Celebrating Excellence: Joshua Krane and Sandra Zhao Are Winners of Lexpert’s 2022 Rising Stars Awards: Leading Lawyers Under 40

Celebrating Excellence: Joshua Krane and Sandra Zhao Are Winners of Lexpert’s 2022 Rising Stars Awards: Leading Lawyers Under 40

We are delighted to announce that two McMillan partners, were selected, to join a distinguished group of the legal industry’s rising stars. Joshua Krane and Sandra Zhao have been recognized as winners of Lexpert’s 2022 Rising Stars Awards: Leading Lawyers Under 40. These highly skilled professionals posses deep expertise in key industry sectors of our economy, the ability to break down complex issues and are never afraid to propose bold and novel solutions for their clients. They exemplify the ongoing pursuit of excellence in the practice of law. We congratulate them on this tremendous accomplishment.

Joshua Krane is a partner in the Competition, Antitrust & Foreign Investment and the Advertising & Marketing groups. He collaborates with clients’ legal and executive teams to address complex business issues; working with companies in the aviation, consumer products, technology, telecommunications, entertainment, energy and agricultural industries. In addition to working on mergers and regulatory disputes, Joshua also offers guidance on pricing and contracting practices, social media and influencer marketing, and relationships with customers, suppliers and competitors. Joshua also represents clients in disputes before the courts, the Competition Bureau, the Ad Standards Canada and the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC).

“Josh brings a vibrant energy and tremendous skill to his practice, our group and our firm as a whole”, said Mark Opashinov, Partner, Competition, Antitrust & Foreign Investment. “As a leader in the field, Josh thrives on learning more about his clients’ businesses and often anticipates their needs before they do. Clients seek Josh out for his expertise, particularly on high profile transactions with complex regulatory dimensions. He is an exceptional lawyer, wonderful colleague and deserving recipient of this award.”

Sandra Zhao is a partner in the Capital Markets & Securities and M&A Groups, as well as the China Practice Group. Her practice is focused on mergers and acquisitions, contested transactions, going public transactions, corporate finance and business restructuring.  She has represented public and private companies in a wide range of industries in connection with the purchase and sale of businesses and capital raising and is experienced in advising shareholders as well as boards of directors in connection with proxy fights. In addition, Sandra also regularly advises public companies on corporate governance, security-based compensation, shareholders rights plans, securities regulatory compliance and general corporate and securities law matters.

“Sandy is a vital member of our team and an invaluable advisor to her clients,” said Paul Davis, national leader of the firm’s Capital Markets & Securities and M&A Group and Chair of the Board of Partners. “With extensive academic pedigree and strong interpersonal skills, Sandy recognizes the unique challenges faced by her clients and provides exceptional legal advice while also maintaining their trust. When she is not spending her time representing clients on complex, precedent setting and high profile proxy fights, cross-border M&A transactions and bond financings, she is an active mentor to junior lawyers, meeting with them regularly to provide ongoing support with their goals, both personal and professional.”

Finalists from law firms and in-house legal departments across Canada were nominated by peers on criteria such as professional achievements, community involvement and client service strategy. Lexpert’s distinguished advisory panel carefully considered the contributions of each to select this year’s winners.