On October 8, the fourth annual Canadian In-House Counsel Celebration brought lawyers and legal teams from across the country to The Ritz-Carlton, Toronto, to honour the work happening inside Canada’s organizations and the people behind it. Co-hosted by CBA In-House Lawyers and Legal 500, the evening recognized eight recipients.
The 2026 recipients
RVA Jones Award: Nick Slonosky, University of Manitoba
In-House Legal Leader of the Year: Isabelle Durand, iA Financial Group
Finalists: Fatima Shariff, Conni Gibson, Heather Mullen
Legal Team of the Year: Vancity Legal Affairs Team
Finalists: BC Hydro Legal Services, Shared Health Legal Services, I.M.P. Group Legal Department
Innovation Impacting the Profession: Andrea Campbell, Greater Toronto Airports Authority
Finalists: Jen Ruddick, Farah Ismail, PFX Group Legal Department
Employee Wellness Initiative of the Year: Melanie McGrath, CBCL Limited
In-House Counsel Up & Comer: Cydney Kane, Nova Scotia Department of Justice
Finalists: Justin DeMerchant, Agostino Lucarelli, Vivian Wilson, Kenny Okunola
Transition to Business: Chuck Andary, Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority
Finalists: John Sulman, Luca Di Donato, Fernando Garcia
Action in Diversity & Inclusion: Ashley Jane Butts, BDO Canada LLP
Finalists: Manitoba Hydro Legal Department, Melanie McGrath, CIBC Legal Department
Recognizing the range of in-house work
Seven of the eight awards were open to nominations and drew finalists from organizations across Canada. The RVA Jones Award recognizes outstanding contribution to the in-house bar and is not a competitive category. Together, the recipients reflect how varied in-house work has become: from innovation and employee wellness to diversity and inclusion, and the move into business leadership.
Congratulations to this year’s winners and finalists. Thank you to everyone who joined us in Toronto, and to Legal 500 for co-hosting the evening.
Read more about the awards and recognition programs
Thank you to our sponsors
Cornerstone: Cassels
Awards: Bennett Jones, Blaney McMurtry LLP, Lerners, McMillan, Miller Thomson, Torkin Manes
Entertainment: Langlois
Wine and Food Pairing: Apertera
Opening Reception: ChangeMakers
Networking: Lépine Talent