About 30 executives, lawyers, scholars, financiers and regulators will grapple with the Canadian mining industry’s most pressing issues this Friday at a conference organized by students enrolled in the JD/MBA Program at Osgoode Hall Law School and the Schulich School of Business at York University.
Ian Delaney, chair of Sherritt International, will be the keynote speaker at the conference, titled "Industrious Elements: At the Intersection of Law, Business and Mining". Former natural resources minister, Osgoode alum, and current federal labour minister Lisa Raitt will deliver an opening address, followed by remarks by Stikeman Elliott Managing Partner Jay Kellerman, who heads the firm's global mining group.
Ian Delaney
The 16th annual conference organized by the JD/MBA Students’ Association will be held Friday, Feb. 8, at the Courtyard Marriott at 475 Yonge Street in Toronto.
“The JD/MBA Students’ Association has brought together an impressive roster of experts and topical issues in one of Canada’s most challenging and important industries,” said Edward Waitzer, director of the Jay & Barbara Hennick Centre for Business and Law and the Jarislowsky Dimma Mooney Chair in Corporate Governance at Osgoode and Schulich.
Lisa Raitt
“Of course, the Schulich School of Business has recently launched Canada’s first MBA specialization in Global Mining Management and the resources sector is at the leading edge of rapidly evolving social and legal norms, so it’s no wonder that many of our students are intrigued by and well-versed in the complex issues facing this industry,” said Waitzer.
The leading sponsors of the conference are Fogler Rubinoff LLP; Davies Ward Phillips Vineberg LLP; Norton Rose Canada LLP; and Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP. The conference is supported by the Hennick Centre for Business and Law at Osgoode and Schulich.
During the conference, the Hennick Award of Excellence will be presented to Sherena Hussain, JD/MBA’12, an articling student with McCarthy Tètrault LLP who is actively involved in her community as a board member for various non-profit organizations. The Hennick Medal is awarded to the JD/MBA student with the highest cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) over the course of the program.
“Sherena Hussain represents all of the qualities we hope for in our JD/MBA graduates: she has achieved outstanding academic excellence, developed compelling analytical skills and business acumen, and possesses exemplary character traits,” said Peter Macdonald, Co-Director, JD/MBA Program, Schulich School of Business. "We are honoured to celebrate Sherena’s many accomplishments with the presentation of the Hennick Award of Excellence."
Conference panel topics and panellists include:
From the Ground Up: Fundamentals of Mining Finance: Richard Ross, executive-in-residence, Schulich School of Business (moderator); Egizio Bianchini, vice-chair & Global Co-Head, Global Metals & Mining, BMO Capital Markets; Jay Kellerman, managing partner, Stikeman Elliott LLP; and Nick Ransley, managing director, Americas, Cutfield Freeman & Co.
Regulatory Retooling: Environmental Compliance Post-Budget 2012: Patricia Hania, PhD candidate, Osgoode Hall Law School (moderator); Sarah Powell, partner, Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP; Michael Fortier, partner, Torys LLP; and Anjala Puvananathan, regional director (Ontario), Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency.
Heigh-Ho! Off to Work in Mining Law Practice: Peter Macdonald, co-director, JD/MBA Program, Schulich School of Business (moderator); Ali J. Naushahi, partner, Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP; Melanie Shishler, partner, Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP; Trent Mell, executive vice-president, Aurico Gold; and Mark Bennett, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP.
International Issues in Mining: Janne Duncan, partner, Norton Rose Canada LLP (moderator); Carlos Espinosa, head, Business Development, Toronto Stock Exchange; Andrew Foley, partner, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP; Rick Moscone, partner, Fogler Rubinoff LLP; and Jim McArdle, senior vice-president, Legal Services & Secretary, Export Development Canada.
Aboriginal Partnership, Models for Success: Wesley Cragg, professor emeritus, Business Ethics, Schulich School of Business (moderator); Bernie Hughes, director, Aboriginal Relations, Ministry of Northern Development and Mines; Ormonde Benson, partner, Miller Thomson LLP; and Michael Fox, president, Fox High Impact Consulting.
After the Mine: Creating Stable Communities: Patricia Dillon, executive-in-residence, Schulich School of Business (moderator); Janet Fishlock, senior community development specialist, rePlan; Aaron Steeghs, manager, Corporate Social Responsibility, IAMGOLD Corporation; and David Clarry, vice-president, Corporate Social Responsibility, Hudbay.
For more information, visit the conference website.