Alumni Testimonials: Canadian Law

Shui Luo
Founder, Luo Legal Professional Corporation

Shui Luo earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in law in China. Currently a partner with a boutique law firm in Beijing, he has more than a decade of experience as an international business lawyer. Shui moved his family to Canada in search of cleaner air and a better educational experience for his two young daughters. “The education is China puts too much pressure on children,” he says. “They don’t have enough time to play and relax. I didn’t think it was good for my kids.”

The Luos are now permanent residents and intend to stay put. Shui is pursuing his legal accreditation here. “I chose the GPLLM because it fulfills some requirements for my certification,” he says. But it’s well exceeded that very basic expectation. “I think the program is designed quite intelligently. Within a short period of time we’re acquiring a lot of core knowledge.”

Thanks to teaching from a combination of outside professionals and faculty professors, Shui says he’s acquiring practical skills along with analytical perspective. Both will prepare him for the exams ahead, and for his second career as a lawyer in Canada. “It’s going really well. I’m very grateful for this opportunity.”

Lidia Tudor
Partner, CamCassini

Lidia grew up in Bucharest. After earning a degree in economics and computer science, she went to work for the European Union in Brussels, quickly rising to the post of director of regional development. A move to Toronto in 2005 led to an MBA from the Rotman school at U of T and the establishment of CamCassini --- an international business consultancy where she is a partner. Lidia leads business development and business analysis for foreigners who want to buy or develop businesses in Canada. Her clients come from Belgium, Sweden, Norway, the U.S., the U.K. and France.

“Law is really closely related to business,” she says, regarding her decision to enrol in the GPLLM and its Canadian Law stream. “When you enter into a new market you need to understand what the regulations are. I need to know for future development of land what the legislation is and how it impacts business. We work with many contracts and partnerships. I need to identify issues with terms and conditions to avoid risk.”

Beyond academics, Lidia says the program is a networker’s dream. “It brings together people from all different backgrounds and industries. I think down the road it will lead to lasting business contacts.”

Rimo Rico
Articling Student, Farber Tax Law

"The GPLLM program was a tremendous learning experience for me because it allowed me to fulfill my NCA requirements while learning the Canadian legal system in a classroom setting where the courses can be delivered gradually and systematically.

Learning from professors who specialize in and are respected authorities of the subjects they teach allowed me to have a deeper understanding of the legal concepts at work and I was able to learn more about Canadian law than if I were to have studied these subjects by myself.

Having the ability to ask questions, discuss with my peers and to compare and contrast with the laws of my home jurisdiction reinforced the training I received from my hybrid law background since a lot of the concepts and doctrines in Canadian law were similar to those in my home jurisdiction.

Also, reading case law and learning the method of analysis by the Supreme Court of Canada and other common law jurisdictions expanded the way I viewed a legal issue and diversified the arguments that I can present to address it."

Jacob Murad
General Counsel, Mill Street & Co. Inc. 

“As a US-trained lawyer transitioning to Canada, the GPLLM equipped me with the tools I needed to bridge the gap between jurisdictions while at the same time, introduced me to international and domestic corporate, transactional, tax and legal issues.

This training was crucial to my development not just as a lawyer but in understanding the business issues in my career acting for Mill Street; a family office specializing in mergers and acquisitions listed by MacLean’s as one of the top growing companies in Canada in 2018.”