The 2025 award winners were revealed Thursday evening at a gala in Toronto
At Toronto’s Liberty Grand on Thursday night, winners at the Lexpert Rising Stars Awards paused at a gala thrown in their honour to reflect on what the award means to them – and the hard work, friendships, and mentors that got them there.
“I’ve actually wanted this award my whole career,” says Lauren Hulme, a partner at Torys LLP.
“The people who I know who have won this award in the past – I have a lot of respect for [those] incredible lawyers,” Hulme says. “I’m very honoured to be in the company of the recipients this year and the people who won in past years.”
“This is a great confidence that people have shown me,” says Reshika Dhir, principal at Smart & Biggar. “It’s a recognition for all the hard work that I’ve put in over the last 15 years of my career, trying to make an impact.
“I really feel very privileged and lucky to work with such brilliant clients and colleagues who keep me on my toes all the time and help me strive for excellence and growth,” Dhir adds.
“I feel that in life, we need to take a moment to celebrate our professional accomplishments,” says Ryann Atkins, a partner at Stockwoods LLP. “For me, this award represents the mentors who have taught me, the people who have given me opportunities, and the firms that have supported me throughout my career.
“It’s an opportunity to mark a milestone and celebrate with friends and family.”
Nearly 500 people registered for the 2025 Lexpert Rising Stars Awards, Lexpert and Canadian Lawyer’s annual celebration of exceptional lawyers aged 40 and under. Winners hailed from law firms, legal departments, and organizations across Canada and were hand-picked by a panel of judges for their outstanding contributions to the legal profession.
Asked what motivates him to give his best, Aaron Sigal, associate general counsel at OPTrust, responded with “high standards.
“There’s a right way to do things,” Sigal adds. “You need to make sure that you are doing things the right way and to the best of our abilities. That’s how we’ve been recognized, and that’s how we will continue to push the envelope.”
Shoshanna Yvonne Paul, a partner at Thompson Dorfman Sweatman LLP, attributes her success to the support of her family and home community, the English River First Nation.
“Both facets have been very critical for me,” she says, adding one factor in particular drives excellence in her work.
“I work a lot with First Nations, and I work very closely with my whole community,” the lawyer says. “So I keep at the forefront of my mind that the work that I’m doing is really important to them. When I know that my community is doing well, that's a very strong motivator.”
Asked how she felt about her win, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP partner Carla Potter says, “It’s really a team sport.”
She adds that winning a Lexpert Rising Stars Award is “a huge recognition for the team that I work on… the mentors that have supported me, the associates that I’ve worked with through the years, my family.”
The 2025 Lexpert Rising Stars Awards would not have been a success without the support of our generous sponsors.
Lexpert and Canadian Lawyer extend a warm thank you to event partner Dye & Durham and gold sponsor Langlois Lawyers.
The Lexpert Rising Stars Awards were also supported by silver sponsors Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP, Ernst & Young LLP, McMillan LLP, Norton Rose Fulbright, and Crawley MacKewn Brush LLP, education partner Osgoode Hall Law School, and our media partners and supporting organizations: Black Law Students Association, Korean Canadian Lawyers Association, and South Asian Bar Association.
See the complete list of winners here.
— with files from Branislav Urosevic
