Law Day is celebrated annually to inform the public about the importance of the rule of law in our society, and the important role that lawyers and the judiciary serve in guaranteeing an open, independent and unbiased system.
Brenda Hollingsworth
Biography
Brenda is an owner of Auger Hollingsworth Professional Corporation, a firm focussed on personal injury law in Ontario.
Lynne M. J. Vicars
Biography
Lynne is a banker turned lawyer whose extensive experience in both business and complex litigation management has fostered a passion for bringing technology to the legal profession and for using it effectively to advance access to justice. Lynne is an Investigator with ADR Chambers Banking Ombuds, a Deputy Judge in Toronto, provides General Counsel services to a US company and Chair’s the LSO’s Access to Innovation Advisory Council. In her previous role as Senior Legal Counsel for a major Canadian financial institution, Lynne was responsible for litigation and other dispute resolution processes for the bank in Canada and led the bank’s global eDiscovery activities. Lynne is a Director of the Canadian Bar Association, Chairs the CBAs Finance Committee and is a Trustee and Chair of the CBAs Law for the Future Fund. As president of the Ontario Bar Association for the 2018-19 term, Lynne spearheaded initiatives to advance gender equality, innovation and engagement in the profession – causes she continues to champion. During the 2019-2020 term, Lynne was the Chair of the OBA Technology and Innovation Committee, leading the Innovator in Residence initiative and was a member of the Governance Committee for the CBA. With an M.B.A. in International Business, a J.D. from the University of Alberta, an LL.M. in e-Business Law from Osgoode Hall Law School, and a certificate in Lean Six Sigma from the University of Toronto, Lynne brings a unique perspective to her work – one that connects business principles with legal vision.
Jody Berkes
Biography
Jody Berkes received his B.A. from Stanford University in Palo Alto, California and his B.C.L. and LL.B. degrees from McGill University’s Faculty of Law, where he was selected valedictorian by his graduating class. After articling and practicing in Vancouver, British Columbia, he moved to Toronto in 1999. In 2012, he formed a partnership with Apple Newton-Smith. Since her appointment to the bench, Mr. Berkes founded Berkes Law. Mr. Berkes practice includes the defence of individuals, as well as corporations, charged under the Criminal Code of Canada, as well as other Federal and Provincial criminal and quasi-criminal statues, and professionals charged before discipline and competency panels. He appears in all levels of courts in Ontario. Jody Berkes is the Past Chair of the Ontario Bar Association Criminal Law Executive Committee, the Legislation and Law Reform Liaison of the National Criminal Section of the Canadian Bar Association, as well as a member of the Criminal Lawyers Association. His cases have been reported in both Ontario and British Columbia. Mr. Berkes is certified as a specialist in Criminal Law by the Law Society of Upper Canada.
