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LEGAL ELITETHE MAGAZINE OF PREFERRED LEGAL SPECIALISTTHE MAGAZINE OF PREFERRED LEGAL SPECIALISTS

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CHRISTOPHER CLARK

Christopher Clark is an award-winning freelance writer who writes regularly for a variety of newspapers and magazines across Canada. He is a regular contributor to Business London and London CityLife and writes materials for businesses of all sizes. He has a

master’s degree in journalism from the University of Western Ontario and is an adjunct professor in the Faculty of Information and Media Studies at UWO.

RICHARD BAIN

Richard Bain’s photographs have appeared in publications throughout North America and Europe. He is well known for his series of coffee table photo books: Cheers!—Ontario

Wine and Local Flavours, with foreword by Jim Cuddy; London—People Parks and Places,

with foreword by Victor Garber; Images of Waterloo County,

with foreword by Peter Gzowski; Niagara, with foreword by Donald Ziraldo; the bestseller Stratford, with text by Christopher Plummer; London, with foreword by Bill Brady; The Thames, with foreword by Lloyd Robertson; Stratford—

Dramatically Different, with foreword by Colm Feore, as well as several other titles. In addition, Richard has numerous commercial clients. His photography studio and home are located in London, and together with his wife, Joan, he has four children.

CONTRIBUTORS PUBLISHED BY BUSINESS LONDON

1147 Gainsborough Road

London, Ontario

N6H 5L5

519.471.2907

www.businesslondon.ca

Publisher & Editor:

Gord Delamont

Contributing Writer:

Christopher Clark

Contributing Photographer:

Richard Bain

Layout & Design:

Gary Cronin

Advertising & Sales:

Tami Martin

Francine Vigh

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. MARCH 2012

CANADIAN PUBLICATION MAIL AGREEMENT

NO. 40064683

ISSN 1711-3601

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IMMIGRATION PRACTICE GROUPSiskinds ................................................................................................. 7PERSONAL INJURY LAWYERGood Law Office .................................................................................9CORPORATE COMMERCIAL GROUPCohen Highley LLP ...................................................................... 11GREG WILLOUGHBYOnly Immigration .............................................................................13PERSONAL INJURY LAWYERSLegate & Associates .........................................................................15

C O N T E N T S

LEGAL ELITETHE MAGAZINE OF PREFERRED LEGAL SPECIALISTTHE MAGAZINE OF PREFERRED LEGAL SPECIALISTS

Glenn Matthews and Kim Ly

ASiskinds

680 WATERLOO STREET | 519-672-2121 | www.siskinds.com

IMMIGRATION PRACTICE GROUP

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as technology continues to shrink the world, removing borders to communication and commerce, there is an irony that businesses face every day. Because of security concerns, actual physical borders between countries are getting tighter. As a result, it’s more difficult than ever to move people around the world.

Glenn Matthews understands exactly how this new reality affects businesses. For more than 18 years, he’s been helping organizations get their people where they need to be, whether that’s somewhere in North America or further afi eld in a country like China.

Matthews leads the Immigration Practice Group at Siskinds LLP, one of the city’s premiere fi rms. He has specialized in immigration law his whole career and is licensed not only in Ontario but also in Illinois, so he can represent clients on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border.

He works closely with Kim Ly, an immigration practitioner who has worked in the fi eld for 15 years and speaks fl uent Cantonese. She is the department manager.

Together, they head up the Immigration Practice Group, which works for corporations of all sizes from around the world, as well as individuals who require Canadian or U.S. immigration services. The Immigration Group has also established a “Global Visa” division to assist corporations in the movement of their personnel on a global basis.

“Businesses need to deploy their people globally and they want the ability to do that seamlessly and rapidly,” says Matthews. “Sometimes it’s an emergency with a piece of equipment that needs to be serviced by a technician. Sometimes it is a key manager who needs to be transferred abroad for a temporary assignment. Whatever the reason, if immi-gration considerations are not managed carefully, it can cost a company a lot of money. That is our core

strength—bridging borders for our clients.”Much of the group’s work is about planning to

avoid immigration emergencies, helping companies secure work visas and permits for countries where they operate. “We try to foresee problems and take care of the issue ahead of time,” says Ly. “That’s the best solution for everyone.”

She and Matthews work with companies of all sizes around the world, fi nding solutions that fi t their unique circumstances. Based in London, Siskinds also maintains a presence in Toronto, Windsor and Quebec City, and The Immigration Group has global affi liate offi ces located in Australia, China, England, Singapore and South Africa.

“We work with a lot of clients,” Matthews says. “They appreciate our experience and the results we get. They also appreciate the fact that we work on a fi xed-fee structure. Our clients know exactly what it is going to cost for a visa or the service they require.”

It’s not just large clients that need immigration help. Tighter enforcement at the U.S. border now means that Canadians with minor legal problems long in their past can be stopped at the border, whether the trip is for business or a family vacation to Disney World. Even someone with a full pardon can be stopped, Matthews says. His offi ce helps people apply for criminal waivers necessary to cross into the U.S. in such circumstances.

The immigration group also works with the families of foreign students, setting up a plan for students who come to Canadian schools, putting them in touch with placement agencies and helping them become permanent residents if that’s what they choose to do after graduating.

The Siskinds Immigration Practice Group is, quite simply, one of the country’s preeminent immigration legal practices, a reputation its members have earned by working hard and producing results.

Gordon Good

AGood Law Office

171 QUEENS AVENUE, SUITE 500 | 519-433-4663 | www.goodlawoffice.com

PERSONAL INJURY LAWYER

a serious injury can be a devastating event for both the individual and their family. Getting the help needed to restore the injured to their best possible outcome is an important first step.

For the injured and their families, the initial trauma is just the beginning of a long process of treatment and rehabilitation; hours spent trying to return to a normal, pre-accident life.

It doesn’t occur to anyone in the initial hours and days, but decisions made early on can affect the injured person and his or her circle of loved ones for years to come. It’s crucial to consider legal options and fi nancial security following an accident. It may be months before someone can return to work, and in the meantime the cost of treatment and rehabilitation can be overwhelming.

Personal injury lawyers specialize in exactly this situation. When people are at their most vulnerable, they need an advocate who can look out for their rights and think about the long term. For 30 years, Gordon Good has been fi ghting for victims, working with their families, and helping people claim their rightful compensation after being injured in a vehicle or elsewhere.

“Injuries are a tragedy at any age,” says Good. “But for someone in their early thirties, just getting started in a career, the fi nancial losses can be very signifi cant. They’ve worked so hard to get an education and start a career; it’s a big loss if they have to step away from it for a long period of time.”

Among law fi rms that assist people following an accident, Good is unique because he person-ally shepherds every case through the

sometimes Byzantine legal system, looking out for his clients’ interests throughout what can be a long process.

“When you hire me, you talk to me,” he says. “You don’t get shuffl ed around or speak to a different person every time you call. I return calls and emails to let my clients know what’s happening every step of the way.”

His offi ce is automated and paperless, which means he can respond to clients more quickly and share documents and information with them immediately. However, clients still have the option of receiving information on paper. The paperless option isn’t for everyone, and Good knows that.

“We use technology to improve communica-tions, but we don’t force it on people. It’s simply an option if people want it,” he says.

Good focuses exclusively on serious personal injury claims. He has earned a reputation for knowing the law and treating his clients with respect and compassion. That’s what his clients need at a critical time in their lives.

A long-time London resident, Good never represents insurance companies. He has been an active member and director of the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association, a group of lawyers who represent individuals and not insurance companies.

Good is happy to meet with people who have questions. Initial consultations are free, and he doesn’t get paid until the case is resolved.

“I’m proud of the fact I’ve been helping people in diffi cult situations for 30 years,” he says. “I’ve met some very courageous people who just need a little help as they work to rebuild their lives.”

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Standing L to R: Christian Jannetta, J. Brian Phillips, R. Tyler Hortie, Paul R. Steacy, Gordon B. CarmichaelSeated L to R: Frank Highley, Michael J. E. Brightling

MCohen Highley LLP

ONE LONDON PLACE, 255 QUEENS AVENUE | 519-672-9330 | www.cohenhighley.com

CORPORATE COMMERCIAL GROUP

much like Goldilocks in search of the perfect chair, businesses in search of legal services find Cohen Highley LLP to be just the right size.

The corporate commercial group is not so big as to be impersonal and not so small as to be lim-ited in the services it can provide. Clients fi nd the department to be just right, a collection of lawyers with years of experience in every aspect of com-mercial activity.

“We really focus on customer service,” says Brian Phillips, a partner who specializes in real estate planning and corporate issues. “We sit down and fi nd out what the client wants to accomplish; we get right to the heart of the matter. There are some fi rms in town with larger corporate commer-cial departments, but we think we’re the perfect size to offer great service and top notch legal advice.”

Lawyers within the group work with business owners, corporations and government agencies. They deal with issues as simple as setting up a proprietorship and as complex as complete corpo-rate reorganizations.

Many clients rely on the fi rm to assist with sell-ing and purchasing businesses, and commercial properties, and managing the many leases and other agreements which must be negotiated and drawn in order to keep their properties operating effi ciently.

“We have clients in many places, but we focus primarily on Southwestern Ontario,” says Gordon Carmichael, a corporate commercial specialist who joined the fi rm fi ve years ago. “We have a growing presence in the Kitchener area, and we do work in Sarnia, St. Thomas and all over the area.”

Paul Steacy joined the fi rm 12 years ago with Phillips and specializes in business start-ups,

purchases and sales of businesses, reorganizations, fi nancings, partnership agreements and dispute resolution.

Michael Brightling handles a number of issues, including real estate transactions and condomini-um registrations. Michael is also a member of the New York Bar

Tyler Hortie earned an HBA from the Ivey School of Business, and together with his law degree, is conversant in business law of all kinds and has a depth of knowledge in the area of tax law.

Christian Jannetta is the newest member of the department and brings to the team several years of experience in commercial litigation, including contract disputes, partner/shareholder disputes, construction lien actions and commercial tenancy matters. Christian also provides advice and repre-sentation with regard to employment matters.

Frank Highley is the senior member of the department and brings more than 35 years of experience in corporate commercial matters of all kinds. He has worked on virtually every kind of business matter there is during his career and has extensive experience in agricultural, retail and manufacturing sectors. He is also an acknowl-edged specialist in assisting clients in relation to insolvency related matters.

When you put it all together, this group repre-sents a wealth of experience and a combined com-mitment to doing whatever it takes to serve the needs of clients.

“It’s an honour to be asked to assist a busi-ness,” Phillips says. “We take it seriously and seek to provide the very best counsel, regardless of the issue.”

Clients agree–the department is the perfect size to do just that.

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Greg Willoughby

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100 FULLARTON STREET | 519-645-1500 | www.onlyimm.com

AOnly Immigration

GREG WILLOUGHBY

as nations of the world simultaneously become more integrated but also adopt increasingly complex regulations governing the flow of people and goods, Greg Willoughby finds himself busier than ever.

Willoughby is an immigration lawyer who has spent 12 years developing his expertise. The name of his fi rm, Only Immigration, describes exactly what he does. Willoughby has practised Canadian and American immigration law exclu-sively since being called to the bar. He has also been the Professor of Immigration and Refugee Law at Western University Law School, and has shared his expertise at many industry and legal conferences.

Willoughby’s exclusive focus on a single area of law has given him an unusual body of knowl-edge and experience that differentiates him from others practising in the fi eld with less focus.

He spends much of his time working for companies based throughout Canada with international operations. Operating around the globe, they need to send workers to and from offi ces and factories in many countries. Sending a person across the border to work can be more complicated than sending a crate of goods. Often it’s more urgent.

“If a factory relies on a specialized piece of equipment to be up and running, a company can lose a lot of money if it breaks down,” Willoughby explains. “If it’s a sophisticated machine, the technician might have to come from another country, and the longer it takes

to process the paperwork and get him into the factory to repair the equipment, the longer the factory is idle.”

Even when timing is not as urgent, Willoughby helps corporations plan their inter-national personnel moves, helping create smooth border experiences for everyone involved.

“I work a lot with human resources directors to make the border a yield sign, not a stop sign.”

Since the terrorists attacks in September, 2001, the border experience has become less predictable, and another service Willoughby offers is the knowledge of what border crossings might create less red tape than others. He has developed relationships with immigration offi -cers and border offi cials across the country, and that allows him to increase the odds of success at a given border anywhere from coast to coast.

It’s not just corporations that are caught up in complicated and sometimes arbitrary immigration regulations. Although the majority of Willoughby’s work is commercial, he also rep-resents many individuals who have immigration challenges.

Reuniting a family or helping someone gain freedom from an oppressive circumstance are their own rewards, and Willoughby thoroughly enjoys the work he does for individuals. He is a sole practitioner, so clients always receive his full attention and always deal directly with him.

Recently, he moved to a new downtown offi ce. He is closer to many of his corporate clients but still very accessible to individuals.

Barbara Legate and Joni Dobson

WLegate & Associates

150 DUFFERIN AVENUE, SUITE 302 | 519-672-1953 | www.legate.ca

PERSONAL INJURY LAWYERS

when people turn to Legate & Associates for help rebuilding their lives after a catastrophic injury, they find a team of caring, dedicated professionals who work every day on behalf of their clients.

The team includes lawyers and law clerks, all of whom have chosen to specialize in personal injury law because they want to help people at a moment in their lives when they are feeling defenseless and in need of assistance. They work very much like a family supporting the families of those injured.

Heading the team and setting an example of dedication and innovation is Barbara Legate, an internationally recognized advocate for personal injury clients who has received numerous awards for her pioneering arguments and work.

“Clients come to us at their most vulnerable,” Legate says. “Their lives have been changed by some sort of catastrophe, and they need help with a whole variety of issues. We are there to help and to make sure they get the resources they need to recover and live well again.”

Legate and her colleague Joni Dobson did exactly that when they took on medical legal giants in a case that re-established the right of children to sue if they are injured in the womb due to the negligence of doctors, nurses and hospitals.

“That case is a high-profi le example of what we do here every day,” Dobson says. “I’m very proud to be part of this fi rm because I feel we make a signifi cant contribution to the greater community by advocating for our client’s rights and, ultimately, the rights of others.”

Legate and Dobson were invited to discuss the case and the rights of the unborn at a

prestigious legal conference in Scotland in May. “It’s quite an honour,” Dobson says. “Of course, there are legal implications of the case, but more importantly there are human consequences and that’s important.”

The human implications are always on the mind of every lawyer and law clerk at the fi rm. That instinct was precisely why Laura Camarra went to law school and why she has specialized exclusively on personal injury since.

“My role is to help navigate a diffi cult course for the client,” she says. “I think that dedication is one thing that sets us apart from other law fi rms. We make sure our clients know what we’re doing and why we’re doing it at all times.”

Her sense of community continues outside of the workplace. She volunteers with The Thames Valley Children’s Centre and Big Sisters of London; she’s also a committee member of the Canadian Paraplegic Association.

Sue Noorloos shares that sense of community. In addition to being choir director at Knox-St. Andrews Church, she works with the Brain Injury Association of London on its Monarch publication.

“I became a lawyer because I wanted to help people,” she says. “And what I’ve found is to help people, you have to know how to listen, to really hear what people are saying and sometimes what they’re not saying. It’s crucial, and it’s a big part of what we do at this fi rm. We have genuine compassion for people.”

Together with the fi rm’s skilled law clerks, the lawyers work to do what’s best for their clients. Their family helps countless families every year, at times when circumstances are diffi cult and hope otherwise would be in short supply.

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