2016 S&P/TSX Composite Board Study -

In late 2016, Blake Cassels & Graydon LLP (Blakes) initiated a novel study to examine the involvement of general counsel and lawyers on the board of directors of Canadian publicly listed companies that comprise the S&P/TSX Composite Index. The results help inform our candid and open exchange on the value proposition that general counsel bring to the board position and to also highlight the board opportunities for women.

The results illustrated in this report are based on 2016 proxy data which includes key fields such as board member name and biography, current employer and title, and company industry classification. We developed a method to identify and classify legal professionals1, accountants and technical experts. We also applied this approach to the 2015 proxy data. We are committed to conducting this benchmarking study on an annual basis so that we can continue to leverage the data and insights gained to support the growth of board opportunities for women GCs.