Dal will highlight the latest trends and essential skills that lawyers need to thrive in this evolving field. With years of experience in legal recruitment and team building, she’ll provide actionable advice for creating high-performing legal teams.
Speaker:
- Dal Bhathal, Partner, The Counsel Network (now part of Caldwell)
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2:45pm
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Break
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3:00pm
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Peer-to-Peer Roundtables
Back by popular demand, these roundtable discussions will be one of the highlights of the Retreat! Join your peers for engaging group discussions on a wide variety of issues impacting in-house counsel. This is your opportunity to ask specific questions, share your experiences and be inspired to face the challenges ahead!
The exact topics and groups will be customized to the participants. We will be asking for your input closer to the date.
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3:45pm
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Closing Remarks & Reception (sponsored by Emera)
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