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The News Legal & Law New CBA President Bernard Amyot to make law firm conflicts of interest a priority
The News Legal & Law New CBA President Bernard Amyot to make law firm conflicts of interest a priority | New CBA President Bernard Amyot to make law firm conflicts of interest a priority |
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| Monday, 13 August 2007 | |
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The new President of the Canadian Bar Association says his priority in the year ahead is to provide pragmatic approaches to improve the practice of law, in particular through the CBA's Conflicts of Interest Task Force. "Conflicts of interest affect all firms - large, medium and small - across Canada," says Bernard Amyot of Montreal. "Through the efforts of our task force, the CBA will be at the forefront in developing reasonable, balanced and pragmatic ways to help Canadian lawyers serve their clients and practice law better." The task force will provide guidelines and practical assistance for the legal profession. It will develop a consensus on a more workable approach to conflicts that best serves the interests of the public while preserving the fundamental legal and ethical obligations of the profession. It includes a cross-section of lawyers and client representatives, an ethicist, a liaison from the Federation of Law Societies of Canada, a law society insurer, and a noted conflicts expert. Details on the task force can be found at: http://www.cba.org/CBA/groups/conflicts/ Mr. Amyot, who receives the chain of office at the CBA's Canadian Legal Conference in Calgary on Aug. 14, is also committed to increasing CBA membership among women, younger lawyers and francophones. That commitment is at the centre of the CBA's new five-year strategic plan, adopted earlier this year. "We can build even greater accomplishments if we have a larger and more robust membership, fully supportive of our goals," Mr. Amyot says. A partner in the Montreal office of Heenan Blaikie LLP, Mr. Amyot says that more francophones should be involved in the CBA. "The CBA is for every lawyer in Canada, and francophones should take the place that belongs to them in our great association," he says. He also wants to encourage the growing role of young lawyers and women. A graduate of McGill University in law (1983), Mr. Amyot was called to the Bar in 1984. For 20 years, he has managed a hybrid practice in both litigation and commercial law. He served as director of the Quebec Bar School (1994-1997) and president of the communications committee at the Bar of Montreal (1997-1999). He also regularly takes on volunteer and pro bono work in his community. Mr. Amyot brings provincial and national CBA experience to his new role. He first became an Executive Member of the Quebec Branch in 1991-1992 and again from 1997 to 2001. He was Secretary of the Branch in 1998-1999. In 2003, he served as co-president of the Organizing Committee of the 2003 CBA Canadian Legal Conference held in Montreal. In 2005, he was acclaimed as Second Vice-President of the CBA. Bernard Amyot receives the CBA Presidential Chain of Office from outgoing President J. Parker McCarthy, Q.C. at the Canadian Legal Conference Closing Lunch on Tuesday, Aug. 14 in Macleod A in the Telus Convention Centre. The event is open to accredited media who have registered with CBA Communications, located in Glen 208 in the Telus Convention Centre, or by phone at 403-218-7856. |
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