OBA Award of Excellence in Pensions & Benefits Law

About the Award

The OBA Award of Excellence in Pensions and Benefits Law (the Award) was established in 2007 to recognize exceptional contributions in the field of pensions and benefits law. The inaugural Award was presented to the Honourable Eileen Gillese in 2009, and has since been bestowed annually on a deserving recipient who has had a distinguished career in the pensions and benefits bar.

The OBA Pensions and Benefits Section Award Nomination Committee (the Committee) welcomes nominations for the 2025 Award in accordance with the process described below.

Please note that Award nominations will be accepted until 5:00 p.m. EST on Tuesday, March 4, 2025.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for the OBA Award of Excellence in Pensions and Benefits Law, an individual must have practiced pensions and benefits law in Ontario, and made a significant contribution in one or more of the following areas:

• Enhancement of the practice of pensions and benefits law;
• Development of pensions and benefits law, including teaching, writing and advocacy;
• Leadership through participation in governmental/regulatory bodies and professional associations, including the OBA;
• Mentoring and teaching through the sharing of knowledge and experience;
• Advocacy and/or adjudication.
• Length of distinguished service

Nominees are required to be members in good standing of the Canadian Bar Association/Ontario Bar Association, currently in practice or retired. Current members of the OBA Pensions and Benefits Section Executive and the OBA Board of Directors are not eligible to be nominated. Nominations of both practicing and retired members of the Association are encouraged. Note: Retired members must still be members in good standing of the CBA/OBA.

Nomination Procedure

Send in a completed Nomination letter to the Chair of the Award Nomination Committee describing how your nominee meets the Award criteria shown above and gives an overview of the nature and scope of your nominee’s achievements including:

• Professional and academic qualifications
• Participation in professional legal organizations
• Recognized leadership in the Pensions and Benefits bar
• Recognized contributions to the development of pensions and benefits law and policy
• Recognized skill in advocacy or adjudication related to pensions and benefits policy

The Nomination letter should ideally list the eligibility criteria and provide specific examples of how the nominee meets each criterion.

While it is not a requirement to attach a copy of the nominee’s CV or letters of support from peers or colleagues, the nomination will generally be considered stronger if it includes these attachments. However, the minimum requirement for the nomination to be considered by the Committee is a completed Nomination letter.

A nominee for this award will be notified in advance and be in agreement with their nomination being submitted.

Deadline for Nominations

Please send your nomination by Tuesday, March 4, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. EST

The Award Nomination Committee will not consider a nomination or supporting material submitted after the deadline, unless an extension is justified by emergent circumstances. An extension must be approved by a motion of the section executive.

SUBMIT A NOMINATION 

Peter Guennel
OBA Section Executive Liaison
Ontario Bar Association
300-20 Toronto Street
Toronto ON M5C 2B8
Tel: (416) 869-1047 ext 340 (Toll Free 1-800-668-8900)
E-mail: pguennel@oba.org

Selection process

The selection of the Award will be made by the Award Nomination Committee.

The Selection Committee shall consider OBA policies, rules and guidelines on Diversity and Inclusion when selecting the winner of the Award.

The Committee will consider all nominations in the year they are submitted and in the following two years.  

Presentation

The 2025 Award will be presented on June 17, 2025 at an event marking the end of the OBA Pension and Benefits Section’s 2024-2025 operational year.

Past Recipients