Stikeman Elliott named one of Canada's Top 100 Employers

TORONTO , Oct. 8 /CNW/ - For the second year in a row, Stikeman Elliott LLP has been selected as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers in the annual survey for 2010, conducted by MediaCorp in partnership with Maclean's magazine, highlighting employers that are industry leaders in attracting and retaining employees. Our firm is the only law firm recognized in this year's list.

"It is an honour to be recognized again as a Top 100 Employer," says Pierre Raymond , Stikeman Elliott's Chair. "It has been a challenging year for both businesses and their employees in the wake of an uncertain economy. We have embraced these challenges as an opportunity to direct renewed energy towards investing in our people and creating an outstanding place to work and grow professionally."

A commitment to market-leading practices in employee relations and training, corporate social responsibility and client service were factors in the firm's selection as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers.

"We remain enthusiastic and have forged ahead with exciting projects to benefit our firm members and our communities. Each of these initiatives have been developed and embraced by a network of firm members that is exceptionally creative, dedicated and motivated," says Raymond.

Stikeman Elliott has made the commitment to corporate social responsibility a cornerstone of its strategic business plan, with four pillars (Environmental, Diversity, Community & Pro Bono and Women's Initiatives) designed to improve the workplace and the communities in which the firm operates. Ongoing initiatives include:

GoingGreen/VirageVert program - Stikeman Elliott was certified in 2009 as the first national law firm to be carbon neutral after a series of initiatives aimed at conserving energy and reducing waste, including double-sided printing, installation of motion-sensitive lighting, removal of bottled water, comprehensive recycling programs and an investment in independently-audited carbon offset programs. The Toronto office was recently given an award by the Toronto Building Owners and Managers Association for its commitment to energy conservation and environmental stewardship in Ontario.

Diversity Programming - The firm undertakes significant community and school outreach, recruitment from within diverse communities, individual mentoring, internal programs and involvement with groups such as Pathways to Education and the Black Business and Professional Association. The firm is a supporter of University of Toronto and Law Society of Upper Canada initiatives to assist international lawyers seeking credentials in Canada .

Community Involvement & Pro Bono - The firm provides resources such as boardroom space, supplies and team t-shirts to support grass roots initiatives led by its firm members and offers matching donations for time committed to volunteer work or board of directors participation for charitable organizations. Firm members help more than 60 organizations through volunteering, enhancing awareness and fundraising more than $1,000,000 annually for charitable organizations across Canada . In 2009, our Calgary office was named as a Leader in Business by the community group Volunteer Calgary .

Women's Initiatives - Stikeman Elliott's women's initiatives encompass both leadership and business development programs, as well as policies to support family obligations and work-life balance. Specific programs to promote women's success include focused recruiting efforts, business development, skills training and networking events and mentorship programs.

Training & Development - The "SE University" program encourages professional growth and skills development for all firm members through a variety of online modules, group training and one-on-one coaching. Young lawyers and law students are able to enhance their legal and business development skills through a robust Continuing Legal Education program and opportunities for secondment to one of the firm's other offices or to work in-house with clients.

Work-Life Balance - The firm has embraced progressive policies related to flexible work hours, telecommuting and parental leave, including one-on-one professional transition counselling for lawyers returning from maternity leave. Active Wellness Committees provide firm members with resources and host speakers on topics such as nutrition, stress management and financial planning.

ABOUT STIKEMAN ELLIOTT LLP

Stikeman Elliott LLP is one of Canada's leading business law firms with over 500 lawyers in five offices across Canada . The firm is a Canadian leader in each of its core practice areas - corporate finance, M&A, banking, corporate commercial, real estate, tax, insolvency, structured finance, competition, infrastructure, telecommunications, intellectual property, employment and business litigation - and has developed in-depth knowledge of a wide range of industries from banking and insurance to energy, mining and technology. The firm is recognized as a leader in Canadian capital markets and in domestic and international M&A by industry league tables and directories, and is ranked among Canada's top business litigation practices by Canadian publisher, Lexpert. Stikeman Elliott maintains offices in Montréal, Ottawa , Toronto , Calgary and Vancouver , as well as London , New York and Sydney. The firm was named as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers for 2009 and 2010 and as one of the Greater Toronto Area's Top 75 Employers for 2009.

For more information about Stikeman Elliott, please visit our website at www.stikeman.com

For further information: MEDIA CONTACT: Diana Lawrence, National Director, Marketing & Business Development, [email protected], [phone]