THE AMPERSAND On April 9, 2018 Adam presented in Edmonton to the Chief Legal Officers Club on the topic of whether being a General Counsel amounted to reaching the mountain top of one’s legal career. In short, Adam concluded that yes, in fact, it did. Though other options abound for General Counsels who are desirous of ascending higher — Boards, CEO roles, other business roles within a company — within the legal profession, at least, General Counsel roles are prized and to be cherished. After Adam’s presentation to an engaged gathering of 15 or so General Counsels and Chief Legal Officers, a spirited Q&A followed. At one point Adam was asked whether practicality was valued as a virtue worthy of ascending to the top job in a company. He explained, “unlike an engineer who can demonstrate operational or technical excellence, practicality is invisible, assumed and largely taken for granted even though it’s so rare among senior leaders.” Following the event Adam and Pekarsky & Co. partner, Ranju Shergill, mingled with the assembled group and further demonstrated their standing as Western Canada’s leading experts on senior level legal search work.
