Local lawyer nominated for Top 25 lawyers in Canada

Leighton Grey, of Grey Wowk Spencer LLP, has been nominated as one of Canada’s Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers in Canada, in the field of Human Rights, Advocacy and Criminal Law.

The nomination comes as a huge accomplishment for Grey, considering 85% of those nominated practice in Eastern Canada.

Sponsored by Canadian Lawyer Magazine,  The Top 25 Most Influential is not a lifetime achievement award but recognition of lawyers who have played a significant role in the legal profession and Canadian and international society in the last 18 months. Canadian Lawyer is defining “influential” as not just about bright stars, big deals, or number of media mentions — although those may play a part. It’s about people who have power and influence the laws, justice system, and legal profession in Canada and abroad today.

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Canadian Lawyer’s 11th annual Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers. This year, they will be picking the top 5 lawyers and judges in the following 5 categories:

• Young Influencer:  Lawyers born 1980 or later, who have had an extraordinary impact on the profession or society
• Human Rights, Advocacy and Criminal
• Changemakers: lawyers in any are or type of practice who have been leaders, innovators, or catalysts for positive change in any area of the profession such as diversity, law firm management, education, etc.
• Government/non-profits/associations: this includes public inquiries, officers of Parliament, academic institutions and the judiciary
  Business

Since 2005, Leighton Gray has served as senior partner and litigation specialist for his Cold Lake firm, which serves clients throughout North-eastern Alberta and which has expanded into Calgary this year. His principal areas of practice are civil litigation, Indigenous rights cases, child welfare and criminal law.

His work over the past two decades in advancing the rights of Indigenous Albertans harmed through the operation of Indian Residential Schools is deserving of recognition. He has championed the causes of justice by protecting and furthering the rights of Indigenous individuals, who are among the most legally disadvantaged of all Canadians. He has been actively involved in Indian Residential School claims settlements, Indian Day School class action claims and Indian Hospital class action claims in Alberta.

In the past 18 months, he has regularly visited First Nations communities throughout Alberta to raise awareness about pending class actions. He has also published topical social media pieces and is a sought-after authority by respected journalists. Most recently, he has been involved in the development of a new class action suit brought by members of Kehewin Cree Nation who suffered abuse while attending a Catholic school in Bonnyville, Alberta, a case which is only just beginning to receive national attention.

He is a Status Indian whose ancestry is with the Assiniboine people of Southern Saskatchewan. His First Nation is the Carry The Kettle or “Jack” Band at Sintaluta, SK. He has been recognized for his years of work and service to the legal profession in Alberta and is a tireless advocate for justice and individual rights. He was the recipient of the 2019 Alberta Civil Trial Lawyers Association Gary J Bigg award for Access to Justice.

Support Leighton Grey by voting on the Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers in Canada here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CL-Top25MostInfluential-2020