MOVES
This fall a number of high-profile
lawyers are returning to the law
firms they had previously aban-
doned. In Montreal, after only two
years at Lavery, de Billy, Ann
Bigué has rejoined Fraser Milner
Casgrain LLP. She will work in the
firm’s Montreal office as a partner
in the areas of: administrative,
constitutional and regulatory law,
with a focus on aboriginal, energy
and natural resources law and
environmental evaluation. In
Halifax, Michael Simms, previ-
ously with McInnes Cooper is
“returning home” as a partner to
the East Coast firm after four years
honing his commercial and regula-
tory skills as counsel at Shell
Canada Ltd. In Toronto, Graham
McLeod will be returning to Blake
Cassels & Graydon LLP (Blakes) to
join the infrastructure and procure-
ment groups as a partner.
McLeod’s practice focuses on pro-
curement and infrastructure with
an emphasis on international infra-
structure. He was an articling stu-
dent and associate at Blakes from
June 1997 to November 2005.
From Blakes, he went to the newly
created Infrastructure Ontario (IO),
a government infrastructure
agency. Most recently, he was
head of IO’s project legal group
and also head of their procure-
ment group, where he was
responsible for all project and cor-
porate procurements.
In Calgary, Richard Stobbe has
joined Field LLP as an associate
practising in intellectual property/
technology, business, corporate
finance and securities, and privacy.
Lawyer creates venue for jazz lovers
MICHAEL BENEDICT
Ken Snider surveyed the scene
and didn’t like what he saw. Neither did his wife. The Toronto
jazz aficionados were upset that
their favourite clubs to hear their
favourite music were dropping
like flies. So they decided to fill
the gap — in their home.
“We have a baby grand in our
living room,” says the Cassels
Brock & Blackwell LLP tax and
trusts partner. “So we moved all
the other furniture to the dining
room, brought in 40 folding
chairs and invited our friends to
hear Toronto’s great musicians.”
For Snider and the musi-
cians, the result has been a win-
win. “They get to play in a quiet
place,” he says, “and we get to
hear the music. The musicians
really appreciate playing in an
intimate setting where they
don’t have to compete with
ongoing conversations.”
Snider says Toronto boasts
some of the finest jazz musi-
cians in the world, but the jazz
club business model seems to
work best in New York, a regu-
lar destination for the couple.
Once a month they spend a
weekend at such jazz meccas as
the Blue Note, Iridium or Smalls
when they are not attending fes-
tivals in places like Montreal or
Tanglewood in Massachusetts.
Over the years, the Sniders
became friendly with musicians
in Toronto and elsewhere. One
night, over dinner at home with
a composer/guitarist and his
wife, the idea of hosting con-
certs took root. “Toronto has
unbelievably talented musi-
cians,” he says, “but there is no
longer a dedicated club with a
quiet environment. We decided
to fix that.”
Their monthly jazz nights
began two years ago. In no time,
they became a hot ticket. At first,
close friends filled the invitation-
only events. But soon friends of
friends began knocking on the
door and now the early Sunday
LAWYER OF THE WEEK
Name:
Ken Snider
Law school:
University of Western Ontario
Called to the Bar:
1983
Career highlights:
2007 Joined Cassels Brock &
Blackwell LLP as partner
2007-present Ranked in the
Chambers Global, a leading
international guide to lawyers and
law firms throughout the world
2010 Named Who’s Who
Legal, the official research
partner of the International Bar
Association (IBA)
Ken Snider
APPOINTMENTS
In Hamilton, Randall Bocock
of Evans Philp, LLP, has been
elected to serve on the National
Conference of Bar Presidents
(NCBP), the first Canadian and
non- U.S. lawyer to sit on the
prestigious American organiza-
tion’s executive council. Bocock
was nominated and elected at
the NCBP’s annual convention in
San Francisco in August as one
of fifteen ‘at-large’ members to
serve a three year term.
evenings have moved to larger,
rented locations.
There is a cover charge that
goes to the musicians. “I want to
pay them well,” says Snider.
“Usually, I lose some money, but
it’s never been major.”
Snider, 57, developed his love
for jazz through nine years of
piano lessons and as an aspiring
drummer while growing up in
Hamilton. “But,” he recalls, “I
quickly realized that my best
contribution would be to not
play professionally.”
Instead, he studied philoso-
phy at York University and then
went on to law at the University
of Western Ontario. Says
Snider: “I saw the law as intel-
lectually challenging, especially
tax law because of its emphasis
on problem solving and the
complexity of the legislation. It
turned out I was right—every
situation is unique and requires
a fresh approach.”
While at law school, Snider
married his high school sweet-
heart, now a psychiatrist. They
have two grown children.
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