The stars are on the rise for a trio of alumni: Adam Grabowski, Law’01, Toronto, Yong-Jae Kim, Law’04, Vancouver, and Blair McCreadie, Law’99, also Toronto. They wrapped up 2014 as winners on Lexpert’s annual list of “Leading Lawyers Under 40.”

Grabowski, Senior Vice-President, Legal Affairs & Corporate Secretary of Shoppers Drug Mart Corporation, is known as an outstanding corporate and commercial lawyer and, says Lexpert, a skilled strategic business advisor.

He has worked on Shoppers’ most critical business initiatives, most notably its merger with Loblaw Companies Limited. That deal, which produced a retail operation combining nearly 3,000 stores and 2,000 pharmacies across Canada, attracted the most intensive, complex, competition law review in Canadian retail merger history.

Asked what’s most gratifying about his work, Grabowski says, “The legal team has an impact on the business, and we’re brought in early to assist with high-level decisions. Any lawyer can tell you what the legal issues are, but taking those issues and applying them to the business reality to find a practical business solution – that’s really rewarding.”

He credits Queen’s Law with providing the “top-notch” legal education that supports his success. “It’s the foundation for where I am today,” he says. “That education and training, plus the people I met and the collegiality fostered by the school have been very helpful to me in my career.”

Yong-Jae Kim, a partner at Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP in Vancouver, has acted for prominent resource companies in corporate finance and major mergers and acquisitions, especially in the mining and energy sectors. He received Lexpert’s nod as a leader for his entrepreneurial spirit and strong expertise in helping Canadian clients pursue business opportunities in South Korea and helping Korean clients wanting to do the same in Canada.

Kim is well known for advising on many significant Korean transactions, working extensively with the Korean government and a consortium of large Korean enterprises, for instance, including a series of recent restructuring transactions for the Boleo copper project in Mexico with capital expenditures in excess of US$1.75 billion.

In addition to growing with his clients, Kim says that associating with bright and energetic professionals is what he likes best about his career. “I thrive when I work with clients and colleagues who I respect and can learn from. It’s great to see the people you ‘went to war’ with when you were juniors all rising and getting recognition as leaders in their respective organizations.”

He believes Queen’s prepared him well for the future. “The time I spent at Queen’s Law was not only formative, but I remember my experiences fondly and found that the students and faculty I met were all first-rate.”

Blair McCreadie also credits the school for underpinning the career that put him on Lexpert’s newest list.  A partner in the Employment and Labour Group at Dentons Canada LLP in Toronto, he is considered one of his firm’s future leaders. Among high-profile roles, he has been lead human resources (HR) counsel on many significant merger and acquisition transactions, including 10 separate acquisitions by IBI Group and Premier Gold Mines’ $104-million acquisition of Goldstone Resources.

McCreadie enjoys the strong relationships he develops with HR professionals in his practice. “Because you get a direct understanding of each client’s business and challenges, you become part of their human resources team as a trusted advisor.” He likes his work’s unpredictability, too. “I never know what HR issue I’m going to hear about when I pick up the phone.” Litigation also appeals to him. “I was attracted to management-side HR law because it means working in a wide range of industries,” McCreadie says, “and you can litigate in various settings, such as in the courts, at grievance arbitrations and a number of administrative tribunals.

“The HR bar is fairly small, so it’s important to maintain good relationships with other lawyers – something I learned at Queen’s. One of the law school’s unique strengths is its collegiality, combined with academic excellence. My experience at Queen’s Law provided a strong foundation that supports what I do today.”

What all three alumni are “doing today” suggests these rising stars will be shining brightly well past 40.

-- Kirsteen MacLeod