Law Society announces 2025 award recipients

TORONTO, March 20, 2025 /CNW/ - Members of Ontario's legal professions will be recognized for their outstanding career achievements and contributions to their communities at the annual Law Society Awards ceremony which will be held on May 28, 2025.

The recipients of the Human Rights Award will also be recognized for their outstanding contributions to the advancement of human rights and/or the promotion of the rule of law provincially, nationally or internationally at the event.

Award recipients and their guests will attend a ceremony hosted by Treasurer Peter Wardle. A link to the webcast will be available for all others to view at: LSO.ca/2025AwardsEvent.

"Each year, the Law Society of Ontario recognizes leadership and excellence. This year's group of recipients have demonstrated their commitment and passion for their work, their communities and their principles. They have used their knowledge and skills to educate, elevate, serve and in some cases – protect – others, particularly in underserved communities. I commend each of them and am honored to recognize them with a 2025 Law Society Award," said Treasurer Peter Wardle.

The following highlights the achievements of the 2025 recipients:

Michelle Zare: Licensed in 2008, Michelle is the founder of Zare Paralegal Services.

Michelle is a dedicated advocate for injured workers across Ontario, with a specialized focus on mental stress injuries among first responders. Her work in this field includes groundbreaking workers' compensation cases that have set important legal precedents.

With extensive experience with appeals before the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board Appeal Services Division, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal (WSIAT) and Canada Pension Plan Disability Appeals before the Social Security Tribunal (SST), Michelle is a highly skilled professional leader and entrepreneur.

Her expertise and commitment to justice have earned her prestigious recognitions, including the FirstOntario 1Award for Small Business in 2012 and a place among Hamilton's Top 40 Under 40 for Business Achievement in 2015. Over the years, her firm has grown into a thriving practice with a dedicated team of six licensed paralegals, whom she actively mentors in workers' compensation law.

Beyond her advocacy, Michelle is deeply involved in legal education. Since 2017, she has co-chaired the Law Society of Ontario's annual Workers' Compensation Law program. From 2019-2020 Michelle was a part-time professor in the Mohawk College paralegal program and she has continued to serve as a member of the Mohawk College Paralegal Program Advisory Committee. She is also a member of the WSIAT Advisory Group. 

Recently, she was appointed as the lead co-instructor for the University of Windsor Faculty of Law's new Workplace Safety and Insurance Practice Certificate — an exclusive program for lawyers and licensed paralegals.

Committed to giving back, Michelle has a long history of community service, supporting organizations such as Boots on the Ground, Canada Beyond the Blue, Badge of Life Canada and Wounded Warriors Canada. She regularly volunteers her time to provide educational workshops for some of the most vulnerable workers in our province.

Antoine L. Collins: Called to the Bar in Maryland in 2002 and Ontario in 2011, Antoine's career is distinguished by a steadfast commitment to justice, community service and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). As a lawyer, artist and community leader, he has seamlessly integrated his passion for community service into his professional endeavors, having a profound impact on both the legal profession and the broader social and cultural landscape of Ontario.

Antoine's leadership is exemplified through his role as a coordinating member/adjudicator with the Refugee Protection Division at the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, where he has led initiatives to enhance DEI and accessibility. His efforts have laid the groundwork for improved hiring practices and greater opportunities within the division. Additionally, his mentorship of new members and co-founding the RPD's Black Employees Network further illustrates his proactive approach to addressing systemic issues and inspiring BIPOC individuals to pursue their career ambitions.

As president of the Ottawa chapter of the Canadian Association of Black Lawyers (CABL), Antoine has mentored countless students and young legal professionals, demonstrating the transformative power of sharing knowledge and experience. His leadership in establishing CABL's 2SLGBTQIA+ mentorship program and publishing the first book on Canada's Black judges underscores his dedication to DEI within the profession. He remains actively involved in the legal community through his work with numerous law associations.

Antoine's commitment to community is also reflected in his involvement with organizations like OrKidstra and the Ottawa Arts Council (OAC). During the pandemic, he played a crucial role in helping OAC secure critical sponsorships for their Emerging IBPOC Artist Award. As a jazz singer, his passion for the arts encourages collaborations with organizations like the National Film Board of Canada and the Inside Out Film Festival to promote diversity in the arts. 

Whether in the hearing room, recording studio or concert hall, Antoine radiates positive energy through his personality, style and unwavering support for a more enlightened and inclusive community.

Yola Ventresca: A first-generation Canadian of Lebanese descent called to the Bar in 2006, Yola is a visionary leader dedicated to breaking down systemic barriers in the legal profession and creating a more equitable, diverse and inclusive practice.

At Lerners LLP, Yola maintains a thriving litigation practice focused on labour, employment, education and health law. She is also a certified workplace investigator. Her legal expertise has earned her numerous external awards and accolades.

Elected an equity partner at Lerners in 2015, Yola made history in 2022 when she became managing partner of the firm's founding office in London, Ontario — the first racialized woman, first woman with young children and youngest person ever appointed to this role.

Yola champions mentorship, challenging traditional approaches to professional development for junior lawyers, especially women in law. She speaks to diverse audiences and dedicates her time and expertise to various charitable and advocacy causes.

Her commitment to dismantling systemic discrimination extends through her service in leadership positions. A career-long member of The Advocates' Society, she has held various roles including chair of the (now) Mid-Career Advocates' Standing Committee. She serves on the Dean's Advisory Council at Western Law, where she has also been an adjunct professor.

In 2024, Yola was appointed to the Women's Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF) National Board. She also serves on the board of governors of her alma mater, Huron University College at Western University and actively partners with community organizations to mentor female-identifying high school students.

Her leadership and advocacy have earned her numerous recognitions, including being named a Gowling WLG Female Trailblazer awardee (Canadian Lawyer Magazine, 2022 & 2023). She was also honored by her local Member of Parliament as a distinctive Londoner, primarily for her efforts to retain women in private practice.

Through her professional excellence, groundbreaking leadership, and unwavering commitment to diversity and inclusion, Yola exemplifies the transformative impact one individual can have on the legal profession and broader community.

Professor Sharryn J. Aiken: Called to the Bar in 1986, Professor Aiken has distinguished herself as an advocate, legal scholar, teacher and community leader.

In the 1990s, she was the director of a legal literacy project in Sioux Lookout and then worked as a staff lawyer in South Etobicoke Legal Services and the Refugee Law Office in Toronto.

In 2002, she joined the Faculty of Law at Queen's University as a full-time professor. At Queen's, she has been an award-winning educator as well as the architect and founding academic director of a new graduate diploma in immigration and citizenship law – an innovative online program that has significantly raised the bar on education, skills training and professionalism for immigration consultants.

Professor Aiken's leadership in the non-profit sector has been transformative, from guiding the Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic through organizational change to serving as co-chair of the Equality Rights Program of the Court Challenges Program of Canada to decades of service with the Canadian Council for Refugees, including serving as president and Legal Affairs Committee co-chair.

She is currently president of the FCJ Refugee Centre, a refugee-and migrant-serving agency that was recognized with the City of Toronto Community Champion Award in 2023.

Across their disparate mandates, these organizations share the common goals of making a difference in the lives of equity-seeking individuals while working to amplify and empower marginalized voices and advance systemic change. Professor Aiken's leadership of these organizations has made a profound difference for the many communities they serve.

Barry Corbin: Called to the Bar in 1982, Barry is a leader in the field of wills, estates and trusts. He has demonstrated the highest standards of excellence as a skilled lawyer, a strategic thinker, a prolific writer, a committed teacher, a generous and supportive mentor and a fearless advocate for change.

Barry's reputation within the profession extends far beyond his practice as a certified specialist in estates and trusts law. Throughout his career he has actively participated in continuing education through teaching, speaking, chairing programs and courses and program development. He has a record of long-standing service to the profession through involvement with the Ontario and Canadian Bar Associations and the Law Society of Ontario.  He has been an International Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel since 2001.  

Barry was the editor-in-chief of the Estates, Trusts & Pensions Journal from 1990 to 2005.  He is a co-founding editor of, and frequent contributor to, Thomson Reuters' monthly newsletter, Money and Family Law, in continuous publication since 1986. 

Barry was a member of the Estates Subcommittee of the Civil Rules Committee from 1996 to 2024, serving as chair from 2008 to 2023, and for that service was awarded the Court of Appeal Medallion in 2023 to honor his special contributions to the administration of justice.  He was recognized in 2008 with the Ontario Bar Association's Award of Excellence in Trusts and Estates Law.  

Barry devotes generous time to community service. He has served on the Rules Committee of Toronto Hebrew Memorial Parks for the past 17 years and was on the Board of Directors for the past 10 years. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Avenue Road Music and Performance Academy. 

Norman Farrell: Called to the Bar in 1988, Norman has worked tirelessly to bring justice to victims of mass atrocities across the world – prosecuting genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and domestic terrorism cases at international tribunals.

He has served in prominent positions including chief prosecutor of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, deputy prosecutor of the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and senior prosecution counsel at the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. He also was legal advisor at the International Committee of the Red Cross in Geneva and Ethiopia and a delegate in Sarajevo. Prior to his international work, he was crown counsel at the Crown Law Office-Criminal in Toronto.

Through his work, he has fought against impunity and worked to hold the highest civilian and military leaders to account and in doing so, he contributed to bringing justice to hundreds of thousands of victims and survivors of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. He returned to Canada in 2022. In his new role as senior legal advisor in the Crimes Against Humanity and War Crime section of the Department of Justice, he is bringing a wealth of international experience home to serve Canadians. His contributions to the development of international criminal law have left an indelible mark and will continue to impact and assist in bringing justice to victims of serious international crimes in the years to come.

Monique Jilesen:  Monique represents the very best of the legal profession. As a formidable advocate and one of the top litigators of her generation in Canada, she has successfully led some of the most important and high-profile cases before our courts.

Monique has made a lasting impact on the legal industry and broader community through important leadership positions on The Advocates' Society Board, Commercial List Users' Committee, International Academy of Trial Lawyers, United Way and its Major Individual Giving Cabinet, among others.

Monique's contributions to the legal community are marked by her deep commitment to teaching and mentorship. She never turns down an opportunity to share her knowledge and experience to advance the practise of law and elevate both peers and litigators at early stages in their careers.

As managing partner of Lenczner Slaght, Monique drives the firm's strategy, training the next generation of expert litigators, advancing inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility initiatives, cultivating an innovative mindset across the firm, boosting its high-performing and inclusive culture and leveraging its talent to envision and execute bold ideas. In 2018, she led the firm's development of commerciallist.com, a key resource for those practising in this specialized court. This award-winning website improves access to the court for litigants, peers, judges and students – enhancing the administration of justice.

Monique's extraordinary advocacy and leadership have been widely recognized with The Douglas K. Laidlaw Award for Excellence in Advocacy, fellowship in the American College of Trial Lawyers and International Academy of Trial Lawyers and Toronto Life's Top 50 Most Influential designation, among others.

Melissa Kluger: Called to the Bar in 2002, Melissa has made a unique and long-lasting contribution to the legal profession.

Melissa left a traditional legal career behind to start a media company, Law and Style Media Inc., and its flagship publication, Precedent Magazine. For nearly 20 years she has been using the platform she built to foster community, highlight the diversity of the Bar and push for change where change is much needed. She has combined her knowledge of law and journalism to target previously underserved members of the legal community, from law students to new lawyers to lawyers of diverse backgrounds.

Her work has provided the profession with something new and refreshing – a stylish publication that celebrates lawyers of all backgrounds. Melissa has always prioritized high-quality investigative journalism on topics like mental health, access to justice, addiction, diversity and reconciliation.

Under Melissa's leadership, Precedent has received several prestigious journalism awards including Gold in the Best Magazine category at the National Magazine Awards (B2B) — the highest honor in Canadian trade journalism. She has filled a journalistic void in Ontario's legal world and has done so with professionalism and integrity.

Professor Jim Phillips: is a member of the Faculty of Law at the University of Toronto, cross-appointed to the Department of History, and a former law clerk to Madam Justice Wilson of the Supreme Court of Canada. He is an intellectual leader who helped transform the field of Canadian legal history from a peripheral sub-field of both law and history to a significant field in both disciplines.

His scholarship, especially his two – soon-to-be three – volume History of Law in Canada, written with two colleagues, has transformed the field of legal history in Canada by deepening our understanding of Canada's legal system. That work meticulously uses the history of law to interrogate Canada's past, present and national identity within the multi-juridical nature of our country's legal system, based on common and civil law, as well as Indigenous legal traditions.

He has served as editor-in-chief of the Osgoode Society for Canadian Legal History since 2006. As editor, he has overseen the publication of more than 60 books, expanded and diversified its oral history program and led seminars for the legal profession and the public.

Professor Phillips is motivated by a deep passion to promote legal history and a selfless desire to serve the legal profession and improve the law. He has been widely recognized for his scholarly contributions to Canadian legal history including the Mundell Medal for excellence in legal writing and more recently was elected as an honorary fellow of the American Society for Legal History and a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.

Janice Rubin: Called to the Bar in 1991, Janice is an outstanding and exceptional innovator and pioneer who has championed the law as a solution to the human rights and workplace problems of harassment, discrimination, sexual violence and misconduct.

She has led the way in the very new area of workplace sexual harassment and human rights and with her colleagues, has built one of the largest workplace and institutional investigation practices in the country. She is the co-founder and co-managing partner of the Toronto-based workplace investigation law firm Rubin Thomlinson LLP.  

Her recommendations for improvement of workplace policies and programs, remediation and culture have resulted in significant and positive change in public and private institutions and businesses which are troubled with toxic workplaces, lack of leadership, sexual and other forms of harassment, violence and discrimination. That change has benefitted all those who work in and interact with these workplaces and institutions.

Through her work and efforts, Canadian workplaces have become safer and more inclusive. Janice has generously dedicated her skill and expertise to teaching, sensitizing and educating lawyers, employers and others in workplace health and safety. Her work has led to cultural change, setting a new standard in the handling of sexual misconduct and harassment allegations in all workplaces.

Janice led the Women Moving Women campaign for the Canadian Women's Foundation and was a member of the founding steering committee for the creation of the Judy Project at the Rotman School of Management. She is a strong supporter and role model for women in the legal profession. Her work has been widely recognized with numerous awards.

Dr. Christopher Waters: Called to the Bar in 1996, Dr. Waters is a professor at the University of Windsor, Faculty of Law. He is an international law scholar who focuses on international humanitarian law, or the law of armed conflict. His international law scholarship built on field experiences in post-conflict zones before coming to the academy.

Dr. Waters spent nine years in leadership roles at Windsor Law. He was associate dean from 2009 to 2012 and dean from 2015 to 2021. During his years as dean, he led several transformative initiatives at the University of Windsor. Foremost among these was launching and fundraising for the multi-million-dollar renovation of the Windsor Law building which was completed in 2023.

The renovation initiative, known as Transforming Windsor Law, was based on the guiding principles of improving accessibility, enhancing the student learning experience and connecting with local Indigenous communities. He led the law school through the challenging times of the pandemic and was also chair of the Ontario Law Deans during this period. In addition, as dean, he worked with colleagues to grow the law school's clinical and experiential programs and expand student services.

Dr. Waters has been the co-editor-in-chief of the Canadian Bar Review for the last decade and is involved in a broad range of legal and community organizations. He is a board member of the Essex Law Association, a volunteer with the Canadian Red Cross, a founding board member of the Windsor Persian Cultural Centre and a guest curator of local history exhibits at Museum Windsor.

Finally, a dedicated cycling advocate and author of Every Cyclist's Guide to Canadian Law, Dr. Waters is dedicated to making streets safe for all. In 2024 he received a Wheels of Change Award from the Share the Road Coalition for his work on advancing cycling.

Ritu Gambhir: Called to the Bar in 2000, Ritu has dedicated her career to advancing the rights of vulnerable populations.  She learned to practise law from Brian Crane, a senior member of Gowlings, who taught her the importance of remaining calm and courteous in high stakes situations. Together, they collaborated with the Déline First Nation in the early stages of negotiation of a self-government agreement at the community level.

In 2006, she joined the Department of Justice Canada and provided advice on issues affecting the rights of Indigenous peoples, also taking time away to work with the United Nations (UN) in Nepal, monitoring the human rights aspects of the country's election process.

After leaving the federal government in 2013, Ritu devoted herself to working with international organizations in conflict and crisis settings, including Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic and Mali.

As a humanitarian affairs specialist with Médecins Sans Frontières, she advocated for the delivery of medical and humanitarian aid to populations in distress without discrimination. 

During her tenure as a human rights officer with the UN, she jointly managed teams implementing protective measures for victims and witnesses of human rights violations and striving to enhance security forces' compliance with international humanitarian law and human rights law standards.

In 2020 to 2021, Ritu had the privilege of serving Canada as a member of the Immigration and Refugee Board, where she decided appeals of refugee protection claims. In 2021, she returned to the UN as a senior victims' rights officer in Haiti, providing support to victims of sexual exploitation and abuse by UN personnel while advocating for both institutional and individual accountability to those victims. 

Since departing the UN in 2024, she has been consulting for international organizations, providing expertise on safeguarding and human rights due diligence.

Jimmy Lai: A renowned human rights advocate, pro-democracy campaigner, writer and publisher, Jimmy is a 77-year-old British citizen, father and grandfather with family in Canada.

He is currently a prisoner of conscience, having been arbitrarily detained in Hong Kong for over four years. His pro-democracy activism and his commitment to a free press caused his arrest and detention to garner attention across the world.

Jimmy has spent more than 1,500 days in solitary confinement in a maximum-security prison. He has been denied a fair trial or a choice of legal representation and prevented from accessing independent, specialist medical care despite being diabetic.

In 1995 he established the Chinese language pro-democracy newspaper, Apple Daily. It was a tabloid with an agenda, covering crime and entertainment news, often with sensational headlines and with a pro-democracy, anti-corruption editorial position. Apple Daily became known for challenging the Beijing political system and mainland China's framing of the news in Hong Kong.

Shortly after Hong Kong introduced its internationally condemned National Security Law (NSL) in 2020, the Apple Daily offices were raided, and Jimmy was arrested for the first time. After a short period on bail, he was detained again and has been imprisoned since December 2020. In June 2021, Apple Daily was forced to close after its assets were frozen and executives and staff were arrested.

Jimmy has faced a barrage of prosecutions and has already been sentenced to over seven years' total imprisonment on a variety of charges. He remains on trial for sedition and under the NSL on charges of "colluding with foreign forces," for which he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. His trial has been ongoing for over a year, with lengthy delays.

In September 2024, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention ruled that Jimmy's imprisonment is arbitrary, in breach of international human rights law in multiple respects, and recommended that he be immediately released.

The Law Society regulates lawyers and paralegals in Ontario in the public interest. The Law Society has a mandate to protect the public interest, to maintain and advance the cause of justice and the rule of law, to facilitate access to justice for the people of Ontario and to act in a timely, open and efficient manner.

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SOURCE Law Society of Ontario