Skip to Content

Stewart McKelvey appoints Lydia Bugden to the position of CEO & Managing Partner

The partnership board of Stewart McKelvey is pleased to announce the appointment of Lydia Bugden to the position of CEO & Managing Partner, effective August 1, 2015. Lydia’s appointment follows an extensive search process that included a number of very experienced and highly qualified internal and external candidates.

“Lydia’s management experience combined with her significant breadth and depth of legal experience and notable contribution to the community are what made her the partnership board’s unanimous first choice”, said Paul Smith, Chair, Stewart McKelvey partnership board.

Lydia has been inspiring the confidence and collegiality of her clients and colleagues since first joining the firm in 1999. She has provided counsel on significant mergers and acquisitions, financings and governance matters that impact Atlantic Canada and beyond while maintaining an active leadership role in the community.

Lydia succeeds the firm’s first CEO, John Rogers, QC, who united Stewart McKelvey under one administrative body in 2008 and who has since led the firm to year-over-year growth and to become one of Canada’s Top 50 Best Employers.

Lydia will lead the firm as it enters its 25th year as Atlantic Canada’s first regional law firm and one of the largest law firms in the country.

“As a former member of the partnership board, former business department manager and the current regional managing partner of the Halifax office, I have had the significant honour and privilege of having collaborated with some of the region’s, and country’s, most accomplished lawyers and leaders,” said Lydia. “The firm has never been stronger and we will continue to grow and evolve alongside our clients and partners in Atlantic Canada and beyond.”

About Stewart McKelvey
As one of the largest law firms in Canada and Atlantic Canada’s first regional law firm, Stewart McKelvey acts for local, national and international clients. Its team of more than 200 lawyers across four Atlantic provinces share a single objective – the best results for its clients.

Archive

Here we go again … how recent updates to Canada’s supply chain transparency reporting guidance may impact your 2025 reporting obligations

By Christine Pound, Colleen Keyes, K.C., and Daniel Roth As reporting entities and government institutions prepare their supply chain transparency reports, Public Safety Canada (“PSC“) has updated its guidance for…

Read More

Energy Watch 2025

Stewart McKelvey is pleased to present Energy Watch – a review of key legislative and policy advancements in the renewable energy sector in 2024 in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick and a look forward to anticipated activities in 2025.

Read More

Land use planning in Prince Edward Island – the year in review

BY Curtis Doyle

By Curtis Doyle Once again, the time has come to review the year that was and to chart the course for the year ahead. For municipalities and planning professionals in…

Read More

The impact of possible tariff changes on Canadian importers and strategies for consideration (Part II)

BY Michelle Chai & Graeme Hiebert

By Michelle Chai and Graeme Hiebert This is the second in a two-part Thought Leadership series. To read Part I, click here. Appearance, design, best use, marketing and distribution While the…

Read More

Canada’s Energy Story: Energy Transition

Lawyers from our Energy Group were pleased to be featured in the latest issue of Canada’s Energy Story, an annual compendium of energy sector articles published by the Energy Council…

Read More

The impact of possible tariff changes on Canadian importers and strategies for consideration (Part I)

BY Michelle Chai & Graeme Hiebert

By Michelle Chai and Graeme Hiebert On January 20th, 2025, Donald Trump will be inaugurated as President of the United States. He has promised to swiftly impose tariffs on all…

Read More

Canada’s new criminal rate of interest takes effect

BY David Wedlake & Noah Archibald

By David Wedlake and Noah Archibald The Federal Government’s changes to the criminal rate of interest under the Criminal Code came into effect on January 1, 2025. These changes reduced…

Read More

Nova Scotia’s Regulated Health Professions Act: What’s in store for 2025 and beyond?

BY Tyana R. Caplan & Jennifer Taylor

By Tyana Caplan & Jennifer Taylor As 2025 begins, the legal landscape for regulated health professions in Nova Scotia remains in transition. Nova Scotia’s Regulated Health Professions Act (“RHPA” or…

Read More

2025 immigration challenges

By Brittany C. Trafford, Brendan Sheridan and Kaitlyn Clarke Recently, the Government of Canada made a number of changes to the immigration landscape in an effort to rein in the population…

Read More

“Be prepared” – Recent Scouts Canada ruling provides new guidance to organizations that engage volunteers

BY Jacob Zelman

By Jacob E. Zelman Many organizations in Canada rely heavily on the efforts of volunteers to assist with the delivery of services they provide. The Ontario Superior Court of Justice…

Read More

Search Archive