Stephen Sigurdson, Law’84, helped lead a transformative acquisition last year for his company, Manulife Financial. On Oct. 1, Chambers and Partners recognized his efforts making him the first winner of the Chambers Canada Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Legal Profession: In-House.

In a complicated multinational transaction in a highly regulated industry, Manulife acquired Standard Life Canada for CAD$4 billion. The transaction almost doubled the company’s assets in the group retirement business, bumping its rank up to second place nationally. It also added more than $6 billion in assets to Manulife’s Canadian mutual fund business.

"The deal was a great example of teamwork between in-house and outside counsel,” says Sigurdson. “Our in-house lawyers were front and centre on the transaction and worked seamlessly with our outside counsel – Osler for M&A and Torys on the financing aspects – on a very tight time frame."

His nominators, both private practitioners and in-house lawyers, were quick to point out his exceptional leadership qualities. “Steve was respectful of the contributions of his colleagues at the table, never undercutting their authority but quietly showing real leadership,” wrote one. “Clearly his team appreciated and respected his guidance.”

“He was calm and positive in negotiations, looking not to win every point, but to find a path that worked for all parties,” said another supporter about how he set the right tone for long-term relationships.

Now saluted by the publisher of leading global guides to the legal profession, Sigurdson recalls how his alma mater – for which he serves as Dean’s Council Vice-Chair – prepared him for his career. “I've come to realize that the practice of law is as much about understanding people and personalities as it is about understanding legal concepts and rules,” he says. “My education at Queen's Law was a nice blend of both soft skills and legal knowledge."

Evidently, that’s a winning combination. As one nominator puts it, “If I had to have a GC on my side in a big transaction, it would be Steve.”