Breakout Session 2

Aaron Bains is a member of Aird & Berlis LLP’s Capital Markets Group and Venture Finance Group. He practices corporate law with an emphasis on debt and equity financing and domestic and international M&A. On financing matters, Aaron works closely with investors, often U.S. and Canadian banks or investment funds on their lending transactions in Canada. Aaron also assists emerging and high growth companies as they use debt to grow their businesses. On M&A transactions, Aaron serves a broad range of the firm’s clients, including, strategic/financial buyers, family offices and retiring or otherwise divesting sellers. Aaron’s range of client experience allows him to see issues from all sides of a deal and provide effective solutions to meet client needs.

Aaron was recently named as one of Canada’s Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers in 2020 by Canadian Lawyer magazine in the Young Influencer category. He was also recognized as a 2020 Precedent Setter by Precedent Magazine, which recognizes six outstanding young Toronto lawyers who have shown excellence and leadership in their practice and their community.

Aaron is a member of the firm’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee.

Norie Campbell is Group Head and General Counsel of TD Bank Group. She is responsible for the Bank's legal, regulatory compliance, corporate citizenship, public affairs and corporate security functions. Norie leads the Bank's Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy and is passionate about delivering on TD's Purpose: to enrich the lives of its colleagues, customers and communities. As a member of the Government of Canada's Sustainable Finance Action Council, she is working with public and private sector leaders to support the growth of a strong, well-functioning, sustainable finance market. In 2000, Norie joined TD from Toronto law firm McCarthy Tétrault. She was appointed General Counsel in 2011, joined the senior executive team two years later and has since led a diversity of mandates across the Bank, including human resources and marketing. Dedicated to making a positive impact at TD and in the community, Norie is past chair of TD's Inclusion and Diversity Leadership Council and serves on the Boards for Ryerson University and The Rideau Hall Foundation. This year she is chairing the United Way of Greater Toronto's Major Individual Giving campaign. Norie's leadership has been recognized by Canada's "Top 40, Under 40", Canada's Top 100 Most Powerful Women, the WXN Hall of Fame and is a Catalyst Honours Champion.

Solomon McKenzie is an associate in McCarthy Tétrault's Litigation Group in Toronto.

Solomon McKenzie received his JD from the University of Toronto Faculty of Law in 2019. Solomon was the Class of 2019 Valedictorian, as well the recipient of the 2019 Gordon Cressy Student Leadership Award, the 2019 John Willis Award & Gina Caldarelli Memorial Prize for School Spirit and the 2017 Dean’s Leadership Award. At the University of Toronto Faculty of Law Solomon served as the President of the Students’ Law Society (2018-2019) and the Co-President of the Black Law Students’ Association (2017-2019) and Out in Law (2017-2018). While in law school Solomon worked as a Criminal Law Division Lead at Downtown Legal Services.

Solomon obtained his Master’s (2015) and BA (2013, with Distinction) from McGill University.

Solomon was called to the Ontario bar in 2020. He is a member of the Law Society of Ontario, the Ontario Bar Association, the Canadian Bar Association, and the Canadian Association of Black Lawyers.

Laleh Moshiri is the National Director of Diversity and Inclusion at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP. In this capacity, she is responsible for developing and implementing the firm’s diversity and inclusion strategy. Under her leadership, BLG was recognized as one of Canada’s Top 100 Diversity Employers and Laleh herself received the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion’s Practitioner of the Year Award in 2017.

Laleh received her BA in History from Williams College and her law degree from the University of Toronto. She was called to the Ontario Bar in 1994 and began her legal career at BLG as a litigator specializing in health law. She transitioned to law firm administration in 1998 and has over 20 years of progressive responsibility and experience in managing professional talent at BLG.

Leila Rafi is a partner in the Capital Markets and M&A Group at McMillan LLP. Practicing in Toronto, Leila advises on a broad range of securities law matters and has a highly transactional practice including many corporate finance transactions. Ms. Rafi also has an expertise in the Investment Fund and Asset Management industry area, having considerable experience in structuring and advising foreign and domestic investment funds. She is a prolific speaker at various industry events, on topics including continuous disclosure, corporate governance, diversity, equality and inclusion, and leadership and regularly writes bulletins on various securities law topics. Over recent years, Leila has been the co-author to a couple of lengthy white papers as well, including on the topic of short selling in 2019. Leila won the Lexpert Rising Stars Award for top Canadian lawyers under 40 in 2018, was Lexpert Ranked in 2021 as a Leading Lawyer for Capital Markets and was awarded Best Lawyers for corporate law the last few years. Currently and for the past three years, Ms. Rafi has been a member of the Securities Advisory Committee at the Ontario Securities Commission and also teaches an introductory course annually on securities laws at the University of Queens, Faculty of Law. In the past, Leila has been Adjunct Faculty at three other universities in Canada. As well, Leila is a mentor with the University of Toronto Student Women’s Association Program.