Award winners Stephen Sigurdson, Law’84, Justice Mark Peacock, Law’74, Jeremy Freedman, Law’82, and Erin Dann, Law’07
Award winners Stephen Sigurdson, Law’84, Justice Mark Peacock, Law’74, Jeremy Freedman, Law’82, and Erin Dann, Law’07

The Dean’s Council Awards Committee has announced this year’s recipients of the Queen’s Law alumni awards. Chosen from a strong list of nominees put forward by fellow alumni, the winners are:

  • Stephen Sigurdson, Law’84 (posthumously), H.R.S. Ryan Law Alumni Award of Distinction (for overall distinction in the legal profession). One of Canada’s most respected corporate lawyers, he spent 20 years in senior roles with Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP before joining Manulife in 2010, ultimately becoming the company’s award-winning General Counsel and Executive VP. Also a guiding voice on the Dean’s Council, he was instrumental in helping to shape both the present and the future of Queen’s Law. In tribute, alumni, friends and the school contributed a total of $1.5 million to establish the Stephen Sigurdson Professorship in Corporate Law and Finance, further augmenting the Faculty’s robust business law program.
  • Justice Mark Peacock, Law’74, Justice Thomas Cromwell Distinguished Public Service Award (for sustained outstanding public service). A justice of the Quebec Superior Court, he is a past recipient of the Canadian Bar Association’s Louis St. Laurent Award of Excellence for exceptional service to the CBA’s objectives and goals, past President of the CBA Quebec Branch and past Chairman of the CBA National Civil Litigation section. 
  • Jeremy Freedman, Law’82, J.A. (Alec) Corry Distinguished Alumni Award (for excelling in a career outside the traditional practice of law). A former partner with Davies Ward & Beck, he joined Gluskin Sheff in 2000 for a 16-year tenure that saw him rise to become President and CEO, manage the company’s 2006 public offering, and oversee an increase in assets-under-management from $670 million to $8.5 billion.
  • Erin Dann, Law’07, Dan Soberman Outstanding Young Alumni Award (for early-career success). After graduating first in her class, she clerked for Supreme Court of Canada Justice Morris Fish, implemented a UN access-to-justice initiative in Laos, and emerged as one of Canada’s brightest young criminal lawyers as a partner in the Toronto firm Di Luca Dann LLP that she now runs following the bench appointment of Justice Di Luca.

“This year’s award recipients exemplify all the best characteristics we could hope for in our alumni,” says Dean’s Council Chair Sheila Murray, Law’82. “However, I’d like to make specific mention of Steve Sigurdson, a leading practitioner and an accomplished businessman who always made time to support Queen’s Law, serving as Vice Chair of the Dean’s Council. I hope everyone will join me in celebrating Steve’s contributions and the great work of all of our 2017 award recipients.”

Justice Peacock will accept his honour April 24 at an alumni reception in Montreal. Erin Dann, Jeremy Freedman, and Stephen Sigurdson’s wife, Leslie, Law’84, will accept their awards May 4 at the Celebrate Queen’s Law event in Toronto. Join us in celebrating this year winners! For more information and to register, visit our Alumni Events webpage.