SkyLaw Fall Update

By: Kevin West

After a busy summer, fall has officially arrived. This is the perfect time of year to reflect, set new goals, and give thanks. I tend to treat Labour Day like New Year’s Day, looking back on the past year of business and making resolutions for the fiscal year ahead. Then there’s Thanksgiving, which is great time to take a step back and be thankful for all the wonderful opportunities we have. 

Here is a quick look back at some of the events I’ve been honoured to participate in over the last few months, along with some general news and announcements about the firm:

New Members to the SkyLaw Team

We are pleased to announce that Lindsay Woods has once again joined our team as a Law Student. This is Lindsay’s second term with us and we are delighted to have her back!

Lindsay has just completed her Honours LLB from The City University, in London England. Prior to her time in the UK, Lindsay completed a Bachelors of Management and Organizational Studies at the University of Western Ontario.

At law school, Lindsay volunteered as a McKenzie Friend with the National Centre for Domestic Violence and as a Student Advisor with the Golden Lane Legal Aid Clinic. Lindsay served as the President of the Canadian and American Law Society.

Contact Lindsay: lindsay.woods@skylawpc.ca | Connect with Lindsay on LinkedIn

We are also thrilled that Madelaine Kilsby and Veronica Clayton are working with us on a variety of client matters.

Both Madelaine and Veronica were Senior Law Clerks with me at Davies. We are very fortunate to have their expertise and wonderful enthusiasm available to us.

Contact Madelaine: madelaine.kilsby@skylawpc.ca | Connect with Madelaine on LinkedIn

Contact Veronica: veronica.clayton@skylawpc.ca | Connect with Veronica on LinkedIn

The SkyLaw Firm Retreat

A highlight of the summer was our firm retreat at a cottage north of Toronto.

We enjoyed a fantastic view of Baptiste Lake while we worked on improving our business practices and procedures. Both relaxing and productive, the retreat was a great success enjoyed by the entire SkyLaw team.    

The 2014 CSCS Conference

I was thrilled to be invited to the Canadian Society of Corporate Secretaries (CSCS) conference in beautiful Banff, Alberta to speak about preparing for an M&A transaction. I met terrific people and learned a lot, including how challenging it is to play horseshoes with any dignity.

For more details on the conference or to view the presentation, visit our blog post: The 2014 CSCS Conference.

The Commons Institute

I am always happy to visit Ottawa, even if it is for only three hours to make a presentation to the Commons Institute on one of my favourite topics: Getting the Deal Done.

For more information or to view the presentation, visit our blog post: Getting the Deal Done

The Canadian Legal Technology Conference

The organizers of the conference kindly invited me to speak about SkyLaw as “A Canadian Cloud Computing Success Story”. We have come a long way since 2010.

For more details or to view the presentation, visit our blog post: SkyLaw – A Canadian Success Story

The Canadian Law Firm Leadership Forum

I was pleased to have been invited to speak at the Canadian Law Firm Leadership Forum at the St. Andrew’s Club in Toronto, hosted by Insight. It was humbling to be part of an impressive line-up of law firm managing partners and professionals who were speaking about law firm leadership and strategy.

To learn more about the forum, visit our blog post: Kevin West Speaks at the Canadian Law Firm Leadership Forum

The 2014 Canadian General Counsel Awards

Nearly 600 people and the who’s who of the Canadian legal community attended the very impressive 2014 Canadian General Counsel Awards gala. I even dusted off my 12 year old tux and was complemented on my “retro” look.

For more info, please visit our blog post: Canadian General Counsel Awards

The Supreme Court of Canada Reunion 

As a former Law Clerk of the Supreme Court of Canada, I was pleased to attend the 2014 Law Clerks Reunion. Every five years the Supreme Court invites all current and former judges and law clerks to a weekend reunion in Ottawa.

This past summer, several hundred judges and clerks filled the foyer of the Supreme Court for a spirited cocktail evening followed the next day by brunches and a very impressive dinner. Many of my fellow law clerks have gone on to do some amazing things over the past 15 years – prosecuting war criminals, appearing before the U.S. Supreme Court and speaking on CNN as “experts” to name a few.

I had a great time reconnecting with old friends, including a rousing rendition of “Piano Man” to revive our famous clerk-eoke traditions.

Thank you for checking out SkyLaw’s update and I hope you have a fantastic fall season!

Kind regards,

Kevin West