Fasken: The firm that shows up — in court, in community, and in our corner

In a profession built on precedent, Fasken has made a habit of going first. They were among the first major Canadian law firms to establish a Pride network. They were the first to become the Official Legal Services Provider for Pride Toronto. And they were one of the first law firms to step up as a presenting partner for Start Proud — not because it was expected, but because it reflected who they already were.

Fasken's partnership with Start Proud is defined by something we value deeply: authenticity. This isn't a firm that checks a box and moves on. Fasken sends its most senior leaders to our conference stages, opens its Bay Street offices for our community events, presents awards at our galas, and embeds its people in the fabric of our organization. For a community that has historically faced barriers in the legal profession, having a firm of Fasken's stature and reputation stand beside us — consistently, visibly, and without qualification — matters more than we can say.

A firm that built Pride from the inside out

The story of Fasken Pride begins with one person's courage. Katherine Pollock, a labour and employment lawyer who joined the firm as an articling student in 1986, came out as a lesbian in the early 1990s — a time when doing so in a Bay Street law firm carried real professional risk. Rather than simply hope the firm would change, she decided to help change it. Katherine approached Fasken's then Firm Managing Partner, David Corbett, and proposed creating an affinity group for 2SLGBTQ+ employees and allies. Fasken Pride was born — what Katherine believes to be the first Pride network at any major Canadian law firm.

What makes Fasken Pride distinct is its dual focus. From the beginning, the network was designed to be both inward-facing — making every member of the firm feel welcome and included — and outward-facing, reaching into the community through education, events, and partnerships with organizations like Start Proud. The network connects Fasken's lawyers with clients for educational sessions, hosts Pride events that blend learning with celebration, and models the kind of visible allyship that clients and community partners increasingly value. To Katherine's knowledge, Fasken Pride is the first — and perhaps still the only — affinity network of its kind among Canadian law firms to be recognized with a Lexpert Zenith Award for achievement in innovative diversity and inclusion.

Katherine went on to become Chair of Fasken's Partnership Board — the first woman and first openly gay member of the 2SLGBTQ+ community to hold the role. In 2024, she received the Ontario Bar Association's Robert Muir Award for Mentorship and was named Business Leader of the Year at the Canadian LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce Business Leadership Awards. Her journey — from articling student to the firm's highest governance body — is a testament to what's possible when a workplace makes inclusion a genuine priority, not a talking point.

The people behind the partnership

Fasken's commitment to Start Proud is not an institutional abstraction — it's carried by real people who show up, year after year, and lend their voices, their time, and their expertise to our mission. These are some of the leaders who define this partnership:

Katherine Pollock
Partner, Labour, Employment & Human Rights | Member, Fasken Partnership Board | Founder, Fasken Pride Network | Chair, Board EDI Committee

Katherine founded Fasken Pride — what she believes to be the first Pride network at a major Canadian law firm — and went on to become the first woman and first openly gay person to chair the firm's Partnership Board. She was a featured speaker at OOBS 2025, where she brought her decades-long journey of building inclusion within Canada's legal profession directly to our audience of students and emerging professionals. Katherine's career — from articling student in 1986 to the firm's highest governance body — is the kind of story that changes how our students see what's possible on Bay Street.

Letecia Rose
Chief Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Officer

Letecia is Fasken's most senior voice on equity strategy, working with the firm's leadership to drive inclusive outcomes and cultivate a culture of belonging. She was a featured speaker at OOBS 2025, where she shared her expertise in designing people-centred EDI strategies that drive both culture change and measurable business outcomes. Having Fasken's Chief EDI Officer on our stage sends a clear signal to students: this firm takes inclusion seriously enough to put the person who leads that work in front of our community.

Marc Rodrigue
Partner, Labour, Employment & Human Rights | Founder and Former Co-Chair, Fasken Pride Network

Marc arrived at Fasken in 2010 and was working through his own coming-out process during his articles. The support he received from colleagues inspired him to become a driving force behind Fasken Pride's growth. Marc delivered welcoming remarks at the 2025 Leaders to Be Proud Of Gala on behalf of Fasken, one of three presenting partners alongside TD and Deloitte, and presented the Leading Executive Ally Award to the Honourable Marci Ien. His presence at the podium at our premier awards event embodies the kind of visible, authentic leadership that Start Proud exists to celebrate.

On the stage at Out on Bay Street

Fasken has been a Gold sponsor of our flagship Out on Bay Street conference and a firm that consistently sends senior leaders to our programming. At OOBS 2025, Katherine Pollock and Letecia Rose both took the stage as featured speakers — bringing nearly four decades of inclusion leadership and deep EDI strategy expertise directly to our audience. Having two leaders of this calibre represent a single firm at our conference sends an unmistakable message to every student in the room considering a career in law.

OOBS also features a law case competition where students tackle a real-world case file and present to practising lawyers at a partner firm's downtown Toronto offices — the kind of direct exposure to inclusive legal workplaces that Fasken's presence in the OOBS ecosystem makes possible.

Year-round presence

Fasken doesn't just show up for our flagship events. In March 2025, Fasken Pride hosted a Start Proud Industry Night at Bay Adelaide Centre, bringing together students and professionals from across industries. The evening also featured an exclusive ERG Thought Leadership Roundtable for leaders from ProudPartner organizations — the kind of programming that reflects Fasken's role as a convener, not just a sponsor. And when Start Proud rang the opening bell at the Toronto Stock Exchange in June 2024 to celebrate Pride Month, Fasken was there on the floor alongside TD, RBC, and a select group of partners.

A firm that leads beyond Bay Street

Fasken's inclusion work extends well beyond Start Proud. The firm is a national partner of Pride at Work Canada, a founding signatory of the Law Firm Diversity and Inclusion Network, and the Official Legal Services Provider for Pride Toronto since 2022. Fasken was one of the original 30 pilot firms to commit to the Mansfield Rule — the only one largely based in Canada — and has achieved Mansfield Rule Plus Certification. With over 950 lawyers across ten offices and four continents, the culture Fasken builds internally ripples outward into the profession and into the lives of 2SLGBTQIA+ professionals who see its leadership.

Looking ahead together

As we continue to grow our partnership, Fasken remains a vital part of the Start Proud story. Their lawyers show up on our stages and at our events. Their offices welcome our community. Their leaders model the kind of authentic, visible inclusion that changes how people see what's possible in the legal profession. And their presence at our milestone moments — from the TSX floor to the L2BPO podium — reminds us that having a firm like Fasken in our corner makes a difference that extends well beyond the legal profession.

To Fasken: thank you for being a partner that leads by example. For building a Pride network before it was expected, for opening your doors to our community, for standing at the podium when it matters most, and for showing every 2SLGBTQIA+ law student in Canada that Bay Street has a place for them. We are proud to have you in our corner.