For Immediate Release
August 15, 2008
QUÉBEC CITY – Civil litigation lawyer Virginia Engel, Q.C. of Peacock Linder & Halt in Calgary has been selected as the recipient of the Canadian Bar Association’s (CBA) 2008 Louis St.-Laurent Award of Excellence for distinguished service to the association.
“Throughout her longstanding National and Branch involvement, Virginia has become recognizable as a sought-after leader in the advancement of the CBA’s interests and those of the profession,” said Sean Dunnigan, chair of the CBA Awards Committee. “Her invaluable contributions make her an outstanding choice for this award.”
Among her many association involvements, Engel is Chair of the Communications Committee, a management board member of the Canadian Bar Insurance Association (CBIA) and a director of CBA Financial Services (CBAF). She served on the Alberta Branch Executive between 1998 and 2003, including a year as Branch President.
“Virginia’s willingness to learn the issues, listen to people and express herself persuasively and articulately made her one of our most effective Branch Presidents,” current Alberta Branch President Michele Hollins said. “Virginia is now heavily involved with CBIA and CBAF. The CBA, both Alberta and National, is lucky to have her on those boards, again bringing her invaluable knowledge base and diplomacy to the intensive work of these parts of our organization.”
Engel practices as a partner at Peacock Linder & Halt LLP in civil litigation, with an emphasis in commercial litigation, oil and gas litigation, general insurance litigation, product liability, professional negligence, and labour and injunction litigation.
She received her bachelor of laws from the University of British Columbia in 1983 and was admitted to the BC bar in 1984 and the Alberta bar in 1990. She became Queen’s Counsel in 2002.
In 2003 Engel received the Queen’s Jubilee Medal in recognition of distinguished service to fellow citizens and the legal community in Canada.
The Louis St-Laurent Award, which takes the form of a bronze statue of the former prime minister, recognizes distinguished or exceptional service to the goals of the Canadian Bar Association. The 2008 CBA Louis St-Laurent Award will be presented at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday Aug. 16, 2008, in the Québec Convention Centre, room 2000A, as part of the 2008 Canadian Legal Conference. The event is open to accredited journalists who have registered with the CBA Media Centre.
The Canadian Bar Association is dedicated to improvement in the law and the administration of justice. Some 37,000 lawyers, law teachers, and law students from across Canada are members.
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CONTACT: Hannah Bernstein, Canadian Bar Association, Aug. 15-19, Québec City Convention Centre, room 2103, Tel: 418-649-5218; E-mail: hannahb@cba.org.
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