Nadia Effendi, LLB ‘03, was awarded the Laura Legge Award by the Law Society of Ontario. Robert J. Hooper, LLB ‘91, was recognized with the Law Society’s Lincoln Alexander Award, and D. Lynne Watt, LLB ’92, with The Advocate Society’s John P. Nelligan Award for Excellence in Advocacy.
Nadia Effendi, LLB '03
The Legge Award recognizes women lawyers from Ontario who have exemplified leadership within the profession. It was established in 2007 in honour of the late Laura Legge, the first woman ever elected as a bencher of the Law Society and the first woman to serve as Treasurer.
Nadia Effendi is a partner at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG). She is the National Business Leader – Disputes Commercial & Construction and Chair of BLG’s Appellate and Public Law Groups. She was called to the Bar in 2004.
From 2018 to 2020, she served as president of the Association des juristes d’expression française de l’Ontario (AJEFO).
For more than 20 years, Effendi has represented clients in some of Canada's most complex and high-profile legal cases, in both English and French. She has appeared before the Supreme Court of Canada in landmark cases, including serving as pro bono counsel, and is a frequent commentator on the Court.
She is an active mentor and creates opportunities for the next generation of lawyers to lead. Her dedication to mentorship and professional excellence has been recognized with the 2025 Catzman Award for Professionalism and Civility and the 2023 Women in Law Leadership Stronger Together Award for Ontario.
She has become one of the most sought-after counsel in the country for complex and sensitive matters involving significant issues of public interest – including the provincial inquiry into the collapse of the Elliot Lake Mall, review of sexual misconduct in the Canadian Armed Forces, the governance review of Hockey Canada and the Future of Sport in Canada Commission.
According to the Law Society, "Her practice has become synonymous with intellectual rigour, principled independence and integrity.
"Nadia’s career illustrates a fundamental truth about leadership: professional excellence is not an end in itself, but the foundation upon which meaningful, lasting and positive influence is built.
"She has built a distinguished career as both an exceptional lawyer and nationally recognized leader, while consistently creating opportunities to advance justice and to pave the way for the next generation of lawyers, particularly women.”
Robert J. Hooper, LLB '91
The Lincoln Alexander Award was established in 2002 and is awarded annually in recognition of an Ontario lawyer or paralegal who has demonstrated long-standing interest and commitment to the public and to the pursuit of community service on behalf of residents of Ontario. The award was created in honour of The Honourable Lincoln M. Alexander.
Robert J. Hooper is the founder of Hooper Law in Hamilton. His practice is largely restricted to personal injury and fatality claims including brain and spinal cord injury stemming from motor vehicle accidents, medical malpractice, falls and products liability.
He has served as president of the Hamilton Law Association and has dedicated many volunteer hours to the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association. In 2020, he became a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers which many view as the “gold standard” for trial lawyers across Canada and the United States.
According to the Law Society announcement, he has “demonstrated extraordinary commitment to the disadvantaged locally, provincially and internationally, particularly the vulnerable women's community.”
"His leadership and generosity have been instrumental in establishing and sustaining charities such as Timea’s Cause - a small charity that assists sex trafficking survivors, as well as Walk With Me Canada Victim Services, Canada’s first mobile crises unit and first safe house for survivors of human trafficking.
"Additionally, through Robert's direct involvement, the charitable organization Live Different was able to create a Freedom Village project in Haiti to assist young girls who have been victims of exploitation in that country.
"He has been heavily involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters, on the national level as vice-chair of their board and foundation, and as a board member of the Hamilton Burlington Big Brothers Big Sisters Organization.
"Over the past 20 years, Hooper has been one of a small group of Hamilton lawyers that has built up a network to raise money for the United Way of Hamilton and Burlington. They now raise over $500,000 annually.
“He is commended for using his talents for the betterment of society and for motivating others to do the same.”
D. Lynne Watt, LLB '92
The John P. Nelligan Award for Excellence in Advocacy, formerly known as the Ottawa Honouree Dinner, was established by The Advocates Society in 2016 to celebrate and acknowledge the outstanding contributions of John P. Nelligan, Q.C., LSM, the first Ottawa President of The Society.
D. Lynne Watt was formerly a partner in the Advocacy Group, practicing in Gowling WLG's Ottawa office. She practiced in the areas of commercial litigation (including shareholder disputes, oppression remedy cases and post-employment duties), copyright law (particularly royalty rate setting and copyright infringement), copyright and appellate advocacy and appeared regularly before the Ontario Courts, the Federal Court and Federal Court of Appeal and the Copyright Board of Canada.
She was also leader of Gowlings' Supreme Court of Canada Services Group, providing appellate counsel and agency services for matters before the country’s top court.
Watt, who recently retired, was the gold medalist in the class of 1992 and clerked for Justice Allen Linden of the Federal Court of Appeal.
She has been active in the County of Carleton Law Association, including serving as president in 2016-2017 and chair of its mentoring committee. She was a member of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the Board of the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute from 2006 to 2014.
Watt will be honoured at a dinner May 7.
Congratulations to all these deserving winners!