Omar Ha-Redeye completed a training session at the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) on the Essentials of Governance for Public Sector Boards.

The session was conducted by Jim Mackay of the Berkley Consulting Group and Anne Corbett of Borden, Ladner, Gervais LLP.

An overview of the public sector landscape was provided, as well as the role that a board plays in an organization.  The legal obligations and duties of directors were covered, as well as how to effectively conduct board meetings and play a director role.

The training also included several role-playing scenarios, and an expert panel featuring: Linda Lamereux, a lawyer sitting on the Health Services and Appeal Review Board and the Health Professions Appeal & Review Board; John Bell, a partner at Shibley Righton LLP with considerable board experience in the public sector; and Helen Hayward, who currently sits on the Board of Governors for Seneca College.

Finalists included Cassandra Tarrataca and Ryan Venables, Adam Somogyi and Mike Lickver, Kathryn Shani and Brittany Taylor and Ronald Fichter and Katie Sokol.

Omar Ha-Redeye played a client in the competition, which he won in 2007.

This year’s competition addressed a hypothetical appeal of the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision in Evans v. Teamsters Union No. 31, which centered around wrongful dismissal and the duty to mitigate damages by returning to work for an employer.

The purpose of the competition is to develop students’ skills in interviewing and counselling clients. Practising lawyers assess the competitors and other students play the role of clients.

The other 2007 finalists included: Emily Hassin and Linsey Rains, Maciek Piekosz and Michael Beeforth, Ryan McKeen and Raj Kehar, Morgan Borins and Nathalie Freiman.

The competition is judged by lawyers from BLG.  This year the following lawyers participated: Halla Elias, Rick Morelli, Kammy Digambar, Robin Squires, Farah Ismail, Oneal Banerjee, Margot Finley, Doug Smith and Melanie De Wit.