The Vancouver Bar Association presented Thomas A. Roper, QC with the Peter S. Hyndman Mentorship Award at its annual general meeting held on November 20, 2014.
This prestigious annual award recognizes legal professionals who have provided guidance and mentorship to others in the legal industry. Past recipients of the award are William S. Berardino, QC, Richard C. Peck, QC, Leonard T. Doust, QC, Leon Getz, QC, Robert G. Ward, QC, Bruce R. Grist, and Donald W. Yule QC.
Tom exemplifies what it means to be a mentor. His extraordinary enthusiasm, integrity and generosity have taught so many what it truly means to practice law at the highest level. Anyone that knows Tom will not be surprised that he is this year’s recipient of the mentorship award.
As an endorser of Tom’s nomination, Delayne Sartison, QC wrote, “Tom is generous with both his vast knowledge and his time and is a true collaborator by nature. Despite his well-deserved personal reputation as a pre-eminent labour and employment lawyer, Tom has been and remains devoted to the development of his “team” whom he regularly, consciously and publicly credits with shared successes. Tom does not develop students, associates or junior partners to support his work behind the scenes. Tom treats his colleagues, no matter their status or year of call, as valuable colleagues. Those around him benefit immensely and develop legal and practice management skills much more rapidly than they would without a team-focussed mentor like Tom.”
Over the past 40 years, Tom has been recognized by his peers and others for the contribution he makes to the legal industry. In 1998 he was appointed Queens Counsel, he is highly ranked in LEXPERT’s Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada, The International Who’s Who of Management Labour & Employment Lawyers, and Best Lawyers’ International. In 2014 Roper was chosen as Best Lawyers’ Lawyer of the Year in Labour and Employment Law in Vancouver.
The Peter S. Hyndman award is just one more acknowledgment of Tom’s impact on his chosen profession and his firm . Roper Greyell is proud to have Tom on its team. His leadership continues to propel us to excellence and has resulted in a phenomenal team of lawyers and staff.