Nominations are open
Nomination Deadline: September 8 2025 at 12pm ET
Nomination CAtegories
Lifetime Achievement
Finalists have made a real difference –– both within their own company and in-house department; and with the external counsel who have worked alongside with them. This will be an individual with a commitment to excellence and leadership within the legal profession.
A Lifetime Achievement award recipient has the broadest possible range of accomplishments – the ability to run the complicated deals, the major litigation, the handling of governance issues, as well as employment and regulatory matters. They will also have made a lasting contribution to their work community and the community at large within which their company operates. In short, they’ve done it all.
The submission should explain how this nominee distinguished himself/herself in their field of expertise; in industry and in the legal community at large.
ELIGIBILITY: A senior member of the in-house Bar (20 years or more experience as a lawyer), or one who recently retired (in calendar year 2023/2025) with a distinguished history as the Head of a legal department. Nominee must be called to the bar in Quebec and have spent part of their career working in Quebec.
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General Counsel of the Year
The award for the Quebec General Counsel of the Year is based on excellence, the ability to deal with complexity across both issues and jurisdictions, and an irrefutable sure-handedness in dealing with whatever challenges are faced. In today’s business environment we recognize that the GC is responsible for far more than legal issues but has a multidimensional role that aligns business and legal strategies which include compliance issues, company culture, ESG challenges and innovative business solutions.
When choosing the person who will be honoured among all the nominees, the Advisory Board will carefully look at the role each nominee played in their company's overall health and well-being and to the achievement of outstanding work during the course of the last three years.
The Quebec General Counsel of the Year is awarded to the individual representing the very best of what this profession stands for. The nomination should explain how the nominee has distinguished himself/herself in their field of expertise in the industry and in the legal community.
ELIGIBILITY: General Counsel, Chief Legal Officer, or Director/Head of Legal Affairs. Nominee must be called to the Quebec bar and working for a company with a Quebec presence.
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Business Achievement
By training, lawyers are risk averse. However, an effective businessperson cannot afford to be. The skill sets, while complimentary, are very different.
The Business Achievement Category recognizes that the transition from lawyer to senior executive directing a corporation is a difficult one.
The Advisory Board seeks to identify a practicing lawyer who has successfully made that leap, and who has gone on to excel amongst the champions of industry. The award recipient in this category is traditionally someone who is no longer a full-time practicing GC, but has demonstrated the ability to both develop and implement the overall strategy contributing to the success of the division or the company itself.
ELIGIBILITY: All In-House Counsel no longer practicing as full time In-House Counsel, either because they combine legal and executive functions, or because they have moved towards an executive position that is not of a legal nature. Nominee must be called to the bar in Quebec and working for a company with a Quebec presence.
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Small-Midsize Law Department Excellence
The Advisory Board will choose a legal counsel who has proven excellence in their career over the last three years as the award recipient. The innovative spirit of the nominee will also be part of the selection criteria.
The award recipient will have demonstrated superior capability in various areas of law including securities law, tax law, competition law, intellectual property law, litigation management and business strategy. The Advisory Board will be looking beyond the management of legal issues for evidence of the role the nominee plays in developing and implementing corporate strategy; his/her participation in key negotiations as a representative of the company with decision-making authority; management of legal and other risks; and the supervision of internal or external counsel teams.
ELIGIBILITY: All in-house counsel, regardless of year of call or position, in a legal department that does not exceed four lawyers. Nominee must be called to the bar in Quebec and working for a company with a Quebec presence.
Tomorrow’s Leader
The role and stature of General Counsel have grown enormously during the last 30 years. The Tomorrow’s Leader award seeks to recognize individuals who have the potential to lead the next phase of this evolution. This award encourages the development and growth of a future leader in the General Counsel Bar, who not only possesses exceptional legal expertise but also outstanding leadership qualities through their actions and attitudes when dealing with major transactions or litigation that impact the business. The nominated counsel should demonstrate a strong commitment to drive positive change and shaping the legal industry’s future landscape.
ELIGIBILITY: All In-House Counsel, called from 2014 or later to any Canadian Bar. Nominee should be working for a company with a Quebec presence, and MUST also be called to the Quebec bar.
Litigation and Risk Management
Litigation management involves not only about overseeing court proceedings but also managing the entire legal team, including outside counsel, potential reputation and media concerns, risk management, and avoidance of litigation. With today's constantly evolving business risks, in-house counsel must consider all aspects of their company, such as insurance, cyber risk, employee management, and global issues.
Exceptional accomplishment in litigation management is not measured solely by the size of a lawsuit but rather its complexity and impact on the company. In commercial litigation, counsel must handle a wide range of issues, including determining whether to settle or proactively manage risk.
When evaluating nominees for exceptional litigation management, the Advisory Board will look for evidence of effective overall legal strategy, including the ability to avoid court proceedings, hands-on management of external advisers, and how legal strategy and risk management support the company's brand. Additionally and where appropriate, how the nominee managed multi-jurisdictional issues should be addressed.
The information provided should include a brief profile of the businesses involved, the issue, jurisdictions, list of external law firms utilized, and the outcome of the litigation or risk management strategy employed.
ELIGIBILITY: All In-House Counsel regardless of year of call or position. Nominee must be called to the bar in Quebec and working for a company with a Quebec presence.
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