SQLFusion - Lawyers in odd clothes

Lawyers in Odd Clothes & Greenspon a young 50

The Ottawa Citizen (Around Town column)

19 April 2004

Margo Roston

Lawyers in Odd Clothes

Who says lawyers can't have fun? Saturday night, more than 200 of Ottawa's best-known legal minds, their spouses, and friends showed up at the Chateau Laurier ballroom in their most bizarre outfits for 'Lawyers for Kids -- Informal, Formal -- Wear What You Dare,' a fundraiser to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Ronald McDonald House. Some of the legal set showed up as gangsters' molls, others as barristers.

The court's Master, Bob Beaudoin, came to the party as "mutton dressed as lamb" while Ian Stauffer, organizer of the Law Day Run, wore a GCTC T-shirt. He performs each year in the annual lawyers' fundraising play at GCTC. This year he's Fred in You Can't Take It With You, opening May 13. I guess Fred specializes in wills and trusts.

Ronald McDonald House's board chairwoman, Carol Houston, and board member Barb Langley dressed up in crowns and introduced two families who have lived at the home while their children received cancer treatment at CHEO.

Organizer Derek Nicholson hopes to make the event annual and national. "Lawyers do all kinds of charitable work and the public doesn't know," he said.

During dinner three lawyers -- Chuck Merovitz, Lawrence Greenspon, and Marc Jolicoeur -- received surprise awards for their community work. Including the $20,000 raised from the Law Day Run, Mr. Nicholson predicted the event would raise about $60,000.

Greenspon a young 50

Just to prove Mr. Nicholson's point about lawyers doing charitable work, Friday night saw some of the same lawyers doing the same thing -- partying and raising money. While the Senators were playing in a losing effort in the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, the White team, with Lawrence Greenspon on side, was whipping the Black team at the Tom Brown Arena in Ottawa.

Sure, the crowd was smaller, about 220, and the fans were paying more attention to the bar and the buffet than the action on the ice, but there was just as much enthusiasm for Captain Greenspon as there would have been if Daniel Alfredsson had been there. "Gloves Off," which included the game, dinner, an auction, and a roasting, were the ingredients Mr. Greenspon chose to celebrate his 50th birthday, and his friends and colleagues showed up to celebrate with him in high style.

MP Mauril Belanger; Consumer Affairs Minister Jim Watson; justices Frank Iacobucci and Colin McKinnon; along with lawyers Mark Charron and Bob Meagher and University of Ottawa professor Dave Paciocco all came up with patter about the legal eagle's thick black curly hair (envy?), his love of publicity, his losing cases, but most of all his charitable work in the city.

The high-profile birthday boy hoped the event would raise $20,000 for Child and Youth Friendly Ottawa and Yad Sarah, a volunteer organization in Israel that assists people when they leave hospital.

Working the room were his girlfriend, Louise Carota, an event planner; his dad, Marty, from Montreal; his daughter, Maja; Israeli Ambassador Haim Divon and his wife Linda, who introduced Mr. Greenspon to the Israeli charity; Moe Atallah and Dave Smith, who organized the food; and the voice of the Senators, Mike Giunta, who along with Sylvie Bigras, emceed and tried (unsuccessfully) to keep the roster of roasters to a time limit.

Lawyers Wax Theatrical (in Around Town column)

Ottawa Citizen (B5)

18 April 2005

Margo Roston

For the last six years, a group of lawyers with thespian inclinations and the Great Canadian Theatre Company (GCTC) have gotten together to put on a play.

With GCTC's theatre packed to the rafters with productions, this year's lawyers' play, Terrence Rattigan's Harlequinade, moved to the Congress Centre and became a two-night dinner theatre production, packing in an audience of more than 500, including those who paid to see the dress rehearsal.

At a champagne reception following Tuesday's final performance, lead actor, Justice Colin McKinnon, said he preferred performing in a real theatre, but his fellow performers, used to the more intimate stage of a courtroom, seemed to be having an extremely good time.

Peter Doody barely had time to whip off his makeup before returning to the Gomery commission, where he represents former prime minister Jean Chretien. Clutching an armful of flowers, Judith Allen, who played Edna Selby, the play's leading lady, chatted with Ted Mann, who not only lawyers, but acts and sings with the Opera Lyra Chorus and has appeared regularly in productions around town.

Also at the party following their lustily applauded appearances on stage were Justice Maria Linhares de Sousa, Justice Lynn Ratushny, Janice Payne and Ian Stauffer, who has appeared in all six lawyers' plays.

Cheering them on Tuesday evening were Gowlings' Rob Nelson and his wife, Joanne; GCTC board member Elizabeth Kaulback; Lorne Pardy, the play's director; GCTC's managing director, Charles McFarland; and the Food Bank's executive director, Peter Tilley.

The proceeds of about $48,000 will be divided between GCTC and the Food Bank.

The next GCTC fundraiser will be the Red Carpet Razzmatazz, a huge community- type 30th-birthday party June 8, at the National Gallery.

It will feature an array of singers, musicians, comedians and TV personalities, as well as fine food and wine.

Lawyers always love a stage (from Around Town column)

Ottawa Citizen (C5)

05 March 2007

Caroline Phillips

How many lawyers does it take to raise $88,000 for charity? A cast of 40-plus in the case of the 8th annual Lawyer Play, which wrapped up Saturday before a sold-out crowd at the Great Canadian Theatre Company.

"My knees were shaking just before I went out (on stage)," Janet Yale, who had a cameo role, confessed at the after-party.

Ms. Yale, the executive vice-president of corporate affairs for TELUS, was not alone in her brief but solid performance in Museum, a satire of the modern art world written by Tina Howe. Also to grace the stage that night with walk-on roles was a cowboy-costumed John Manley along with Bruce Carr-Harris and Justice Lynn Ratushny.

The all-lawyer cast, directed by Janet Irwin, saw legal eagles flex their acting muscles to raise money for the GCTC. The play also donated 15 per cent of ticket sales to the Children's Wish Foundation.

After the play, everybody headed to the nearby Sopra Room to celebrate, including GCTC's Sarah Feldberg and Nancy Oakley. Spotted mingling was Justice Colin McKinnon who, as a young man, reluctantly turned down his admission into the National Theatre School to pursue law. Also present was Justice Albert Roy, who enjoyed his meatier role this year acting alongside Justice Giovanna Toscano Roccamo.

"My acting days date way back," joked Justice Roy, referring to his political years as a Liberal MPP for Ottawa-Vanier.

The throng of thespians also included committee chairman Ian Stauffer, Meg Steele, who is heading up next year's committee, and such former starving artists as Judith Allen, who gave up her acting career to pursue law because, as she put it, she got tired of waitressing.