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Lawson Lundell LLP

Rita C. Andreone

Partner

Expertise

Administrative Law
Commercial Law
Corporate Governance
Hospitality and Tourism

WSG Practice Industries

Activity

Lawson Lundell LLP
British Columbia, Canada

Local Time: Mon. 00:58

604 631 9205

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Profile

Rita advises public, public sector (Crown) and private corporations, large and small. Her varied practice requires her to keep current on many areas of law and various industries and focuses on:

*Advising on corporate governance/risk management,
*Director/officer/trustee orientations, codes of conduct,
*Negotiating and structuring private equity (Fund and Direct) Investments (Domestic/International),
*Advising tax-exempt entities,
*Pension plan investment,
*Debt/equity financings,
*Mergers and acquisitions,
*Hospitality/hotel management franchise and lease arrangements,
*Significant real estate asset management and property management arrangements,
*Government relations, and
*Natural resources (options, joint ventures, and project development).

Rita has substantial experience as both a director and corporate secretary of corporations and societies. She co-authored a chapter on corporate governance in Canada in The International Comparative Legal Guide to Corporate Governance 2013. Rita has obtained her ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors/Rotman School of Management.

Rita is a founding member of Lawson Lundell's Northwest Territories office.

Bar Admissions

British Columbia (1989)
Northwest Territories (1994 - 2012, Retired)
Nunavut (1999 - 2012, Retired)
Queen's Counsel, British Columbia (2011)

Education

University of British Columbia (B.A., 1985)
University of Victoria (J.D., 1988)
Directors Education Program (Completion, 2014), Institute of Corporate Directors and the University of Torontoâ€™s Rotman School of Management

Areas of Practice

Administrative Law | Commercial Law | Corporate Governance | Hospitality and Tourism

Professional Career

Significant Accomplishments

Rita is a Law Society of British Columbia fourth-term Bencher (to 2014). She has served on many Law Society of BC committees including: the Governance Committee, Ethics Committee, Audit Committee, Acts and Rules Sub-committee, Practice Standards Committee, Discipline Committee, Federal Judicial Advisory Committee, Independence and Self Governance Committee, Regulatory Policy Committee, and the Women Lawyer's Forum.

Professional Associations

Professional Activities
*September 2014, Institute of Corporate Directors
*September 2014, Institute of Corporate Directors Rotman - Directors Education Program
*Law Society of BC, Fourth-term Bencher (to 2014)
*2013, Leading Legal Practitioner Participant in "A Canadian Model of Corporate Governance: Insights from Canada's Leading Legal Practitioners", author Carol Liao, funded by the Canadian Foundation for Governance Research
*2013, Member, Governance Committee; 2012, Member, Governance Task Force
*2013, Vice-Chair Audit Committee; 2010-2012, Chair, Audit Committee
*2012, Member, Ethics Committee
*2010-2012, Member, Finance Committee
*2010-2012, Insurance Liason (Bencher)
*2008-2011 Member, Acts and Rules Subcommittee, Law Society of BC
*2009-2011 Chair, Practice Standards Committee, Law Society of BC
*2008 Chair, Discipline Committee; 2007, Vice-Chair; Member 2003-2006; Conduct Review Panelist and Credential Hearings Panelist, Law Society of BC; Chambers Bencher
*2006-2011 BC Member - Federal Judicial Advisory Committee - responsible for the recommendation for appointment of judges to the Federal and Superior Courts of BC
*2006-2009 Independence and Self Governance Committee/Advisory Committee
*Regulatory Policy Committee, Vice-Chair, 2007
*2007-2013 Women Lawyers Forum, Mentor
*Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation, Past, Regional Chair (4 years)
*Canadian Bar Association, Member

Recognition and Ranking
*Best Lawyers in Canada: recognized for private funds law
*Appointed Queens Counsel in 2011
*2011 Lexpert Zenith Award: recognized for Corporate and Law Firm Social Responsibility for her outstanding work and long-standing dedication in the area of Corporate Governance
*The Canadian Board Diversity Council (CBDC) Diversity 50 2014
*Martindale-Hubbell International Law Directory: BV Peer Review rated

Community Activities
*Italian Chamber of Commerce (BC & Alberta), Member, Past Director
*Associazione Giuliani-Dalmati di Vancouver
*Past member of a prominent hotel company's women business traveller advisory committee

Seminars

Rita regularly presents on such topics as: corporate governance, legal ethics, director obligations and liability issues, Sarbanes-Oxley-type impacts on private issuers, pension plan investment in real estate.

Past lectures include: mine reclamation, mine reclamation security, environmental risks, issues for travel retailers, surface and subsurface land and mining regimes in British Columbia, Northwest Territories and Nunavut, and constitutional framework of the North.

Articles

The International Comparative Legal Guide to: Corporate Governance 2015 Edition (2015)

A Canadian Model of Corporate Governance (Spring 2015), Interview

International Comparative Legal Guide to: Corporate Governance 2014 (Canada) (2014), Co-Author

A Canadian Model of Corporate Governance: Insights from Canada's Leading Legal Practitioners (November 20, 2013)

Rita Andreone interviewed for Lexpert article "High Risk for the Status Quo", Lexpert (November 6, 2013), Interview

Rita Andreone, QC quoted in The Law Society of BC Benchers' Bulletin article, "2013 Bencher election: A call for candidates" (September 18, 2013), Interview

Canada, The International Comparative Legal Guide to Corporate Governance 2013 (June 13, 2013), Co-author

Rita Andreone quoted in The Lawyers Weekly, "Legal process outsourcing requires precautions" (September 28, 2012), Interview

"Extra-jurisdictional Legal Process Outsourcers: â€˜The Wave of the Presentâ€™" (July 2012), Author

Rita Andreone quoted in The Lawyers Weekly In-house Counsel, "Working on the High Wire", Interview

Rita Andreone quoted in The Financial Post, "First Jobs" (April 19, 2012), Interview

"Structured Private Equity Fund Investments: More Demonstrable Governance, Please" (February 6, 2012), Author

Lawson Lundell's Zenith Award Wins Recognized in Lexpert Magazine (October 3, 2011)

Lawson Lundell wins Lexpert Zenith Award for Corporate and Law Firm Social Responsibility (September 22, 2011)

"Lawyer as Escrow Agent â€“ Is it Worth It?", (as referred to on the B.C. Law Society website â€“ Insurance, Specific Practice Risks)
(August 11, 2011), Author

Rita Andreone quoted in The Financial Post, "News of the World scandal as teachable moment" (August 3, 2011), Interview

"Corporate Secretary: Practising Law?", Canadian Corporate Secretary's Guide, CCH Canadian Ltd. (June 17, 2011), Author

Rita Andreone quoted in Lawyers Weekly, "BC law society expands powers of articling students" (May 27, 2011), Interview

Rita Andreone quoted in Canadian Lawyer 4Students, "10 things you really need to know to practise law" (March 21, 2011), Interview

Rita Andreone quoted in Lawyers Weekly, "B.C. plans to expand jurisdiction of notaries" (November 26, 2010), Interview

Rita Andreone interviewed by Lawyers Weekly, "B.C. law society to publish more on discipline" (November 22, 2010), Interview

"B.C.'s law society allows multi-disciplinary partnerships", Lawyers Weekly (January 15, 2010), Interview

"Benchers perform many roles in protecting the public interest", Law Society of BC: Benchers' Bulletin, No. 2 (May 2007), Interview

â€œBuying and Selling a Businessâ€, British Columbia PLTC (updated annually 1996 to 2007)

â€œReal Estate Investing by Pension Funds: What Every Real Estate Lawyer Should Knowâ€, Western Forum Commercial Real Estate Law, Insight (June 2003)

â€œDuties of Directors of the Investment Management Board and of the Pension Management Board Nominated by Boards of Trustees: Reconciling the Conflictâ€ (Updated and presented December 2005, January 2006 and September 2006 to industry boards)

"Acting for Pension Funds: The Magic Circle", Lexpert Magazine (April 2000), Interview

Blogs

Lawson Lundell Project Law Blog
Lawson Lundell LLP

The Lawson Lundell Project Law Blog focuses on updating proponents on new and interesting issues emerging in the law and policy that applies to the development of major projects in Canada. The focus of the blog is on matters relating to environmental assessment and compliance, regulatory matters...

The Business Law Blog
Lawson Lundell LLP

This blog is authored by members of the Litigation and Dispute Resolution Department. We intend to follow new and interesting issues emerging in the legal and business communities. The wide range of experience among the members of our litigation group will provide a diverse and insightful...