CGCA 2026 - Innovation nomination form

Innovation Award

Nomination Form
DEADLINE TO SUBMIT: April 13th, 2026
INSTRUCTIONS:

Before submitting the form:
- Gather all necessary information regarding the nominator(s) and the nominee.
- If you need a draft version, download the Word file here.
When submitting the form:
- Make sure to complete all required sections. You will not be able to proceed to the next step if a section is missing or exceeds the word limit.
To resume your form later:
- Click the “Save” button.
- Select “Skip creating an account” when the window appears.
- Enter your email address. A link allowing you to resume the nomination will be sent to you.
After submitting the form:
- Keep the confirmation email. Please check your spam folder.
Need to edit the form?
- In the confirmation email, click “Edit submission” You will then be able to retrieve the form and make the necessary changes.
No new submissions and/or revisions will be accepted after the nomination deadline.

ELIGIBILITY: Any Canadian law department, regardless of size.

The innovation award recognizes and honours the Canadian legal department of the Future! Judges will be seeking to highlight the department that shows a willingness to embrace change through technology, behavior, business model or service innovation and thus help meet the needs of the company or its business lines. The award recognizes the in-house legal team that truly exemplifies the “Legal Department of the Future.”

The Most Innovative In-House Team Award goes to the legal team implementing the most balanced portfolio of strategic and tactical innovation solutions over the past 24 months:

- Strategic innovations include those aimed at improving the in-house legal team's effectiveness in the long term at managing organizational risk and facilitating improved department and organizational operations, or at positioning the legal department to undertake new value-added initiatives; and,

- Tactical innovations that improve core legal operations including through sourcing strategy, such as the adoption and implementation of legal solutions technology or training and development of personnel or of technology solutions such as machine learning and AI.

- Award criteria relate to longer-term vision for people, practice and technology, as well as organizational impact.

Previous Innovation Award Recipients:

2025 – Patrice Walch-Watson, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board
2024 – Muneeb Yusuf, League Inc.
2023 – Legal affairs and regulatory compliance – led by Bindu Cudjoe, Laurentian Bank of Canada
2022 – Denis Boulianne, Ivanhoé Cambridge Inc.
2021 – Andrea Wood, TELUS
2019 – Nicolas Chaput, Uber Canada

Please ensure you address the following areas in your nomination:

In the Innovation nomination form please advise how the legal department addresses the following award criteria and how they impact departmental or organizational performance:

- Describe programmes or initiatives that demonstrate both strategic and tactical innovation in improving the department's immediate and long-term effectiveness
- Accountability: How are these initiatives supported and measured?
- Engagement: How is the law department and larger corporation engaged and informed of this initiative?
- Impact: Discuss the impact of these initiatives on the people, practice and technology of the department and company
- Quotes & References

Nominator
Full Name*

First NameLast Name
Job Title*
Law Firm/Company*
Email*
example@example.com
Phone Number*
Please enter a valid phone number
Relationship to nominee*

Additional nominator (1)
Full Name

First NameLast Name
Job Title
Law Firm/Company
Email
example@example.com
Phone Number
Please enter a valid phone number
Relationship to nominee

Additional nominator (2)
Full Name

First NameLast Name
Job Title
Law Firm/Company
Email
example@example.com
Phone Number
Please enter a valid phone number
Relationship to nominee

Additional nominator (3)
Full Name

First NameLast Name
Job Title
Law Firm/Company
Email
example@example.com
Phone Number
Please enter a valid phone number
Relationship to nominee

Additional nominator (4)
Full Name

First NameLast Name
Job Title
Law Firm/Company
Email
example@example.com
Phone Number
Please enter a valid phone number
Relationship to nominee

Nominee
Full Name

First NameLast Name
Job Title*
Company*
Email*
example@example.com
Phone Number*
Please enter a valid phone number
Province*

SPECIFIC INNOVATION PROGRAMMES/INITIATIVES:*

0/400
ACCOUNTABILITY:*

0/500
ENGAGEMENT:*

0/300
IMPACT:*

0/300
IMPACT:*

0/300
QUOTES & REFERENCES:

0/400
Should be Empty:

Innovation Award

Nominator

Nominee