This International Women's Day, join the Women & the Law student group co-presidents Ashley Chana, 2L and Serene Falzone, 2L for a special panel discussion with alumni Cherie Brant (Partner, BLG LLP), Justice Rita Maxwell (Ontario Superior Court of Justice), and Maria Zeldis (Senior Vice President, Legal, Onni Group of Companies).
Biographies
Cherie Brant (JD 2002)
Cherie Brant is a Partner at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP ("BLG") and Independent Director at Hydro One Networks since 2018 and Toronto-Dominion Bank since 2021.
At BLG, Cherie is the national leader for the Indigenous law group at BLG and member of the firm's Environmental, Social and Governance initiative. Her commercial practice extends across a wide variety of sectors, including energy and transmission, land development and financing on First Nations lands, Indigenous Infrastructure, and economic development for Indigenous owned businesses and Indigenous governments. She also provides strategic policy and governance counsel to Indigenous groups seeking to exercise their jurisdiction and authority.
She also serves on the non-profit boards for the Anishnawbe Health Foundation, Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business and Canadian Club of Toronto. In 2017, Cherie received the Lexpert Zenith Award, a national award that recognizes women's contributions to the law. In 2012, she was named one of Lexpert's "Rising Stars: Leading Lawyers Under 40." Cherie holds a JD from the University of Toronto and a BA in Environmental Studies, Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Waterloo.
Cherie is both Mohawk from Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte and Ojibway from Wikwemkoong Unceded Indian Reserve.
Justice Rita Maxwell (JD 2001)
Justice Maxwell received her Bachelor of Arts with cum laude honors from Harvard University before receiving her J.D degree from the University of Toronto, and her LLM in International Human Rights and Criminal Law from Georgetown University.
She began her career in litigation with a national Bay Street firm, then joined the Ministry of the Attorney General as an Assistant Crown Attorney where she prosecuted a wide range of criminal cases including homicides, child abuse and exploitation, and human trafficking.
In 2011, she was selected to be a Visiting Professional at the International Criminal Court in the Hague, Netherlands. From 2015-2017, she served as Legal Counsel to the Court of Appeal for Ontario, assisting on criminal and civil appeal matters.
Justice Maxwell is an Adjunct Professor in criminal law and procedure, trial advocacy, and legal ethics at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, Osgoode Hall Law School, and Toronto Metropolitan Law School. She regularly appears as faculty for programs through the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Ministry of the Attorney General, the Advocates’ Society, and the Osgoode Professional Development Program.
She is an active mentor and promotes greater diversity within the legal profession through numerous initiatives, including the University of Toronto Law Alumni Mentorship Program, the LAWS Program, and the Black Future Lawyers Program. In 2014, her volunteer work at the University of Toronto was recognized with an Arbor Award. In 2016, she was awarded a L’Expert Magazine Zenith Award in recognition of her contributions to increasing diversity and inclusion within the legal profession in Ontario.
Justice Maxwell was appointed to the Ontario Court of Justice in 2017, where she presided over criminal trials, the Drug Treatment Court and Gladue Court. She was appointed to the Superior Court of Justice in 2021.
Maria Zeldis (JD 2009)
Maria Zeldis is Senior VP Legal for the Onni Group of Companies, a Vancouver based real estate company with holdings across North America. Maria advises on the operation and management of the company’s extensive real estate and commercial assets and leads the legal team in Canada and the US.
After obtaining her BA (UBC) and JD (UofT), Maria served as a Law Clerk at the Supreme Court of British Columbia, then completed her articles and joined Borden Ladner Gervais as an associate in Vancouver. Prior to joining the Onni Group, Maria was Director of Legal Services at Cadillac Fairview, where she negotiated first-to-market leases with major international retailers and was at the forefront of the tech industry’s office boom in Vancouver. Maria has focused her practice on the area of real estate and enjoys building and supporting the communities where people live and work.
Maria is a long-standing mentor of young lawyers through the CBA’s Women Lawyers Forum, and regularly provides pro bono legal services to low-income clients through Access Pro Bono (a BC organization providing access to justice).
Maria has a very active life outside of law with three young children. She is also the President of Blind Beginnings, a non-profit whose mission is to support blind or partially sighted children and their families.
