n;Langlois Kronström Desjardins
LLP continues to grow with the addition of Marie-Julie Gauthier and
Carolyn McCarthy to its civil and
commercial litigation team in the
firm’s Montréal office. Gauthier practices in the area of civil litigation with
an emphasis on insurance law, professional liability and disciplinary law.
McCarthy represents businesses
and financial institutions, primarily in
the areas of civil and commercial litigation, bankruptcy, class actions,
competition law and civil liability.
BY DONALEE MOULTON
Name:
Samantha Ip
Some people never figure what
they really want to do for a living,
Samantha Ip knew she would be a
lawyer before she was a teen.
“I was 12 and in Grade 6. I was
watching one of those court shows,
and I thought, ‘I can do this.’ I was
one of those people who liked convincing other people,” said Ip, a
partner with Clark Wilson LLP.
“I pushed myself to consider
other options,” she noted, “but I
was crystal clear on this.”
Indeed, the Hong Kong native,
who moved to British Columbia
when she was 10 and learned to
speak English, put her convictions
to the test. “I worked in law firms
prior to law school. I delivered
faxes, I did reception, I did photo-
copying. I worked as a paralegal
for summer jobs.”
Law school only reinforced her
commitment to the profession. “I
loved everything about it,” said Ip.
“There was no disappointment.”
There was, however, a decision
to be made. “In law school, you’re
supposed to keep an open mind,”
Ip noted. “I always felt I was lean-
ing towards litigation. The first
moot (court) sealed the deal.”
It’s been etched in stone ever
since. “This job takes a lot out of
you. Some days are more difficult,
but I thoroughly enjoy what I do
— helping people resolve their
issues,” said Ip, a member of Clark
Wilson’s construction and procure-
ment, insurance, and higher learn-
ing groups.
“If it were up to me,” she added,
“I’d be in court every day.”
Today Ip’s practice focuses on
two key areas: construction and
insurance. “I didn’t spring out of
school thinking I wanted to be a
construction lawyer,” Ip noted.
“Both my areas are quite special-
ized.”
When Ip, who speaks French,
Cantonese, and Mandarin as well
as English, came to work at Clark
Wilson, construction was one of
several options available to her.
The chair of the practice group at
APPOINTMENTS
AWARDS
n;The 2012 recipient of the
Toronto Lawyer’s Association
Award of Distinction is Justice Ian
Binnie. The award is given to
Toronto lawyers or judges who
exhibit excellence in their field, and
in recognition of the recipient’s
integrity and contribution to the
legal profession. Binnie was
appointed to the Supreme Court of
Canada in 1998, replacing the late
justice John Sopinka and is soon to
retire.
n;The International Municipal Lawyers Association recently honoured
John Mascarin of Aird & Berlis
LLP with the President’s Award for
Most Outstanding Associate
Member. The award recognizes his
commitment to the pursuit of
excellence in local government law,
and Mascarin is the first ever Canadian recipient of the award. Mascarin is a certified specialist in
municipal law: local government
and land use planning and development. He is also an adjunct professor at Osgoode Hall Law School
and the faculty of environmental
studies at York University.
THE LAWYERS WEEKLY
VOL. 22, NO. 27 NE WS FOR THE LEGAL PROFESSION DECEMBER 6, 2002
Law school:
University of British Columbia
Called to the Bar:
1995
Career highlights:
1994 Graduated with her law
degree from UBC
n;Lavery LLP’s Olga Farman has
been appointed to the board of directors of the Orchestre sympho-nique de Quebec (OSQ). The OSQ is
a major cultural organization serving
the Quebec City metropolitan area.
Farman is a member of Lavery’s
business law group and specializes
in health and life science law.
THE PROFILE
2003 Became a partner at
Clark Wilson LLP in Vancouver
2011 Co-authored the
chapter on construction law for
B.C. Continuing Legal Education’s
20th Annual Review of Law &
Practice
Samantha Ip.
that time was heading into one lar-
gest pieces of litigation that
involved a $45 million construc-
tion project and included a one-
year trial. “I started into this as a
junior lawyer,” IP noted, “but by
the time it concluded, I was lead
counsel.”
“This case had the effect of
establishing me as a construction
lawyer,” she added.
For Ip, who is editor for the
B.C. Continuing Legal Education’s
Annual Law Review for Construc-
tion, the key to being successful in
her field is simple: be an excellent
lawyer. “My advice to anyone
entering into construction law
would be the same,” she said add-
ing, “You need to be courageous.
In every environment, you need to
put yourself aside somewhat.”
Since Ip began her first foray
into construction law, the practice
has changed significantly and con-
tinues to evolve. In the late ‘90s,
she noted, the emphasis was on
things that went wrong. As the
economy boomed, however, defi-
ciency and delay claims became
almost a thing of the past. By the
mid-2000s, there was a great
demand for contract advice.
Got news?
Contributions to Names in
the News can be emailed to
names@lawyersweekly.ca
Publisher
Julie Murtha
Editor in Chief
Rob Kelly
Focus Editor
Matthew Grace, LL.B.
Business Editor
Melissa Dunne
Ottawa Bureau Chief
Cristin Schmitz
Art Director
Tammy Leung
Production Coordinator
Pauline Braithwaite
Interns
Karen Alexiou & Anum Lateef
Correspondents
Luigi Benetton, Toronto
Arnold Ceballos, LL.B., Toronto
Thomas Claridge, Toronto
Christopher Guly, Ottawa
Jeremy Hainsworth, Vancouver
Geoff Kirbyson, Winnipeg
Luis Millan, Montreal
donalee Moulton, Halifax
Gary Oakes, Victoria
Mike Sadava, Edmonton
® THE LAWYERS WEEKLY
VOL. 22, NO. 27 NEWS FOR THE LEGAL PROFESSION DECEMBER 6, 2002
THE LAWYERS WEEKLY
Vol. 22, No. 27 NEWS FOR THE LEGAL PROFESSION December 6, 2002
THE LAWYERS WEEKLY
VOL. 22, NO. 27 NEWS FOR THE LEGAL PROFESSION DECEMBER 6, 2002
HOW TO REACH US
Phone: (905) 479–2665
Toll-free: 1–800–668–6481
Fax: (905) 479–3758
Email: comment@lawyersweekly.ca
Main Office
123 Commerce Valley Drive East
Suite 700, Markham, ON L3T 7W8
Phone: (905) 479–2665
Ottawa Bureau
c/o Parliamentary Press Gallery
Rm 350-N, Centre Block
Parliament Hill, Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6
Phone: (613) 820-2794
Fax: (613) 995-5795
Website: www.lawyersweekly.ca
Member, Ontario Press Council
2 Carlton Street, Suite 1706, Toronto, ON
(416) 340–1981; Fax: (416) 340–8724
ADVERTISING
Advertising Sales
Jim Grice (905) 415–5807
Circulation Controller
Scott Welsh (905) 479–2665, ext. 324
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
1 year (48 issues): $278, plus tax
2 years (96 issues): $474, plus tax
U.S. and international subscriptions: $386/year
Law student rate: $64, plus tax
Individual copies: $12, plus tax
Digital Subscription Rates:
1 year (48 issues) $252, plus tax
2 years (96 issues) $428, plus tax
US / Int’l subscriptions: $345/year
Law student rate: $58, plus tax
GST/HST/QST No.: R121051767
Postal Information: Please forward all
postal returns to: Circulation Controller, The
Lawyers Weekly, 123 Commerce Valley Drive
East, Suite 700, Markham, ON L3T 7W8.
Return postage guaranteed. ISSN 0830-
0151. Publications Mail Sales Agreement
Number: 40065517.
COPYRIGHT/TRADEMARK
The Lawyers Weekly is published on Fridays,
48 times a year, by LexisNexis Canada Inc.,
123 Commerce Valley Drive East, Suite 700,
Markham, ON L3T 7W8. All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced in any
material form (including photocopying or storing it in
any medium by electronic means and whether or not
transiently or incidentally to some other use of this
publication) without the written permission of the
copyright owner, except in accordance with the
provisions of the Copyright Act. The Lawyers Weekly
is a registered trademark of LexisNexis Canada Inc.
