Toronto — Heather Innes of Toronto has been named Chair of the Canadian Bar Association’s (CBA) Canadian Corporate Counsel Association (CCCA), a post she takes over from Grant Borbridge, of Calgary, on February 28, 2014.
Ms. Innes is global process leader, International Trade Law, at General Motors, where she leads a trade law team of 14 lawyers in 14 countries. She also serves as corporate counsel and chief privacy officer for General Motors of Canada.
Heather Innes takes the helm at CCCA at a time when more and more in-house counsel are leading international teams or working with their peers in other jurisdictions. “The face of business is quickly changing as more pathways for global business open up,” she says. “This creates both opportunities and challenges for Canadian organizations and highlights the critical role that in-house counsel play in the growth of their organizations.”
An in-house counsel since 1986, Ms. Innes attended the University of Toronto, Osgoode Hall Law School (LL.B.) and McGeorge School of Law, University of the Pacific (post-graduate program). Most recently, she served as Vice-Chair of the CCCA National Executive Committee.
An active CBA and CCCA volunteer, she is currently chair of the CCCA Mentoring Committee and has served on a number of other committees and executives, including those of the CCCA Ontario Section and the OBA International Law Section.
An insightful speaker, Ms. Innes is keenly interested in the evolution of the in-house bar. She has significantly contributed to raising the profession's profile between the legal profession and the business community. In 2013 she was named the winner of the inaugural CCCA Professional Contribution Award.
“I see the CCCA as an incredible asset to in-house counsel in Canada, offering a full suite of professional development, networking opportunities and services that provide career-long support to our members,” says Ms. Innes.
“I look forward to working with our sections, the many dedicated volunteers and the CBA in equipping our members to be effective and strategic legal advisors aligned with the objectives and needs of increasingly global organizations.”
An integral group within the 37,500-member CBA, the CCCA is dedicated to supporting and enhancing the interests of Canadian corporate counsel. CCCA provides uniquely Canadian perspectives, resources, tools, professional development, conferences and peer-to-peer networking opportunities. The CCCA has some 4,500 in-house counsel members.
For more information, please contact Hannah Bernstein at hannahb@cba.org.