A word from Event Partner
Malcolm Muthulingum
Chief Executive Officer LEAP Canada
Awards In Order of Presentation
2023 Sponsors
The Lincoln Alexander School of Law Award for Shaping the Future
Always one of the most eagerly anticipated events in the legal calendar across Canada, this year’s Canadian Law Awards promise to be an extra special occasion.
The Canadian Law Awards will make their return in 2023 as an in-person event, welcoming legal professionals from the length and breadth of the country to Toronto’s Liberty Grand on May 11 for the live gala.
The event will see the best and brightest of Canada’s leading firms, in-house legal teams, lawyers, deals, and cases recognized for their exceptional achievements throughout within 2022.
Event Partner
Award Sponsors
Official Ballot Accountants
Organizer
more
Female Trailblazer of the Year (In-House Counsel)
Pro Bono Initiative of the Year
Banking & Financial Services Law Department of the Year
The LexisNexis Award for Canadian Law Department of the Year
The Lawson Lundell LLP Award for Law Department Leader of the Year
The Dye & Durham Award for Law Department Innovation
The LexisNexis Canada Award for Best Use of Technology in a Law Firm
Regional Law Firm of the Year - Atlantic Canada
Diversity Initiative of the Year
IP Boutique Law Firm of the Year
Litigation & Dispute Resolution Boutique Law Firm of the Year
Celebrating excellence in the legal profession
The Canadian Law Awards, supported by event partner, LEAP Legal Software, is returning as an in-person event on May 11, with some of the leading names in the legal profession vying for the top prizes
LEAP Legal Software is proud to be the Event Partner of the 2023 Canadian Law Awards. We are honoured to partner with Key Media in supporting this community, where the best achievements in the legal profession are recognized this evening.
We are also privileged to present the new LEAP Legal Software Family Law Firm of the Year Award to a category of esteemed family law nominees whom we recognize for their vital contribution to society and celebrate their many successes and outstanding achievements.
From around the globe, LEAP’s software technology and commitment to legal practice innovation serves markets in Canada, United States, United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. LEAP has been at the forefront of industry change for more than 30 years; we commit more than $20 million a year to research and development to support the software needs of law firms, so lawyers can improve their businesses and better serve their clients and communities.
Here in Canada, we want to create an environment that fosters innovation and allows lawtech to thrive. Our recent acquisition of DivorceMate, Canada's Family Law Software Specialist, provides law professionals with critical tools needed to run their practices efficiently and successfully. Law firms using LEAP and DivorceMate Tools integration, enjoy the benefits of a complete solution for family law firms.
LEAP is a cloud-based legal practice productivity solution that enables law firms to streamline their processes while increasing the firm's productivity and profit.
Capital Markets Deal of the Year
Infrastructure & Projects Deal of the Year
Insolvency & Restructuring Deal of the Year
M&A Deal of the Year
Mid-Market Deal of the Year
Commercial Litigation Team of the Year
The Canadian Law Awards team would like to thank all those who took the time to submit nominations, and extend our gratitude to the judges who diligently reviewed the files to select the prestigious list of final winners.
Winners and Excellence Awardees will be honoured at the live event, a fitting occasion for key members of the legal profession to celebrate the achievements of their friends, colleagues, and peers throughout a remarkable year.
Be sure to reserve a table and join us for what’s sure to be an unmissable evening bringing together legal professionals from across Canada to celebrate, connect, and raise a glass in honour of the profession’s outstanding work within 2022. Visit www.lawawards.ca or contact events@keymedia.com for table reservations or sponsorship opportunities.
Canadian Lawyer, Lexpert, and Key Media congratulate each of this year’s Excellence Awardees, listed in the following pages.
more
Sharon Haward-Laird
Nizam Hasham
Kath Hammond
Yonni Fushman
Paul Fruitman
Peter Feldberg
Innes Dey
Terrie Devonish
Vincent de l’Étoile
Jeff Davis
Bindu Cudjoe
George Cooper, KC
Jeffrey Cohen
Olivier Chouc
Lydia Bugden, KC
Mark T. Bennett
Stephen Beney
Jacqueline Beckles
Arif Ahmad
Jennifer Addison
Alison Harnick
Thank you to our esteemed judges for lending their time and expertise to help recognize and celebrate excellence in the legal profession.
2023 Judging Panel
LEAP is a cloud-based legal practice productivity solution that enables law firms to streamline their processes while increasing the firm’s productivity and profits. Law firms using LEAP software enjoy the benefits of a practice management system, legal accounting, document assembly and management, and legal publishing assets in one integrated solution.
Website: leaplegalsoftware.ca
Event Partner
LexisNexis Legal & Professional® provides legal, regulatory, and business information and analytics that help customers increase their productivity, improve decision-making, achieve better outcomes, and advance the rule of law around the world. As a digital pioneer, the company was the first to bring legal and business information online with its Lexis® and Nexis® services. LexisNexis Legal & Professional, which serves customers in more than 150 countries with 10,500 employees worldwide, is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers.
Website: www.lexisnexis.ca
Award Sponsor
Kath Hammond
Vice President, General Counsel, Corporate Safety and Security
Greater Toronto Airports Authority
Yonni Fushman
Chief Legal Officer and EVP, Sustainability
Northland Power Inc.
Paul Fruitman
Partner
Lax O’Sullivan Lisus Gottlieb LLP
Peter Feldberg
Firm Managing Partner
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
Innes Dey
SVP, Legal & Strategy
Definity Financial
Terrie Devonish
Chief Legal Officer
Altus Group
Vincent de l’Étoile
Partner, Litigation Group; Member Board of Directors
Langlois lawyers, LLP
Jeff Davis
Chief Legal & Corporate Affairs Officer
Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan
Bindu Cudjoe
Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary, and Vice President WGCC
Laurentian Bank of Canada
George Cooper, KC
Chief Executive Officer and Partner
Cox & Palmer
Jeffrey Cohen
Managing Partner
Torkin Manes LLP
Olivier Chouc
Senior Vice President and
Chief Legal Officer, Law
Canadian National Railway Company
Lydia Bugden, KC
CEO & Managing Partner
Stewart McKelvey
Mark T. Bennett
Executive Chair
Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP
Stephen Beney
Managing Partner
Bereskin & Parr LLP
Jacqueline Beckles
General Counsel and
CABL- Board Member
Department of Justice Canada
Arif Ahmad
Vice President, Corporate and Legal Affairs & General Counsel
Re:Sound
Jeffrey Larry
Michael Ladha
Justin Kutyan
Arun Krishnamurti
James Kosa
Lynn Korbak
Kevin Kiley, KC
Jeffrey Jay Kay, KC
Rustam Juma
Philippe Johnson
Monique Jilesen
Dominique Hussey
Charles E. Hurdon
Gillian Hnatiw
Justin Kutyan
National Leader and Senior Partner
KPMG Law LLP
Arun Krishnamurti
Counsel
Google Canada
James Kosa
Partner, Technology and IP
WeirFoulds LLP
Lynn Korbak
General Counsel and Corporate Secretary
Toromont Industries Ltd
Kevin Kiley, KC
Managing Partner
McInnes Cooper
Jeffrey Jay Kay, KC
Managing Partner
Farris LLP
Rustam Juma
General Counsel and Corporate Secretary
Volkswagen and Audi Canada
Philippe Johnson
Managing Partner, Montreal
Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP
Monique Jilesen
Managing Partner
Lenczner Slaght
Dominique Hussey
Vice Chair, Toronto Managing Partner
Bennett Jones LLP
Gillian Hnatiw
Principal at Gillian Hnatiw & Co., Past Chair of the Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF)
Sharon Haward-Laird
General Counsel
BMO Financial Group
Nizam Hasham
AVP Securities & Assistant Corp. Secretary, Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited
Alison Harnick
Senior Vice President, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary
First Capital REIT And Board Member Women General Counsel Canada
Charles E. Hurdon
Managing Partner – Canada
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP
Jennifer Addison
SVP, General Counsel and
Corporate Secretary
EPCOR Utilities Inc., WGCC- Prairies Chapter Lead
A word from our
event partner
2023 Sponsors
Boutique Law Firm of the Year
The LEAP Legal Software Award for Family Law Firm of the Year
Managing Partner of the Year
Litigator of the Year
The Singleton Urquhart Reynolds Vogel LLP Award for Construction, Infrastructure and Transportation Law Department of the Year
Media Partners
Supporting Publications
Dale H. Lastman, C.M.
Benjamin Na
John G. Murphy
Blair McCreadie
Angela Nikolakakos
Peter V. Nguyen
Steven Ngo
Kerry O’Reilly Wilks
Lorne O’Reilly
Kenneth R. Rosenstein
Karrin A. Powys-Lybbe
Heather Platt
Robert Piasentin
Poonam Puri
Clifford G. Proudfoot, KC
Emmanuel Pressman
Samir Sabharwal
Nathalie Rizcalla
Bruce Reynolds
Robert Seidel, KC
Melanie Schweizer
Thomas Santram
Lisa Skakun
Jeffrey Singer
Godyne N.L. Sibay
Raphael Tachie
Bryson A. Stokes
Michael S. Slan
Andrea Wood
Yola Ventresca
Abigail Turner
The Lincoln Alexander School of Law is shaping the lawyers of tomorrow and reimagining legal education in pursuit of a more just society. Lincoln Alexander Law students are gaining professional experience beyond traditional legal contexts, enabling them to navigate diverse paths to practice, better serve their clients, expand the reach of justice, and innovate the legal profession itself.
Website: www.torontomu.ca/law/
Award Sponsor
We are a preeminent Canadian construction and infrastructure law firm. Our peers and clients recognize our lawyers as the best in the construction industry. Over forty years of leadership in Canadian construction and infrastructure law is complemented by a broad offering of legal services in litigation and corporate transactions.
Website: www.singleton.com
Award Sponsor
Lawson Lundell is a full-service business law firm in Western and Northern Canada known for its practical and strategic approach to legal and business problems. The Firm has more than 200 lawyers located in offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Yellowknife and Kelowna.
Website: www.lawsonlundell.com
Award Sponsor
Michael Ladha
Vice President, Chief Legal Officer & Corporate Secretary
Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro
Jeffrey Larry
Partner
Paliare Roland Rosenberg Rothstein LLP
Dale H. Lastman, C.M.
Chair
Goodmans LLP
Blair McCreadie
Managing Partner, Toronto
Dentons Canada LLP
John G. Murphy
National Managing Partner & CEO
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG)
Benjamin Na
Partner and Head of the Advocacy Department, Toronto
Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP
Angela Nikolakakos
Vice President, Legal and Corporate Affairs
Fiera Capital Corporation
Peter V. Nguyen
SVP Legal, Associate General Counsel & Assistant Corporate Secretary, and Founder GC Forum
Descartes Systems Group)
Steven Ngo
Counsel at Rivian, President at Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers BC
Kerry O’Reilly Wilks
Chief Officer, Legal, Regulatory & External Affairs
TransAlta Corporation
Lorne O’Reilly
Lead Counsel, and VP & Treasurer and Member of the Board of Directors- Alberta Chapter, Association of Corporate Counsel
Dow Chemical Canada ULC
Kenneth R. Rosenstein
Managing Partner, Toronto
Miller Thomson LLP
Karrin A. Powys-Lybbe
Partner
Torys LLP
Heather Platt
Chief Legal Officer
Metrolinx
Robert Piasentin
Partner, Technology
McMillan LLP
Poonam Puri
Professor of Law, Osgoode Hall Law School
York University
Clifford G. Proudfoot, KC
Managing Partner
Lawson Lundell LLP
Emmanuel Pressman
Chair, Corporate Department
Osler Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
Samir Sabharwal
General Counsel
Alberta Securities Commission
Nathalie Rizcalla
VP HR, Corporate and Legal Affairs
Pelican International
Bruce Reynolds
Co-Managing Partner and Co-Chair – International Construction Projects Group
Singleton Urquhart Reynolds Vogel LLP
Robert Seidel, KC
Canada Managing Partner
DLA Piper (Canada) LLP
Melanie Schweizer
Senior Vice-President Legal, General Counsel
Bell Canada
Thomas Santram
Senior Vice President, General Counsel
Cineplex Entertainment
Lisa Skakun
Chief Legal, Regulatory & Corporate Affairs Officer
Coast Capital Savings
Jeffrey Singer
Chair of the Firm
Stikeman Elliott LLP
Godyne N.L. Sibay
Managing Partner, Ontario Region
McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Raphael Tachie
President
Canadian Association of Black Lawyers (CABL)
Bryson A. Stokes
Firm Managing Partner
Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
Michael S. Slan
Managing Partner
Fogler, Rubinoff LLP
Andrea Wood
Chief Legal and Governance Officer
TELUS
Yola Ventresca
Managing Partner
Lerners LLP
Abigail Turner
Partner
Harper Grey LLP
Regional Law Firm of the Year - Ontario
Regional Law Firm of the Year - Prairies
Regional Law Firm of the Year - Quebec
Regional Law Firm of the Year - Western Canada
Female Trailblazer of the Year (Private Practice)
Pro Bono Initiative of the Year
Female Trailblazer of the Year
(In-House Counsel)
The Lincoln Alexander School of Law Award for Shaping the Future
Diversity Initiative of the Year
Regional Law Firm of the Year - Atlantic Canada
Boutique Law Firm of the Year
The LEAP Legal Software Award for Family Law Firm of the Year
Managing Partner of the Year
Litigator of the Year
Litigation & Dispute Resolution Boutique Law Firm of the Year
IP Boutique Law Firm of the Year
The LexisNexis Canada Award for Best Use of Technology in a Law Firm
The Dye & Durham Award for Law Department Innovation
The Lawson Lundell LLP Award for Law Department Leader of the Year
The LexisNexis Award for Canadian Law Department of the Year
Banking & Financial Services Law Department of the Year
Insolvency & Restructuring Deal of the Year
Infrastructure & Projects Deal of the Year
Capital Markets Deal of the Year
2023 Judging Panel
Justin Kutyan
National Leader and Senior Partner
KPMG Law LLP
Arun Krishnamurti
Counsel
Google Canada
James Kosa
Partner, Technology and IP
WeirFoulds LLP
Lynn Korbak
General Counsel and Corporate Secretary
Toromont Industries Ltd
Kevin Kiley, KC
Managing Partner
McInnes Cooper
Jeffrey Jay Kay, KC
Managing Partner
Farris LLP
Rustam Juma
General Counsel and Corporate Secretary
Volkswagen and Audi Canada
Philippe Johnson
Managing Partner, Montreal
Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP
Monique Jilesen
Managing Partner
Lenczner Slaght
Dominique Hussey
Vice Chair, Toronto Managing Partner
Bennett Jones LLP
Charles E. Hurdon
Managing Partner – Canada
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP
Gillian Hnatiw
Principal at Gillian Hnatiw & Co., Past Chair of the Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF)
Sharon Haward-Laird
General Counsel
BMO Financial Group
Nizam Hasham
AVP Securities & Assistant Corp. Secretary, Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited
Kath Hammond
Vice President, General Counsel, Corporate Safety and Security
Greater Toronto Airports Authority
Yonni Fushman
Chief Legal Officer and EVP, Sustainability
Northland Power Inc.
Paul Fruitman
Partner
Lax O’Sullivan Lisus Gottlieb LLP
Peter Feldberg
Firm Managing Partner
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
Innes Dey
SVP, Legal & Strategy
Definity Financial
Terrie Devonish
Chief Legal Officer
Altus Group
Vincent de l’Étoile
Partner, Litigation Group; Member Board of Directors
Langlois lawyers, LLP
Jeff Davis
Chief Legal & Corporate Affairs Officer
Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan
Bindu Cudjoe
Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary, and Vice President WGCC
Laurentian Bank of Canada
George Cooper, KC
Chief Executive Officer and Partner
Cox & Palmer
Jeffrey Cohen
Managing Partner
Torkin Manes LLP
Olivier Chouc
Senior Vice President and
Chief Legal Officer, Law
Canadian National Railway Company
Lydia Bugden, KC
CEO & Managing Partner
Stewart McKelvey
Mark T. Bennett
Executive Chair
Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP
Stephen Beney
Managing Partner
Bereskin & Parr LLP
Jacqueline Beckles
General Counsel and
CABL- Board Member
Department of Justice Canada
Arif Ahmad
Vice President, Corporate and Legal Affairs & General Counsel
Re:Sound
Jennifer Addison
SVP, General Counsel and
Corporate Secretary
EPCOR Utilities Inc., WGCC- Prairies Chapter Lead
Alison Harnick
Senior Vice President, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary
First Capital REIT And Board Member Women General Counsel Canada
Presented By
Official Ballot Accountants
We have a proud 110-year history of helping Canadian organizations thrive. Our 7,300+ partners and staff are located coast to coast and bring their expertise to provide quality services and products that help solve important problems. Our industry-focused professional services include audit and assurance, tax, deals and consulting targeting solutions for cybersecurity, privacy, financial crime, workforce of the future, finance transformation, value creation, strategic reassessment and cost optimization. We work as one firm to bring different perspectives and capabilities together to achieve what matters most. With offices in 155 countries and more than 284,000 people, we are among the leading professional services networks in the world. We deliver the best of our collective thinking, experience and solutions to build public trust and create value for our people, clients and communities.
Website: www.pwc.com/ca/en.html
Official Ballot
Accountants
We have a proud 110-year history of helping Canadian organizations thrive. Our 7,300+ partners and staff are located coast to coast and bring their expertise to provide quality services and products that help solve important problems. Our industry-focused professional services include audit and assurance, tax, deals and consulting targeting solutions for cybersecurity, privacy, financial crime, workforce of the future, finance transformation, value creation, strategic reassessment and cost optimization. We work as one firm to bring different perspectives and capabilities together to achieve what matters most. With offices in 155 countries and more than 284,000 people, we are among the leading professional services networks in the world. We deliver the best of our collective thinking, experience and solutions to build public trust and create value for our people, clients and communities.
Website: www.pwc.com/ca/en.html
Official Ballot Acccountants
Dye & Durham provides premiere practice management solutions empowering legal professionals every day, delivers vital data insights to support critical corporate transactions and enables the essential payments infrastructure trusted by government and financial institutions.
Website: www.dyedurham.ca
Award Sponsor
Dye & Durham provides premiere practice management solutions empowering legal professionals every day, delivers vital data insights to support critical corporate transactions and enables the essential payments infrastructure trusted by government and financial institutions.
Website: www.dyedurham.ca
Award Sponsor
Photobooth Sponsor
McLeish Orlando Lawyers LLP is a personal injury boutique of experienced personal injury lawyers dedicated to representing people who have been seriously injured and family members who have lost a loved one through the negligence of others. Our lawyers have successfully represented people who have suffered brain injuries, spinal cord injuries and serious orthopaedic injuries. Our goals are to achieve a fair settlement and the best result possible for our clients while at the same time shielding them from the potential stress that comes with advancing claims with an insurance company.
The firm was established in 1999 and is a recognized leader within personal injury and wrongful death law. The firm has a five out of five preeminent peer review rating from Martindale-Hubbell, and the highest Lexpert ranking in The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory of “Most Consistently Recommended” (by other lawyers). Additionally, McLeish Orlando Lawyers LLP has been named by Canadian Lawyer Magazine as one of the top ten personal injury law firms in their bi-annual ranking in 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2021. In 2022, Canadian Lawyer Magazine named them a Top Personal Injury Boutique
Website: mcleishorlando.com
Photobooth Sponsor
Excellence Awardees for the Deal Awards categories will be announced on April 19 in the Lexpert Special Edition on Finance and M&A and on the event website
Photobooth Sponsor
McLeish Orlando Lawyers LLP is a personal injury boutique of experienced personal injury lawyers dedicated to representing people who have been seriously injured and family members who have lost a loved one through the negligence of others. Our lawyers have successfully represented people who have suffered brain injuries, spinal cord injuries and serious orthopaedic injuries. Our goals are to achieve a fair settlement and the best result possible for our clients while at the same time shielding them from the potential stress that comes with advancing claims with an insurance company.
The firm was established in 1999 and is a recognized leader within personal injury and wrongful death law. The firm has a five out of five preeminent peer review rating from Martindale-Hubbell, and the highest Lexpert ranking in The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory of “Most Consistently Recommended” (by other lawyers). Additionally, McLeish Orlando Lawyers LLP has been named by Canadian Lawyer Magazine as one of the top ten personal injury law firms in their bi-annual ranking in 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2021. In 2022, Canadian Lawyer Magazine named them a Top Personal Injury Boutique
Website: mcleishorlando.com
Photobooth Sponsor
THURSDAY 11 MAY 2023 | LIBERTY GRAND, TORONTO
Agenda
Attire:
Formal (tuxedo/business suit/long gown/cocktail dress)
Parking:
The venue offers complimentary parking you will be directed to the parking lot on arrival
6:00 PM
Cocktail Reception
7:30 PM
Awards Ceremony and Dinner Banquet
10:30 PM
Post-Awards Celebration
Menu
Appetizer
Candy Cane and Golden Beets, Goat Cheese Crema, Orange Fillet & Pistachio
Main Course
5oz NY Striploin with Bourbon Peppercorn Jus & Chicken Supreme with Mustard Cream Sauce
Vegetarian & Vegan
Moussaka Terrine with Du Puy Lentils, Caramelized Onion, Celery Root
Puree, and Grilled Eggplant, Fava Bean and Tomato Ragout, Braised
Chard, and Baby Carrots, Roasted Pepper Coulis
Dessert
New York Style Cheesecake, Fresh Berries, Strawberry Caramel Swirl
Coffee & Tea
Hosted By
Amanda Lang
Acclaimed Business Journalist | Host, Taking Stock
Entertainment
Music By
Ascension Groove
Party Band
ENTERTAINMENT
JUDGING PANEL
AWARD CATEGORIES
SPONSORS
MENU
AGENDA
An award-winning business journalist, Amanda Lang has covered North America’s top business stories for 25 years. Today, she is the host of Taking Stock, a weekly national television news program airing across multiple Bell Media networks, including BNN Bloomberg, CP24, and CTV News Channel, and available as a weekly podcast on iHeart. Known for her no-holds-barred approach to the people, companies, and stories making the news, Lang is available for keynote speeches or as an interviewer/moderator.
Prior to Taking Stock, Lang was host of Bloomberg Markets, a global program airing in Canada on BNN Bloomberg and on the Bloomberg Television network globally. Lang has also worked as CBC’s senior business correspondent, reporting for its flagship nightly news program, The National, and as host of The Exchange with Amanda Lang, a daily business program that aired on CBC News Network. For five years before that, Lang hosted The Lang and O’Leary Exchange, with Kevin O’Leary. The pair also co-hosted SqueezePlay on BNN for six years.
Lang studied architecture at the University of Manitoba, before becoming a journalist. Her first job in journalism was with the Globe and Mail and then she joined the Financial Post becoming their New York correspondent. In New York, she made the leap to television, joining the team that launched BNN before working as a reporter and anchor at CNN.
Lang is a senior fellow at the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto. She is also chair of the board of directors of Covenant House Toronto, the largest agency in Canada serving homeless and at-risk youth. She is also the bestselling author of two books. The Power of Why explores the connection between curiosity and success, and The Beauty of Discomfort examines how difficult change can be and outlines strategies for how to achieve it.
Acclaimed Business Journalist | Host, Taking Stock
Amanda Lang
Ascension Groove Band delivers high energy, show stopping live musical entertainment for weddings, bar/bat mitzvahs, galas, private and corporate events. Simply put they ROCK THE HOUSE! Founded and led by Joe Palawan, they are comprised of some of the best singers and talent in the Toronto music industry and regarded as one of the city's premiere wedding and corporate bands. They have performed on Broadway and have had club and chart success Europe, Asia and the Middle East, to the luxury cruise lines of the Caribbean, Mediterranean and Alaska Panhandle.
Known for the authentic sounds of Motown, R&B, Soul Funk, Jazz and Rock, they are also on the pulse of what’s new and current in today’s market. Ascension Groove Band also performs in Italian and Spanish. They strive to create an immersed experience for clients that are of the highest caliber. Whether you want a soloist or an 11 piece superband fronted by 3 stellar vocalists and a “killer” horn section for your wedding or event, Ascension Groove Band not only provides great music but will cater to your specific needs and create a customized package for you which includes a photographer/videographer at a preferred rate, professional sound, lighting and DJ services so you don't have to hire another music provider. We can make a playlist of the songs that you want to hear between breaks.
Party Band
Ascension Groove
THURSDAY 11 MAY 2023
LIBERTY GRAND, TORONTO
Agenda
Attire:
Formal (tuxedo/business suit/long gown/cocktail dress)
Parking:
The venue offers complimentary parking you will be directed to the parking lot on arrival
6:00 PM
Cocktail Reception
7:30 PM
Awards Ceremony and Dinner Banquet
10:30 PM
Post-Party Celebration
ENTERTAINMENT
JUDGING PANEL
AWARD CATEGORIES
SPONSORS
MENU
AGENDA
Menu
An award-winning business journalist, Amanda Lang has covered North America’s top business stories for 25 years. Today, she is the host of Taking Stock, a weekly national television news program airing across multiple Bell Media networks, including BNN Bloomberg, CP24, and CTV News Channel, and available as a weekly podcast on iHeart. Known for her no-holds-barred approach to the people, companies, and stories making the news, Lang is available for keynote speeches or as an interviewer/moderator.
Prior to Taking Stock, Lang was host of Bloomberg Markets, a global program airing in Canada on BNN Bloomberg and on the Bloomberg Television network globally. Lang has also worked as CBC’s senior business correspondent, reporting for its flagship nightly news program, The National, and as host of The Exchange with Amanda Lang, a daily business program that aired on CBC News Network. For five years before that, Lang hosted The Lang and O’Leary Exchange, with Kevin O’Leary. The pair also co-hosted SqueezePlay on BNN for six years.
Lang studied architecture at the University of Manitoba, before becoming a journalist. Her first job in journalism was with the Globe and Mail and then she joined the Financial Post becoming their New York correspondent. In New York, she made the leap to television, joining the team that launched BNN before working as a reporter and anchor at CNN.
Lang is a senior fellow at the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto. She is also chair of the board of directors of Covenant House Toronto, the largest agency in Canada serving homeless and at-risk youth. She is also the bestselling author of two books. The Power of Why explores the connection between curiosity and success, and The Beauty of Discomfort examines how difficult change can be and outlines strategies for how to achieve it.
Acclaimed Business Journalist | Host, Taking Stock
Amanda Lang
Ascension Groove Band delivers high energy, show stopping live musical entertainment for weddings, bar/bat mitzvahs, galas, private and corporate events. Simply put they ROCK THE HOUSE! Founded and led by Joe Palawan, they are comprised of some of the best singers and talent in the Toronto music industry and regarded as one of the city’s premiere wedding and corporate bands. They have performed on Broadway and have had club and chart success Europe, Asia and the Middle East, to the luxury cruise lines of the Caribbean, Mediterranean and Alaska Panhandle.
Known for the authentic sounds of Motown, R&B, Soul Funk, Jazz and Rock, they are also on the pulse of what’s new and current in today’s market. Ascension Groove Band also performs in Italian and Spanish. They strive to create an immersed experience for clients that are of the highest caliber. Whether you want a soloist or an 11 piece superband fronted by 3 stellar vocalists and a “killer” horn section for your wedding or event, Ascension Groove Band not only provides great music but will cater to your specific needs and create a customized package for you which includes a photographer/videographer at a preferred rate, professional sound, lighting and DJ services so you don’t have to hire another music provider. We can make a playlist of the songs that you want to hear between breaks.
Band
Ascension Groove
