OTTAWA – The CRTC has appointed Christianne Laizner as the CRTC’s senior general counsel. The Commission will benefit from her extensive experience in providing legal, strategic and policy advice, as well as in leading legal teams, says CRTC chair Jean-Pierre Blais.
After five years in private practice, Christianne joined the Department of Justice and provided legal services for various departments. Notably, she provided advice leading to the ratification of the North American Free Trade Agreement and the implementation of regulations to resolve disputes. Laizner also provided counsel during the negotiations that led to a Softwood Lumber Agreement between Canada and the U.S.
From 1997 to 2007, Laizner was senior counsel at the Department of Public Works and Government Services, where she led teams involved in complex procurement files. She later became executive director of the Legal Services Branch and a member of the Senior Management Board at the Canadian International Development Agency. In 2010, she joined the CRTC as general counsel of Telecommunications.
Throughout her career, her qualities have been recognized by several professional awards, including the Department of Justice’s Merit Award for her work on the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement and the Most Esteemed Colleague Award.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Legal Directorate staff for their continued dedication while the senior general counsel position was vacant, In particular, I would like to recognize Bernard Montigny, who shared acting duties with Christianne over the past few months,” added Blais.
