Osler News

Osler partners with BMO to celebrate Pride 2019

Jun 11, 2019 2 MIN READ

At Osler, we are committed to supporting diversity and inclusion in our policies and our practice. We embrace our individual differences and strive to provide an inclusive, supportive and collaborative professional environment in which all of us can bring “our full selves” to work and achieve our full potential.

As part of our ongoing commitment to diversity, Osler is proud to partner with BMO for the fifth straight year to co-host a cocktail reception in celebration of Pride Toronto 2019 and Pride Month, which kicked off June 1.

The annual cocktail reception, which will be held on June 20, represents our commitment to working with our clients to promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace, including LGBTQ equality.

The event’s guest speaker will be Michael Battista, a partner at Jordan Battista LLP and Chair of the Board of Rainbow Railroad, an organization that helps LGBTQI individuals around the world escape state-sponsored violence and find a path to safety to start a new life — free from persecution. Michael has been practising immigration and refugee law since 1992 and is a former Chair of the Board of Directors of the AIDS Committee of Toronto.

Osler is proud to be a leading advocate for the LGBTQ community through a variety of initiatives driven by our Diversity Committee, which was formed in April 2010. Osler’s Pride Network, an employee resource group led by Elliot Smith and Louis Tsilivis, supports Osler legal professionals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, and their allies, through professional development and networking. Osler is also a sponsor of Start Proud and a member of Pride at Work.

Learn more about our dedication to sponsoring and participating in community programs and events that promote diversity and inclusion.