Jonathan Sherman, pictured on Feb. 28, was named as one of two new co-chair of the executive committee at Cassels law firm, the youngest in Cassels’ history.Cole Burston/The Globe and Mail
Legal Moves is a monthly roundup of job changes at Canada’s law firms.
Jonathan Sherman, one of the two new co-chairs of Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP, is many things.
He’s an accomplished corporate lawyer. He’s a member of Cassels’ executive team and head of the firm’s Cannabis group. He’s also the same age as Taylor Swift – just 34 years old.
Less than a decade out of law school, when Mr. Sherman officially takes on the chair role in April, he will become the youngest in Cassels’ history. He already holds the title as the youngest lawyer to make partner – he was voted into the partnership in 2018 as a third-year associate.
“He’s been extraordinary since the time he joined us,” said managing partner Kristin Taylor. “He has wisdom and judgment beyond his years. The book of business he’s built – he’s a very impressive guy.”
Cassels has also named Jennifer Wasylyk, a partner in the financial services group, as deputy managing partner. Last year, she was recognized by Lexpert as one of Canada’s “Leading Lawyers Under 40.″
“It’s a youth movement over here,” Mr. Sherman said. “There’s trust in a younger generation to carry the ball forward at a time of a lot of competition and change in the legal market.”
Mr. Sherman, who came to Cassels in 2013 as a summer student, said something he always appreciated about the firm was that age didn’t seem to matter: “No one ever said, ‘Well you’re 28 years old. We don’t want to put you forward for a speaking event with a CEO.’ ”
He was also taken in by the entrepreneurial sprit. In his early years, he said Cassels employed an associate named David Goldstein, who worked with the real estate and development group – but he also developed a sports practice on the side. He was also teaching a sports law course at Osgoode and the University of Toronto. (Today, Mr. Goldstein is the Canadian Football League’s chief operating officer.)
“Cassels has really provided that platform to build out a career however you want, with maximum flexibility,” Mr. Sherman said.
Within Canada, Mr. Sherman has established a reputation as a leader in the cannabis sector. Among his most notable clients is Canopy Growth, for whom he’s acted on numerous multibillion-dollar deals. Mr. Sherman is also known for his creativity.
When the Canadian government legalized marijuana in 2018, there was significant interest from some of his clients – large Canadian cannabis companies – in expanding into the United States. Clients were interested in acquiring stakes in American cannabis businesses, but because marijuana was not legal at the federal level in the United States, the Canadian stock exchanges wouldn’t allow it.
Mr. Sherman developed a clever workaround: He negotiated deals with agreed-upon pricing, but the transaction wouldn’t close until cannabis became legal. In the meantime, shareholders received a partial payment upfront.
“I think most lawyers would have looked at the problem and said there’s nothing you can do,” he said. “I’ve really tried to emphasize with our deal teams: Don’t just say no. Let’s get creative. Maybe we can’t do it exactly the way a client wants because the law won’t allow it, but is there something else that will get you 90 per cent of the way?”
In his new role, which he will share with Ryan Jacobs, a partner in the Restructuring and Insolvency Group, Mr. Sherman hopes to continue to build upon Cassels’ culture.
“How do we differentiate ourselves from our competitors? How do we manage teams, leverage technology,” he said. “It’s about finding competitive advantages and doing things in a different manner than the firm across the street. A lot of that, for me, comes back to relationships.”
Earlier this week, McCarthy Tétrault announced that “powerhouse litigator” Marina Sampson was joining their Litigation and Dispute Resolution Group in Toronto. “Her work in corporate commercial mandates is also stellar, and she’s a proven leader and wonderful mentor,” Sunil Kapur, the national group leader, said in a statement. Ms. Sampson was previously with Dentons Canada.
A team of lawyers led by Jason Madden and Alexandria Winterburn have joined Aird & Berlis LLP in a newly created Indigenous Practice Group. Mr. Madden, who is Métis, and Ms. Winterburn, who is First Nations, are the group’s co-leads. The pair came from Pape Salter Teillet LLP, along with two associates and an articling student. “Our clients – and we act for Indigenous governments who are negotiating or implementing modern treaties – have grown in their legal needs. Being at a full service firm, you can deal with their real estate needs, litigation, tax, corporate, commercial all in one shop,” Mr. Madden said.
Louis Morisset, the former president and chief executive officer of the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF), has joined Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP as strategic counsel in the Montreal office. “His expertise enhances our service offering, notably in the securities and financial services sectors,” said Sébastien Vilder, Montreal office managing partner said in a statement.
A group of Toronto litigators has formed a new boutique firm, Lundy Levy Eski Baum LLP, specializing in commercial litigation, as well construction and health law. The group – Andrew Lundy, Eni Eski, Eric Baum and Zohar Levy – came together from various points that at times have passed through firms such as Brunner & Lundy, Orr Taylor, Lerners, Fasken and Weil Gotshal & Manges. “We wanted to build a place where excellent lawyers could do excellent work without the barriers and egos that one so often sees.”
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