11:45 am-12:30pm ET – Registration and Networking (Light lunch will be served)

12:30-12:40pm – Land Acknowledgement and Welcome Remarks

Summit Co-Chairs:

Lawrence Conmigo, Director of Claims, Specialty Lines, Intact Public Entities

Husein Panju, Senior Legal Counsel and Manager, Litigation, Travel Industry Council of Ontario

Co-Host Representative:

Renee A. Smith, Senior Lawyer & Director, Legal Business Solutions, PwC

12:40-1:30pm – The Happy Lawyer: Paul Karvanis

Ontario: This program contains 50 minutes of Professionalism Content

How do we, as busy GCs, become happier? It turns out that the happy lawyers had a number of things in common—key ingredients they all shared. Unhappy lawyers shared some of those ingredients, but were missing others. The problem is that there’s a recipe for happiness and, whether intentional or not, the unhappy lawyers haven’t followed it. Join Paul Karvanis in a fascinating look at the key ingredients that happy lawyers all had in common, and how to put it all together to avoid burnout along the way

1:30pm-2:30pm – From Busy to Influential: How Legal Operations Unlock Your Leadership Power

Ontario: This program contains 1 hour of Professionalism Content

This session shows how strong legal operations amplify a GC’s leadership by freeing time for strategic focus, sharpening decision-making, and elevating the legal function’s impact. Explore how modern legal ops—through data, process, and cross-functional alignment—empower GCs to lead with influence, credibility, and visibility at the executive table. Learn practical approaches to legal digital transformation, design solutions aligned to your department’s maturity, build a long-term vision, and craft a business-ready pitch to the C-suite—drawing on real lessons for turning transformation into sustained capability.

Speakers:

Jessica Hofrichter, Vice President, Associate General Counsel, Product Compliance and Legal Operations, Dayforce

David Lancelot, CLO & EVP of Advocacy, LawVu

Renee A. Smith, Senior Lawyer & Director, Legal Business Solutions, PwC

Moderator:

Lawrence Conmigo, Director of Claims, Specialty Lines, Intact Public Entities

2:30pm-2:45pm- Networking Break

2:45pm-4:00pm - NGCN Challenge 2026: Legal Developments

Ontario: This program contains 1 hour and 15 minutes of Substantive Content

NGCN participants will square off and test their legal IQ on the top legal issues shaping the Canadian legal landscape in 2026, based on current developments, trends, and legislative changes.

Speakers:

Seema Aggarwal, Partner, Dentons

Emily Fan, Partner, Mintz

Andrew Nunes, Partner, Fasken

Fahad Siddiqui, Partner, Norton Rose Fulbright

Moderator:

Husein Panju, Senior Legal Counsel and Manager, Litigation, Travel Industry Council of Ontario

4:00pm-4:15pm- Networking Break

4:15pm-5:15pm - GC Rising: GCs as a Catalyst for Enterprise Transformation

Ontario: This program contains 1 hour of Professionalism Content

The demands of the volatile corporate environment and the growing trust placed on legal executives are taking GCs well beyond traditional legal roles. GCs are increasingly tapped as leaders of enterprise change, whether as GC or through an expansion of their official remit. This session explores how today’s GCs drive strategy, guide workforce and digital transformation, manage risk, and influence culture—providing practical insights to turn disruption into opportunity and create impact across the organization.

Speakers:

Arash Nassiri, Director, Workforce Transformation Consulting, PwC

Tariq Rangwala, Managing Director, Associate General Counsel, University Pension Plan Ontario

Mona Shah, North American General Counsel, Kellanova

Moderator:

Leola Pon, Associate Director of Education, Organizational Transformation, Accountability, and Legal, Toronto District School Board

5:15pm-5:20pm - Closing Remarks

5:45pm-8:30pm - Dinner (Chotto Matte, 161 Bay Street)

Summit tickets (registration has closed):

Regular or Emeritus Member of National GC Network: Free - Included with membership & thanks to our generous co-host and sponsors

NGCN Associate Member: $95 + HST = $107.35

NGCN Emerging Leader Member: $95 + HST = $107.35

NGCN Ally Member: $110 + HST = $124.30

Non-members who are general counsel, in-house senior legal executive, or senior in-house legal leader: $175 + HST = $197.75

Non-members who are general counsel, in-house senior legal executive, or senior in-house legal leader who identify as racialized or Indigenous AND a member of invited affinity groups: $135 + HST = $152.55

Non-members can apply to become a member of NGCN. Approved members can benefit from the reduced rate that NGCN members receive upon paying the membership fee.