Law Times

PAGE 2 NEWS January 30, 2012 • Law Times Robert Lapper takes LSUC reins this week B.C. official replaces retiring law society CEO Malcolm Heins BY KENDYL SEBESTA Law Times B .C. deputy minister of labour Rob- ert Lapper takes the reins as the Law Society of Upper Canada's chief ex- ecutive officer this week, a move that marks the first change of hands in the position in more than a decade. Lapper has held the B.C. position since 2009 and served as the deputy cabinet secretary and associate deputy minster in the office of the premier prior to that. He was also assistant deputy attorney general for the legal services branch between 2001 and 2008. He replaces current law society CEO Malcolm Heins, to whom Treasurer Laurie Pawlitza paid tribute at Convocation last week. "His counsel, guidance, and leadership have been extraordinary," said Pawlitza. "Change has been a constant theme in our profession . . . and through it all, he's provided us with sure coun- sel and great dedication." In announcing Lapper's appointment, she also paid tribute to him. "Mr. Lapper has a passion for legal and justice issues, a collegial style of working with legal professionals, and a The Law Society of Upper Canada gets a new CEO this week. proven track record in overseeing the complete organizational and service transformation in the legal services branch of British Columbia's Ministry of the Attorney General," she said. "I am very pleased that Mr. Lapper has agreed to bring his wide-ranging experience in legal policy and his operational background to the Law Society of Upper Canada." As deputy minister, Lapper has developed government positions on aboriginal litigation, abuse claims, the implications of the Patriot Act on government procurement, and many matters related to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the division of powers. Lapper will make the official transition to CEO on Feb. 1. The role will see him take on the re- sponsibility of managing law society staff and its day-to-day operations. In his new role, Lapper will also inherit a budget with addi- tional funding for the law soci- ety's professional regulation ac- tivities, a $41 increase in lawyers' annual fees, and an organization with an increased focus on access to justice, an issue at least one Toronto litigator hopes the new CEO will consider as he starts the job. "We're struggling as a profes- sion to make sure the legal profes- sion is accessible to all Ontarians," says Andrew Heal, a partner at Blaney McMurtry LLP. "In order to make sure we're ONTARIO LAWYER'S PHONE BOOK 2012 YOUR MOST COMPLETE DIRECTORY OF ONTARIO LAWYERS, LAW FIRMS, JUDGES AND COURTS With more than 1,400 pages of essential legal references, Ontario Lawyer's Phone Book is your best connection to legal services in Ontario. Subscribers can depend on the credibility, accuracy and currency of this directory year after year. 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Includes lists of: • • Federal and provincial judges Federal courts, including a section for federal government departments, boards and commissions • Ontario courts and services, including a section for provincial government ministries, boards and commissions • • The Institute of Law Clerks of Ontario Small claims courts • Miscellaneous services for lawyers Visit carswell.com or call 1.800.387.5164 for a 30-day no-risk evaluation CANADIAN LAW LIST www.lawtimesnews.com OLPB - 1-2 page 4X.indd 1 1/20/12 10:42 AM Fax and telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, office locations and postal codes accessible, we need to ensure law- yers are qualified and paralegals are properly regulated. One way to make sure those standards are maintained is by providing continued education in the legal community and continued pro- fessional development among the law society to make sure the people of Ontario are well served. Those are things that we can be proud of when it comes to Malcolm Heins and the benchers, and I hope that is continued with the new CEO." Heal adds he hopes the new CEO will also focus on women in the profession. "I hope more will be done to ensure women in the profession don't feel the pressure to get out of the practice because of the barriers they may face, like parental leave. As a profession, we are still struggling with parental leave and women having to incur the professional cost of having a family, and I would encourage the new leadership to continue to cre- ate and maintain programs that support women in their roles." Lapper replaces Heins, who served as the law society's CEO between 2001 and 2012 and as CEO of the Federation of Law Societies of Canada between 2005 and 2006. He received a standing ovation during Convocation proceedings on Jan. 26. It was the last Convo- cation he'd attend as CEO of the regulatory body. "Do we really need to mention that again?" he said of his retire- ment at Convocation. The com- ment sparked laughter among law society benchers. Heins will make his formal exit on Feb. 1. For her part, Pawlitza said the law society will continue to build on his work. "There is a strong management team in place at the law society that is well-poised to work with Convocation and members of the legal community to build on Mr. Heins' legacy and suc- cessfully address ongoing and new challenges," she said in a statement. "We're very grateful for his support and wish him well." LT

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