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In conversation with Devin Persaud In conjunction with the Toronto Lawyers’ Association Emerging Excellence Award of Distinction presentation in Toronto on March 2, Evan Thompson spoke with Devin Persaud, a Senior Associate at Goodmans LLP, Toronto and this year’s Award recipient. |
TLA: What initially attracted you to the legal profession?
Devin Persaud: As a young and impressionable child, I loved watching and emulating courtroom dramas and films, like “A Few Good Men.” I found them exciting and loved the courtroom exchanges between lawyers. I grew up in a neighbourhood in Scarborough where many families were new immigrants and disadvantaged and the legal system intimidated many of them. I went to business school for my undergraduate education but always felt that I would go to law school one day. This resolve was strengthened after working in supply chain management in the consumer packaged goods industry for a couple years. In contrast to what I was doing, I wanted to be part of a field that was robust, always changing and required continuous learning.
When I was articling, I initially knew nothing about competition and foreign investment law and fell into the competition group working on a very large retail transaction at the time. I soon came to be enamoured with the field because it provided the opportunity to conduct both transactional, and litigation work and also always be continuously learning.
TLA: Can you share some moments that tested your resolve to become (and remain) a litigation lawyer?
Devin Persaud: There have been cases I have worked on where at times you’re working long into the night and you think, “Man, this is tough.” But I’ve always found the resolve to keep moving forward. When you are working on a large file, you realize that your piece of writing or research may seem like the most important thing in the world at the time, but its’ best to take a 5,000 foot perspective and understand that one piece of work will not make or break your career and that you are running a marathon, not a sprint. Your resolve to support the team working with you on a file can also help carry you through. And the larger the team, the more support each person is able to draw from the group. I heavily advocate working in teams. I remember my class of articling students once had a file that required us to travel across Ontario drafting, collecting, and swearing affidavits. It made for long days but was bearable because we found support in one another.
TLA: What makes a good lawyer?
Devin Persaud: Good lawyers share a visceral ability to present their side of the argument in a confident way. When you have confidence in your argument and that comes across in how you speak, you are more likely to succeed.
Good lawyers also have the ability to communicate with clients in a reassuring way and put them at ease. The best lawyers put themselves in their clients’ shoes and understand what form of communication works best for them. (This might entail a five-slide summary slide deck as opposed to a 30-page legal memo). They also ensure that clients value risk analysis, and go the extra mile to ensure their clients fully understand their options and next best steps.
From a personal point of view, the best lawyers are excellent mentors and are willing to readily share their knowledge and network with their mentees. They always take their time to share their perspective on things and see their colleagues not as threats but as strategic partners.
TLA: Can you share other sources of personal satisfaction you gain as a lawyer who is active in serving the community?
Devin Persaud: As President of SABA (South Asian Bar Association of Toronto and the largest diverse bar association in Canada with over 1,000 members), I am proud to actively promote the objectives of South Asian members of the legal profession and South Asian communities. Our membership is dynamic, and includes members of the judiciary, academics and law students. I am very proud of playing a part in creating the SABA student scholarship first awarded four years ago to four students annually. So far, we’ve been able to enhance the lives of 16 students. I’ve also been happy about the strides we’ve made in mentorship programming and advocating for NCA students.
TLA: What were your initial impressions of law as an articling student?
Devin Persaud: When I began my career as an articling student, I was a wide-eyed newbie born and raised in Malvern, on the east side of Scarborough. I suddenly found myself on the 45th floor of a Bay Street tower and quickly came to appreciate the sacrifices that people had made to help me get there.
I felt both a sense of belonging and bewilderment. The bewilderment came as I stood looking out onto the downtown core and realized I had never practiced law or worked at a large firm. The appreciation came from the fact that I don’t think my family who immigrated to Canada could ever envision that this would be a reality. As a first generation lawyer from an impoverished community, I knew that, I needed to do all I could to send the elevator back down to give other people the same opportunities I was given.
TLA: How has social media changed the legal profession?
Devin Persaud: Social media has changed many industries in many different ways. From a social perspective, lawyers and their firms often need to change due to large social movements that are often sparked online. A good example is what occurred as a result of the murder of George Floyd. A number of Toronto-based law firms started to question their current staffing situation and whether it reflected society, specifically where the hiring black or other visible minority lawyers was concerned. From a technical perspective the pandemic and the overall general awareness of the need to support people’s safety has also changed how the legal industry functions, including an increase in electronic filing, online meetings and other technological and work place innovations.
TLA: Do you have any advice for aspiring young lawyers from diverse backgrounds?
Devin Persaud: In my experience, visible minority lawyers, especially young ones often depart the places they work without first trying to have their voices heard and enact change. These persons often feel that they don’t fit in, or that they may work with a difficult person, which can happen in any work environment. Rather than causing a stir, they choose to leave, (which is endemic in many, many industries but I feel more so in law). If you just leave, the organization can’t learn from the situation. Standing up for yourself and realizing that you may not be the issue, and that sharing your perspective might enlighten those around you, I think is key to improving the profession. I promise things do get better as you become more senior.
TLA: Can you offer shout outs to some people who have helped guide you in your career?
Devin Persaud: There are too many to name. First, when starting out as a summer student at the in-house legal group at 407 ETR, I found Greg Mackenzie, the Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary, to be more concerned about making me a better lawyer and student, rather than focusing solely on drawing good work from me. He generously shared his insights into law and his network and encouraged me to go onto other things to expand my knowledge.
At Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG), Zirjan Derwa and Denes Rothschild taught me the value of practical legal advice. Rob Russell encouraged me to help develop a new, first-of-its-kind compliance programme for clients, and Subrata Bhattacharjee was also an invaluable part of my education as a corporate lawyer.
At Goodmans LLP I’ve had the privilege of working now with David Rosner and Michael Koch who are amazing advocates and great teachers. It’s been amazing to work with them.
From a SABA perspective, people such as Justices Russell Juriansz, Ranjan Agarwal, Hafeez Amarshi, and senior members including Jennifer Jobanputra, Rusty Juma, Sandeep Sandhu, and Jayashree Goswami have all positively impacted my career.
TLA: Do you have any other thoughts to share on this auspicious occasion?
Devin Persaud: I would like to thank the T.L.A., the past recipients of this award, and the members of the Toronto Bar in general who have humbled this wide-eyed kid from Malvern. I think the profession has made amazing strides in its representative work, but I still believe we have much further to go in moving the EDI mandate forward, which I will keep doing every chance I get.