OBA president Ed Upenieks (right) and Frank Walwyn.
By RON FANFAIR
Frank Walwyn is more than an outstanding legal practitioner. He is a remarkable human being who is held in high esteem by his peers.
The former Canadian Association of Black Lawyers (CABL) president was bestowed with the prestigious Ontario Bar Association’s (OBA) Distinguished Service Award last week.
The honour recognizes OBA members’ exceptional contributions and/or career achievements.
Ontario Court of Appeal judge Michael Tulloch said Walwyn is deserving of his peers’ recognition.
“Frank reflects and represents a generation of Black lawyers who are consummate professionals, who are beneficiaries of an excellent legal education, training, mentorships and support systems and who themselves possess the discipline, work ethic and legal acumen to compete with the best in the world,” he said. “Gone are the days when our detractors can marginalize us and relegate us as being not good enough.
“He epitomizes the best in the legal profession and this is why he is being recognized. At the same time, he’s not unusual within our community as excellence is a standard that runs in our race and we can see many Black professionals like Frank in many fields every day if we just look around us.”
Retired Ontario Court regional senior court judge Greg Regis said Walwyn’s contribution to the legal profession and the justice system does not only come from his considerable skills as a lawyer.
“He also spends time teaching and mentoring young lawyers and his work as a member of the judicial appointment committee that selects qualified lawyers for appointment as judges of the Ontario Court of Justice has real impact on the wider community,” said Regis. “This committee has earned the reputation of having the strongest process for the selection of judges in Canada.”
Lee Akazaki, a partner at Gilbertson Davis LLP, nominated Walwyn for the award.
“Throughout the time I have known Frank, he’s a singularly unique diplomat of the Bar, an exemplar of civility and, from what I can tell, a tremendous lawyer when he finds time to practice,” said Akazaki, an OBA past president. “The fact that he has received honours from other organizations should not deter the OBA from doing so. It is for us a matter of catching up to the rest of the Canadian legal community in joining the Frank Walwyn Fan Club. I believe that despite other recognitions, it is important that the OBA recognize him in order to shine a spotlight on the fact that he is really one of our own success stories.”
Called to the Ontario Bar in 1995, Walwyn started as an associate with WeirFoulds – one of the country’s oldest law firms – before transitioning to partner, making him the first Black to attain the esteemed position in the company’s 156-year-old history. He was also their first Black staff lawyer.
Named one of Canada’s top lawyers in the area of corporate and commercial litigation in the 2012 edition of The Best Lawyers in Canada, Walwyn is member of the bars of Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, the British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Grenada and St. Kitts & Nevis.
Last month, he was admitted to the American College of Trial Lawyers, one of the premier legal institutions in North America.
Derry Millar, who last year retired from the partnership at WeirFoulds after 37 years, said Walwyn represents the best of Canada’s legal profession.
“Simply looking at his CV and looking at everything he has done demonstrate why he’s a worthy recipient of this award,” said Millar, a former Law Society of Upper Canada treasurer. “He is a dedicated lawyer who brings intelligence, compassion and empathy to everything he does. I sometimes wonder if Frank ever sleeps because he has so much on the go. I am honoured to be Frank’s friend and I was proud to be his partner for many years until I retired.”
Walwyn, a senior litigation partner at WeirFoulds and a Ryerson University distinguished visiting scholar, was overwhelmed by the honour.
“Saying it’s an honour to receive it is an understatement,” he said. “I walk in very large footsteps, some of which are from members of my firm. I thank the OBA for being an organization that is a leader, not just nationally, but internationally.”
Recognized in the 2016 edition of Benchmark Canada, the Guide to Canada’s Leading Litigation Firms and Attorneys, Walwyn is the second CABL member to receive the OBA Distinguished Service Award.
Professional mediator and adjudicator, Patricia DeGuire, was the recipient of the accolade four years ago.
“Frank is known for his effective and unique litigation strategies that have been lauded by the Privy Council,” said DeGuire who co-founded the Julius Alexander Isaac Scholarship for students enrolled in the University of Windsor’s Faculty of Law. “He continues to make remarkable contributions to the legal and broader communities and is most deserving of any recognition by his peers and colleagues.”
Source: Share News