Sponsor Spotlight: Fasken - NBA-CLS | National Bar Association Commercial Law Section

Platinum Sponsor

About Fasken

www.fasken.com

Fasken is a leading international law firm with more than 800 lawyers and 10 offices on four continents. With a presence in Canada’s major business centres, including Montréal, Québec City, Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary, Surrey and Vancouver, our lawyers have an unrivalled combination of market knowledge and leading expertise, providing pragmatic advice on business law and litigation matters.

Our team provides expertise in every sector, including complex and high-profile matters in more than 80 practice areas for clients in a variety of industries. Clients rely on us for practical, innovative, and cost-effective legal advice. We find solutions to the most complex legal and business issues and deliver exceptional value, putting the client at the heart of everything we do.

In addition, Fasken benefits from a global network of independent associates who can be called upon to advise on questions regarding country-specific laws and regulations. For United States and international transactions, Fasken’s lawyers enjoy privileged relationships with major firms around the world.

In 2022, our lawyers provided over 11,222 hours of pro bono legal support across a wide range of areas. We provided access to justice through pro bono workshops and helpdesks, and assisted clients in matters ranging from family law and eviction matters in South Africa, to defending language rights in Quebec, and supporting Indigenous Peoples and their communities.

Already ranked as 2022 Corporate Law Firm of the Year by Chambers Canada, Fasken continues to be recognized for its international prowess in the 2023 Chambers Global Guide. The guide recognizes 54 lawyers covering 24 areas of practice across Global, South African and Canadian categories.

Why did you decide to become a NBA-CLS sponsor?

Fasken supports the vision and mission of NBA-CLS. We are committed to fostering equity, diversity and inclusion with intentional action and make partnering with diversity-focused organizations a priority.

Internally, partnering with such a well-established and credible organization provides excellent tools, support and networking opportunities for our black lawyers. Having experienced tangible benefits from NBA-CLS activities in the past and witnessed the quality of its leadership, we are happy to pay it forward in part through our sponsorship.

Additional Information

At Fasken, we believe in fostering Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) by intentional engagement with our people, clients, and communities.

We focus our efforts on creating sustainable and systemic change both within the Firm and the legal industry. To drive change within our Firm, we have conducted an in-depth EDI diagnostic of our current state and developed a transformational EDI strategy, aiming to create change through inclusive leadership, process transformation, awareness, and partnerships to drive measurable outcomes.

We continue to address barriers to inclusion within the profession and broader society. Below, we highlight some of our commitments and partnerships:

Fasken’s Reconciliation Plan – launched in 2021, the Plan outlines our commitment to advancing programs and policies that foster reconciliation, equity, diversity, and inclusion
Black North Initiative Law Firm Pledge – committing to the goals and targets to advance anti-Black racism
Black Future Lawyers Program – building a pipeline of Black lawyers through our 10-year partnership, which supports and creates engagement opportunities for Black undergraduate students who aspire to become lawyers, including mentoring programs
Icon Talent Partners – partnering to provide scholarship and mentorship to Black law students
Canadian Association of Black Lawyers – partnering to support early career development and advancement for Black lawyers in their first to third years through the Early Career Program
Grad Star Awards and Bursaries – partnering with universities with historically disadvantaged student populations in Johannesburg
Pride Toronto – first official pro bono legal services provider