This meeting was held at 05:00 PM at Harper Grey LLP in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Guest Speakers
Diane Bell K.C., Partner and Mediator at Clark Wilson,
Lisa Andersen, Director, Legal Talent and Knowledge Management at Singleton Reynolds
Michaela Krell, National Director at Life After Law
Catherine Ewasiuk, Associate at Dentons (Moderator)
Presentation
CBABC Women Lawyers Forum Presents:
Claim Your Space: Self-Advocacy for Women Lawyers
Date: Wednesday, November 27, 2024
Networking for In-Person Participants: 5:00pm – 5:30pm
Presentation and Discussion: 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
Location: Hybrid
In-Person ([TBD] guests): Harper Grey LLP, Scotia Tower, 3200 – 650 West Georgia Street, Vancouver
Virtual (unlimited): via Zoom Webinar
In-Person Ticket Price: [To be confirmed $25.00 (plus GST)]
Online Ticket Price: Free!
CPD Credits: [To be confirmed 1.5 hours]
Synopsis
Despite being exceptional advocates for our clients, women lawyers often find it challenging to promote themselves. This reluctance can stem from imposter syndrome, fear of backlash, lack of role models, or biased work environment that stereotypes women. These challenges contribute to professional inequities, impacting salary and bonus negotiations, client opportunities, and broader industry prospects. Self-advocacy is imperative in mitigating these professional inequities. This event aims to equip you with the tools and strategies to effectively advocate for yourself, ensuring fair treatment and advancement in your legal career. Connect, learn, and grow with fellow women lawyers as we address these critical issues.
Please join us for a presentation and discussion featuring Diane Bell K.C., Partner and Mediator at Clark Wilson, Lisa Andersen, Director, Legal Talent and Knowledge Management at Singleton Reynolds and Michaela Krell, National Director at Life After Law. Catherine Ewasiuk, Associate at Dentons and co-author of the CBABC’s report on Pay Equity in the Legal Profession (2021), will moderate the conversation.
At this event we will hear personal accounts from our speakers as they present tips on identifying professional inequities, challenging them and closing the confidence gap when advocating for our career growth. We will explore lessons in building self-confidence, effectively putting yourself out there and creating a robust support system that helps you to ‘Claim your Space’. This session will be followed by a Q&A portion that will allow attendees to share their own experiences.
We encourage you to reflect on your own journey ahead of this event and to share tips and lessons learned. If you have specific questions or issues that you would like to see discussed during the event, please feel welcome to write to us ahead of time! Please email your questions to our Co-Chairs Laesha Smith at lsmith@peslitigation.com and Michelle Wong at michelle.wong@mcmillan.ca.
For those attending in person, please join us for some light appetizers and mingling starting at 5:00 pm. For those attending remotely, please join us for the presentation portion of our event starting at 5:30 pm.
We look forward to seeing you!
Speaker Bios
Diane Bell K.C. – Diane is a Partner in the Mediation & Arbitration group as well as Co-Chair of the Family Law group at Clark Wilson. As a mediator, Diane helps clients overcome legal challenges in a fair and efficient manner. She manages emotions and expectations, and, by engaging in an active risk analysis, she helps to achieve the best possible outcome for all parties. Although approximately 80% of Diane’s time is now devoted to mediation, she has maintained a small, restricted family law practice. Having practiced family law for over 35 years and as a result of doing many commercial and other non-family law mediation work, she has garnered a broad skillset, which includes a solid understanding of tax issues, complex business structures, corporate reorganizations, off-shore investments, trust law, estates and pensions.
Lisa Andersen – As the Director, Legal Talent and Knowledge Management at Singleton Reynolds, Lisa oversees student and lateral recruitment as well as associate development. Working with the Professional Services Committee, she is responsible for the mentorship program, internal continuing education, and associate performance reviews. Prior to joining Singleton, Lisa practiced law for several years at a Vancouver firm with a focus on insurance coverage, professional liability, and municipal liability. She has also provided knowledge management and legal research services to firms and organizations across the city.
Michaela Krell – Michaela is the National Director and head of the Vancouver office of Life After Law, a national
recruitment firm dedicated to placing legal professionals in corporate counsel, quasi-legal, private practice and
executive Roles. Michaela was born in Vancouver, but spent formative years of her life on the east coast. She
completed her undergraduate degree in psychology at McGill University. During her undergraduate studies, she
completed a semester abroad where a friend suggested she pursue a career in law.
After returning to Canada, she obtained her law degree from Osgoode Hall. She is called to the Bar in Ontario and
New York. Michaela joined the Life After Law’s Toronto office in 2010 and moved back to her hometown of
Vancouver in 2013. She boasts a wide Canadian and international network, and also has a diverse range of clients in a variety of industries including: real estate, finance, emerging companies and crown corporations. When she isn’t working, Michaela is a mom of three and loves anything active.
Moderator Bio:
Catherine Ewasiuk – Catherine Ewasiuk is an associate in the Restructuring, Insolvency and Bankruptcy group at Dentons, Vancouver. Catherine represents both institutional and private lenders in foreclosure and insolvency proceedings and appears regularly in court. Originally from Edmonton, Catherine moved to British Columbia in 2016 to pursue a Masters in Law at the University of British Columbia. She was called to the Bar in British Columbia in 2019.
Catherine is an Executive Member and past Chair of the Women Lawyers Forum CBABC Branch.
Duration of meeting was 2.0 hours. Of this, 1.5 hours can be counted towards CPD.
Submitted by Section [ExecPosition]: Sianne Petrisor, [SubmittedFirm]