Paul Schabas
| Paul Schabas | |
|---|---|
| 66th Treasurer of the Law Society of Upper Canada | |
|
Assumed office 2016 | |
| Preceded by | Janet E. Minor |
Paul B. Schabas is the current Treasurer of the Law Society of Upper Canada. [1]
The Treasurer is the highest elected official of the Law Society, which regulates Ontario’s 50,000 lawyers and paralegals in the public interest. The Treasurer presides over Convocation, the Law Society’s governing board, chairing and setting the agenda for its meetings and establishing Convocation committees. The Treasurer is elected each year at the June meeting of Convocation. Treasurers generally serve two terms.
Education
Schabas has an LLB and BA (Hon.) from the University of Toronto (1984, 1981).[2] Schabas is a partner and senior trial and appellate counsel at Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP in Toronto. [3]
Career
He was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1986. He was first elected as a bencher of the Law Society in 2007 and was re-elected in 2011 and 2015 for third term. As a bencher, he served as chair of the Human Rights Monitoring Group, the Access to Justice Committee, and the Professional Regulation Committee. He was a member of the Equity and Aboriginal, Tribunals and Finance Committees and the Articling and Mentoring Task Forces.
An adjunct professor at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, Schabas teaches media law and frequently writes and speaks on a variety of legal matters.[4]
He is chair of the Law Foundation of Ontario and a past president of Canadian Media Lawyers Association and Pro Bono Ontario.
Schabas was elected to lead The Law Society of Upper Canada as the 66th Treasurer by its governing body on June 23, 2016.[5]
Awards and honours
Paul is consistently recognized as a leading counsel by the following publications:
- Best Lawyers 2016 Appellate Practice Lawyer of the Year for Toronto
- The Best Lawyers in Canada (Administrative and Public Law, Appellate Practice, Corporate and Commercial Litigation, Criminal Defense - White-Collar Criminal Defense, Defamation and Media Law)
- Chambers Global: The World's Leading Lawyers for Business (Dispute Resolution Ontario)
- The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory (Litigation - Public Law, Litigation - Defamation & Media, and in Litigation - Corporate Commercial)
- Legal Media Group's Guide to the World's Leading White Collar Crime Lawyers
- Who's Who Legal: Litigation
- Benchmark Canada: The Definitive Guide to Canada's Leading Litigation Firms and Attorneys (listed as a National Litigation Star in Arbitration and White Collar Crime)
He has also received the following recognition:
- One of "Canada's 25 Most Influential Lawyers" by Canadian Lawyer magazine (2011)
- One of BTI Consulting's Client Service All-Stars (2015)
- Lexpert Zenith Award: Defamation and Media (2014)
- Best Lawyers' Media Law Lawyer of the Year (2011)
- Canadian Association of Journalists, Presidents Award (2009)