Andrea Boctor, Law’02 (Com’99), and Kate Crawford, Law’04, were recently named to Canadian publisher Lexpert’s 2016 honour roll of “Rising Stars – Leading Lawyers Under 40” for achievement in challenging, fast-evolving fields – pension law and health law, respectively.
“I find pension law fascinating because we don’t yet have answers to all of the interesting questions facing the practice,” says Boctor, a partner in the Toronto office of Stikeman Elliott LLP. She heads the firm's national pensions and benefits group and co-chairs the Toronto office's Community Involvement and Pro Bono Committee.
Among Boctor’s work recognized by Lexpert was her contribution to pension regulations achieved on behalf of Essar Steel Algoma in 2013 and 2014, a first for an employer not involved in court-supervised restructuring proceedings, and an outcome that enabled the company, its employees and their community to stave off a potential financial crisis. She has also been involved in many other pension “firsts,” including her work in a high-stakes, complex case for an appointed administrator of a pension plan, Eckler Ltd., following the insolvency of the employer-sponsor.
Boctor’s also recognized in Chambers Global and Chambers Canada directories as a leading lawyer in Pensions & Benefits; by Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory under Pensions & Employee Benefits (Employer); and by Best Lawyers in Canada for Employee Benefits Law.
Asked what’s most gratifying about her field, she says: “I like the complexity. My work involves advising on questions that range from the very straightforward to interesting, academic, law-school-type problems, and because pension law touches so many other areas of law, I am constantly learning new things. It certainly keeps me on my toes.”
Queen’s Law – and one inspiring professor in particular – helped set her direction, Boctor adds. “I thought I wanted to be a labour and employment lawyer, but then I took Bernie Adell’s pension law seminar and changed my mind. I’m grateful to Queen’s for setting me on that path.”
Her co-honoree and fellow Torontonian, Kate Crawford, is a partner in the health law group at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP. Her practice includes civil litigation in complex medical malpractice actions, class actions and administrative law. She also serves as general counsel to hospitals, long-term care facilities and retirement homes, providing strategic day-to-day advice on risk management and policy issues and advocating for them before tribunals, public inquiries, inquests and other proceedings.
Lexpert noted her high-profile role representing Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) over several months of hearings during the Inquiry into Pediatric Forensic Pathology in Ontario, which focused on SickKids pathologist Charles Smith’s work for the Office of the Chief Coroner. Lexpert also cited her work representing SickKids in the Provincial Review into toxicological hair testing at the hospital’s Motherisk Drug Testing Laboratory (led by retired Justice Susan Lang), and her recent appointment as SickKids' lead counsel in the proposed class action litigation relating to the lab’s work.
“I love representing public organizations whose missions are patient care and medical research,” Crawford says. “I love that through my work, I get to assist in resolving issues that arise and putting in place changes aimed at avoiding similar issues recurring. Every day is different, the work is always challenging and the results matter.”
Two other honours attest to just how much those results matter to her clients and her peers. The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory listed her as a “Leading Lawyer – Medical Negligence” and The Best Lawyers in Canada recognized her under Health Care Law, Medical Negligence.
Where did this passion for health law come from? Crawford says it was kindled by three Queen’s professors who made a “huge” impression: Patricia Peppin, Law’78, whose small-section Torts class focused on health law cases; Health Law with the late Stan Corbett, Law’95; and Advanced Health Law with then-Dean (now Justice) Alison Harvison-Young. “While these three had very different teaching styles, they uniformly gave me a solid foundation in the basics and piqued my curiosity to learn, and do, more.”
People who know Andrea Boctor and Kate Crawford aren’t expecting any slow-down when they cross that “over 40” line.
By Kirsteen MacLeod