What: Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers of Ontario Conference & Gala 2016
Where: Allstream Centre, Toronto
When: Saturday, October 29, 2016
The Ontario chapter of the Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers (FACL) held its 10th annual conference and gala last month at the Allstream Centre in Toronto, and hit a new record: the event was attended by 370 lawyers.
“The gala was an opportunity to recognize the incredible achievements of Asian lawyers, as well as allies in the fight for greater social justice and diversity within the profession,” says Brendan Wong, a partner at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP and the president of FACL Ontario.
The conference featured a keynote address from the minister of justice, Jody Wilson-Raybould, and panel discussions on topics such as legal tech, how to succeed in law and the latest trends in big law diversity.
The gala, which followed the conference, included an awards ceremony that honoured the outstanding achievements of Asian-Canadian students and lawyers as well as organizations that have demonstrated exemplary leadership. The 2016 winners are:
- Lawyer of Distinction Award: Sandra Nishikawa
- Corporate Diversity and Leadership Award: Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
- Young Lawyer Award: Junaid Subhan
- Daniel Mark Public Sector Lawyer Award: Arif Virani
- Lifetime Achievement Award: David Tsubouchi
- Social Justice Award: Bennett Gastle Professional Corporation
- Omatsu Scholarship: Yuan Stevens
- Omatsu Scholarship: Stephanie Wong
To find out more, please visit the Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers website.
Photography by Yvonne Bambrick