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- Excellence award appreciated although ‘so unexpected’ - March 19, 2021
By Paul Russell, LegalMatters Staff • Wills and estates lawyer Suzana Popovic-Montag says she was astounded to learn she is an Excellence Awardee in the Managing Partner of the Year category of the 2021 Canadian Law Awards.
“This honour was so unexpected. I didn’t even know someone had nominated me,” she says. “To get this sort of recognition is so rewarding, especially after the tough year we have all been through due to COVID.”
According to Canadian Law Awards, this is the second year these honours have been handed out, recognizing “the nation’s leading law firms, in-house legal teams, individuals, deals and cases over the past year. It’s a true reflection of excellence in the legal profession.”
‘Hundreds of submissions’ considered
It adds that “hundreds of submissions from firms and legal departments across Canada were received during the nomination phase, with editorial and research teams reviewing all the submissions and consulting third-party information to identify each category’s standouts.”
As a managing partner of Toronto-based Hull & Hull LLP, Popovic-Montag helps guide the work of 19 lawyers, focusing primarily on wills and estates.
She credits the firm’s success and growth to the workplace ideology instilled by founder Rodney Hull and his son Ian M. Hull, now a co-partner.
“At Hull & Hull LLP, we are committed to working collaboratively as a team. Rodney and Ian’s model was based on a family business, and we continue to stress the importance of being a ‘work family,’” explains Popovic-Montag. “As managers, our priority has always been that we care about our people and not just about the bottom line. It’s about working hard, doing the best we can for our clients but having fun along the way.”
Wealth of information offered
Visitors to the Hull & Hull website will find a wealth of information about wills and estates, including a blog that is updated every day with new posts.
“Marketing and self-promotion are really important to us,” Popovic-Montag says. “Our associates, as well as Ian and I, take turns writing about topics in the news or on developments in law.”
A recent post focused on CaseLines, a cloud-based document sharing program used by remote and in-person court proceedings, while others dissect court judgments and the precedents set.
“For our team members, writing these articles allows them to continuously learn more about law, as required by the Law Society of Ontario, while they market themselves and our firm,” Popovic-Montag says, adding the firm’s podcasts accomplish the same goal.
Overall winners announced May 20
She was one of five people named as an Excellence Awardee in the Managing Partner of the Year category, with winners of each category to be announced during the online Canadian Law Awards event on May 20.
Since learning about the honour, Popovic-Montag says she has been fielding a steady stream of congratulatory calls.
“I have been so touched to hear from people I have not seen for years,” she says. “2020 was a very difficult year, so I am really pleased, and thankful, for this acknowledgment.
“Strong leaders build strong teams, and that is what we have at Hull & Hull LLP,” adds Popovic-Montag. “I am so grateful for that.”
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