{"id":273126,"date":"2026-07-03T10:04:06","date_gmt":"2026-07-03T10:04:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/my.legal500.com\/events\/?post_type=event_report&p=273126"},"modified":"2026-07-03T11:01:52","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T11:01:52","slug":"gc-forum-canada-2026","status":"publish","type":"event_report","link":"https:\/\/my.legal500.com\/events\/report\/gc-forum-canada-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"GC Forum Canada 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

On 25 June, Legal 500 launched its inaugural GC Forum Canada 2026 in partnership with Miller Thomson, generously hosting the afternoon at the 66th floor of Scotia Plaza, in the heart of Toronto\u2019s financial district. The event featured two engaging panels that invited attendees to put their work phones aside and dive into the intricacies of being an effective leader to their teams, a strategic partner to their boards and a protective lawyer for their businesses.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Legal 500 was delighted to be back in Toronto following the launch of the GC Powerlist Canada 2025 last year, where we had the opportunity to connect with many of the general counsel in attendance. It was wonderful to reconnect with familiar faces and equally a pleasure to welcome those joining Legal 500 events for the very first time.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The\u00a0day\u00a0began\u00a0with\u00a0a\u00a0shared\u00a0lunch,\u00a0offering\u00a0an\u00a0opportunity\u00a0for\u00a0attendees\u00a0to
\nconnect\u00a0with\u00a0peers\u00a0against\u00a0the\u00a0stunning\u00a0backdrop\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0CN Tower.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Carmen Godoy, Research and Event Editor of the Legal 500 GC portfolio, set the tone for the day by welcoming guests and encouraging them to be present and make the most of both the discussions and networking opportunities ahead. She then handed over to Kelly Charlebois, Managing Partner of Miller Thomson\u2019s Toronto office, who highlighted the importance of a connected GC community and introduced the first panel: <\/span>\u201cThe world has changed. Has your strategy? Trade, tariffs, and finding new ground beyond the U.S.\u201d<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Moderated by Dan Kiselbach, partner at Miller Thomson, the first panel explored the challenging reality that most Canadian businesses are unlikely to successfully diversify away from the U.S. market, yet are increasingly compelled to try. The discussion brought together GCs from three different sectors, each offering unique perspectives on navigating an unpredictable North American trading environment.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Christelle Gedeon, Chief Business Development & Corporate Affairs Officer at Canopy Growth Corporation; Conni Gibson, Group Head, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary at Interac; and Kerri Pope, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary at Martinrea International Inc., shared their experiences and insights, reflecting the varied challenges and approaches across industries.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The\u00a0second\u00a0panel,\u00a0titled\u00a0<\/span>\u201cThe strategic GC influence, authority, and the limits of both: leading through geopolitical risk when the rules keep changing,\u201d<\/span><\/i> shifted the focus inward, examining the day-to-day realities of balancing the roles of general counsel and business executive.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Moderated by Barry Horne, partner at Miller Thomson, the session encouraged speakers to move beyond theory and share practical examples from their careers. Panellists Jeanette Lee, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Arterra Wines Canada; Mark Galati, Global Director of Contracts and Corporate Legal Services at Hatch; Maja Czubernat, General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer and Chief Privacy Officer at Samsung Electronics Canada Inc.; and Max Spearn, Partner and M&A Lead at Miller Thomson, explored how GCs can effectively combine legal expertise with strategic insight.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The discussion focused on protecting the business, managing risk, leading legal teams and serving as trusted advisors to boards, all while operating in an <\/span>increasingly\u00a0complex\u00a0and\u00a0fast-changing\u00a0environment.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Carmen Godoy closed the day by thanking the speakers and moderators for their valuable insights, the audience for their engagement, and the Miller Thomson team for their partnership and dedication in making the event a success.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The forum concluded with a cocktail reception, allowing attendees to continue conversations sparked throughout the day while enjoying views of the Torono skyline.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Legal 500 would like to extend its warmest thanks to Miller Thomson for their continued partnership and commitment to fostering dialogue that strengthens the GC community in Canada, and particularly to the Toronto office team for their exceptional hospitality.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":274022,"template":"","class_list":["post-273126","event_report","type-event_report","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/my.legal500.com\/events\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/event_report\/273126","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/my.legal500.com\/events\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/event_report"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/my.legal500.com\/events\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/event_report"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/my.legal500.com\/events\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/event_report\/273126\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":274386,"href":"https:\/\/my.legal500.com\/events\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/event_report\/273126\/revisions\/274386"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/my.legal500.com\/events\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/274022"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/my.legal500.com\/events\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=273126"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}