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A Guide for the Perplexed on the Incorporation of Arbitration Provisions in Commercial Contracts

50 years ago today I arrived in Canada as a refugee from Uganda. We were accepted quickly and generously by a country where ethnic diversity and pluralism were encouraged. We counted ourselves as lucky.

Three-quarters of lawyers frequently feel over capacity and more than half don’t conduct any kind of tracking to better understand their resourcing constraints – at least that’s the case according to respondents surveyed at this year’s CCCA National Conference.

While we may think of mentorship as a way to advance our career, its many benefits go far beyond that. Being a mentor or mentee helps keep you in the game or play a better game. Mentors are often the support their mentees need to overcome an obstacle or reach higher, and mentees help mentors see how far they have come and perhaps where they would like to go next.

The ability to effectively communicate is of the utmost importance, especially for in-house counsel as they face the challenge of relaying complex legal advice to colleagues coming from various scholarships. In-house counsel must be reflexive and ask not only, “Is my message getting across?”, but also, “Is my communication creating a positive impact?”

In these transformative times, in-house counsel everywhere are under pressure to adapt and innovate to survive and thrive. It’s clear there is a need for tools to support us as we reinvent ourselves and help us find traction moving forward.

With the news cycle being faster than ever before, and serious new issues seeming to arise every few weeks, it can be hard to stay up to date, let alone digest the implications they may have on future operations and decision making. How can in-house counsel keep on top of it all?

National average base salary has increased significantly, gender wage gap has widened, equal pay for racialized and disabled lawyers is still a challenge, and work-life balance satisfaction decreased during the pandemic.

human connection may be low. Well-executed mentoring programs – like the one offered by the CCCA – promote feelings of connectedness and empowerment to help you succeed. Mentoring relationships are as rewarding for mentors as it is for mentees. A powerful part of the process is learning with someone who has a different life story than you. We spoke with Gennady Ferenbok, a seasoned mentor, about how this is true.

In today’s hectic world, it can be hard to see the bigger picture at work and in life. However, Evan Olson, CIC.C, is the 2021-22 Vice-Chair of the CCCA Executive Committee, is a prime example of living his values and being an in-house leader. We spoke with Evan about his career journey, living in the Prairies and the CCCA–Rotman Business Leadership Program.