8:00 AM
TORONTO
Summit 2026
Designed for in-house counsel across industries and seniority levels, Summit 2026 will convene 300+ legal leaders and innovators to discuss the biggest shifts facing corporate legal teams today.
📅 Wednesday, October 21, 2026
8:00 am - 6:00 pm ET
📍Delta Hotel
75 Lower Simcoe St, Toronto, ON M5J 3A6
🎫 Tickets available for in-house lawyers, students, legal ops professionals, and service providers (legal tech, law firms, recruiters, etc.)
Get TicketHear it from our attendees:
Oscar Strawczynski
General Counsel at Simply Group
"The Summit is a must-attend for in-house counsel of every level."
Carolyn Nguyen
VP, Head of Legal and Compliance at Fig
"There are very few opportunities where in-house lawyers from all different backgrounds can get together and share their wins and challenges and learn from one another in an inclusive and non-judgmental way. Counselwell created a great environment and the energy throughout the day was amazing."
Summit 2025 Highlight Reel
Get TicketMeet Your Summit Co-Chairs
Ryan Mills
General Counsel and Corporate Secretary
Chicken Farmers of Ontario
Maleeha Akhtar
Legal Counsel
Volkswagen Group Canada Inc.
Agenda
Wednesday, October 21st
8:40 AM
8:45 AM
Whether you're advising the board, negotiating with a counterparty, or presenting to your team, how you communicate matters as much as what you say. In this opening keynote, world-renowned body language expert Mark Bowden will share practical techniques to build trust, project confidence, and strengthen your executive presence in every high stakes conversation.
9:30 AM
9:40 AM
A visionary masterclass on how legal reasoning is moving beyond precedent, and how this is transforming judgment and decision-making for in-house counsel.
Where should legal teams hold firm, and where is compromise the smarter strategy? Hear both the customer and vendor perspectives as our speakers debate two to three of the most important AI contract terms, exploring where legal teams should focus their negotiating capital and where flexibility can help move deals forward. The session will feature live audience participation to identify additional negotiation priorities, followed by an interactive discussion with the panel.
10:25 AM
10:35 AM
Explore practical governance models, key policies, and ways to manage risk without slowing innovation. Learn how legal, IT, and the business can work together to enable responsible AI adoption.
Hear from GCs on how to build C-suite credibility and position Legal as a strategic business partner. Learn practical ways to communicate complex legal risks in business terms and use operational data to clearly demonstrate your team's value and impact.
11:20 AM
11:30 AM
A practical look at rolling out AI tools in legal: what's working today, how to pilot without disruption, and how to scale once it proves value
Legal leaders share the systems, processes, and strategies driving high-performing legal teams, with a practical look at operating legal like the business function it's become.
12:15 PM
1:15 PM
As privacy and data laws continue to evolve, organizations face increasing legal, regulatory, financial, and reputational risks. Join Adam Kardash and Tina Saban from Osler for a practical overview of Canada's changing privacy landscape, key legislative developments, enforcement trends, and the steps organizations can take to manage risk.
2:00 PM
2:10 PM
Join fellow in-house counsel for a practical discussion on the decisions, relationships and response frameworks legal teams should establish before a data breach occurs to enable faster coordination, informed decision-making and a more defensible response when the pressure is on.
A candid look at what it really takes to rise to General Counsel and thrive once you're there, from building the right experience and relationships to navigating the shift from lawyer to business leader.
2:55 PM
3:05 PM
Every organization is developing an AI strategy, but the path forward looks different for everyone. Hear how leading in-house legal and technology teams are applying AI today before diving into the key decisions behind building in-house solutions versus buying commercial platforms. Gain practical insights on use cases, data privacy, scalability, cost, and the factors shaping long-term AI strategy through an in-house lens.
A two-part session: guided table conversations on building the resilience needed to sustain a demanding legal career, followed by a short segment from Pro Bono Ontario on how pro bono work can support that same resilience.
3:50 PM
4:00 PM
4:45 PM
5:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Presenters
Mark Bowden
Founder and President
TRUTHPLANE
Joe Marando
Legal Innovation Partner
Harvey
Andrew Nunes
Partner, Co-Leader Technology, Media & Telecommunications
Fasken
Andrew Alleyne
Partner, Vice-Chair Technology Law Group
Fasken
Paul Burbank
Partner, Technology, Media and Telecommunications
Fasken
Shan Arora
Associate Lawyer
Fasken
Stephanie Nweke
Growth & GTM Lead
Sandstone
Rosie Kogan
General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer
Medcan
Catherine Stephanou
AI Ethics and Responsible Innovation Leader
BrainBox AI
Ryan Hayes
General Counsel
Espresso Capital
Kathy Zhu
Co-Founder, CEO & GC
Streamline AI
Julien Brosseau
General Counsel
Nesto Group
Cecile S. Chung
General Counsel & Corporate Secretary
Samuel, Son & Co.
Emilie Franklin
Group Legal Counsel
Modaxo
Catherine MacInnis
Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary
Klick Health
David Luther
General Counsel
IESO Nova Scotia
Allison Worone
Vice President and General Counsel
Evanov Communications
Adam Kardash
Partner, Privacy and Data Management
Osler
Tina Saban
Associate, Privacy and Data Management
Osler
Andrea Williams
Vice President, Strategic Growth
Array Canada
Neda Canario
SVP Recruitment
BJRC Recruiting
Jeanette Lee
General Counsel
Arterra Wines
Melanie Hoad
VP, Head of Legal and Compliance
Sompo
Jamie Yoon
General Counsel, Director of Regulatory and Government Affairs
Mount Pleasant Group
Rohit Parekh
Assistant General Counsel
Vena Solutions
Angela Jackson
Director, Legal
Canada, Uber
Ilan Mints
General Counsel
Downtown AutoGroup
Mirka Snyder Caron
AVP, Privacy and Compliance
Foresters Financial
Christine Holmes
CEO
LawyersInHouse
Avi Weiss
Founder
Counselwell
Ryan Mills
General Counsel and Corporate Secretary
Chicken Farmers of Ontario
Maleeha Akhtar
Legal Counsel
Volkswagen Group Canada Inc.
Laura Salvatori
Chief Legal Officer, Chief Risk Officer, Chief People Officer
Anson Funds
Noah Smith
Senior Enterprise Account Executive
Luminance
Jane Southren
Co-founder & Coach, Southren Group & Board of Directors, Pro Bono Ontario
Joanna Grossman
General Counsel
Trisura Group Ltd
Kathleen Killin
Senior Director, Enterprise Marketing
Clio
Thank You to Our Generous Sponsors
Title Sponsor
Silver Sponsors
For sponsorship inquiries, please email [email protected].
Tickets
All tickets include access to the full-day conference, as well as breakfast, lunch, reception, refreshments and drinks.
Premium members may also opt in to the waitlist for one of our pre-Summit dinners on October 20th!
Premium Member Ticket
Price: $250
Premium members get 50% off the Core Member Ticket price. Reserved for Premium members (apply for Premium membership).
Bonus: Premium members may join our waitlist for one of our pre-Summit dinners on October 20th!
Core Member Ticket
Price: $500
For Core members and in-house lawyers who are not currently members of Counselwell.
Legal Ops / Student Ticket
Price: $370
For legal department professionals such as legal operations professionals and students.
Service Provider Ticket
Price: $715
For those who provide services to in-house lawyers, including professionals from law firms, legal tech companies, recruiters, etc.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this event accredited for CPD?
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Where will the Summit be held?
Do you have a discounted rate at a nearby hotel?
Can I get a ticket to access a livestream of the Summit?
Location
Delta Hotel
75 Lower Simcoe St, Toronto, ON, M5J 3A6
Questions or Feedback?
Let us know and we'll get back to you as soon as we can!
