(she/her) is a lawyer, former C-suite leader, and the founder and CEO of IDEA Consulting Group. Nikki is an award-winning expert in equity, diversity and inclusion, with a track record of achieving superior results in the private and non-profit sectors. Nikki lives in Toronto with her partner, Kavita, and their children, Max and Ela.
nikki
Prior to founding IDEA Consulting Group, Nikki served as Chief Inclusion Officer of McCarthy Tétrault LLP, where she created a market-leading program called “Inclusion Now,” an ambitious strategy aimed at attracting, retaining, and advancing members of equity-deserving groups. In both 2020 and 2021, Inclusion Now was named Diversity Program of the Year at the Canadian Law Awards, in 2021 for the Firm’s work to tackle anti-Black racism and Indigenous reconciliation. From 2019-2023, the firm was named one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers by Mediacorp. In 2021, Nikki was awarded the CBA’s LGBTQ Hero Award, as well as the Start Proud Advocacy Award, in recognition of her work on transgender workplace inclusion and her visibility as a member of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.
Nikki earned her B.A. (Hons.) (summa cum laude) from York University, an M.A. from New School University in New York City, where she was a Fulbright Fellow, and her LL.B. from the University of Toronto. After graduating law school with multiple awards and honours, Nikki summered at Paul Wiess in New York City, clerked at the Ontario Court of Appeal, practiced family law at Epstein Cole LLP in Toronto, and went on to serve as Executive Director of the Faculty of Law at the University of Toronto, where she earned a “Stepping Up” award for her achievements in advancing equity and diversity at the Faculty.
In 2010, Nikki took on the role of National Director of Pro Bono Students Canada. Under her leadership, PBSC earned numerous awards and accolades, and became a leader in experiential learning in legal education and the delivery of pro bono services to low-income individuals and non-profit organizations. Nikki’s expertise in designing programs that serve underrepresented Canadians includes experience working on issues affecting women survivors of gender-based violence, people living in poverty, at-risk youth, newcomers, and members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. One of Nikki’s flagstone projects involved launching a ground-breaking Indigenous Human Rights Clinic in partnership with the Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres. That program, now funded by the Department of Justice, was awarded the American College of Trial Lawyers Emil Gumpert Award.
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In 2017, Nikki was awarded a prestigious Community Leaders in Justice Fellowship from the Law Foundation of Ontario. During a one-year research leave from PBSC, Nikki studied and wrote about limited scope retainers as a tool for enhancing access to justice for lower- and middle-income Canadians. Working with the University of Windsor Faculty of Law, and senior leaders of the family bar and bench, Nikki developed a new model of limited scope services called “legal coaching”, built support within the bar for this practice model, and created a five-day curriculum for family lawyers interested in learning how to deliver coaching services safely, effectively, and profitably. At the end of her Fellowship, Nikki was invited by Carswell to edit a book on limited scope retainers.
Over the course of her career, Nikki has delivered hundreds of presentations, workshops and keynote speeches nationally and internationally, and has written on inclusion and social justice topics in the Globe & Mail, Toronto Star, Ottawa Citizen, Huffington Post, and Canadian Lawyer. In 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2019, Nikki was nominated by Canadian Lawyer as one of the top 25 “Changemakers” in the legal profession, for her work advancing equity.
Nikki is a regular speaker at professional conferences and has delivered hundreds of presentations, workshops, and keynote speeches nationally and internationally. Nikki is a former member of the Advisory Board of the Lexpert Zenith Awards, Legal Aid Ontario’s Family Law Advisory Committee, and the Law Society of Ontario’s Equity Advisory Group, which provides advice to Benchers on equity and diversity issues affecting diverse communities in the legal profession.
Select Writing
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Avoiding the Revolving Door (CBA-BC BarTalk 2021)
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Inclusion Now: Moving the Needle on Diversity (CCCA Magazine 2018, page 27)
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Legal Coaching: A win-win for clients and the bar (Canadian Lawyer, 2017)
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Iacobucci and Gershbain: How students can help more people afford access to our justice system (Ottawa Citizen 2016, with Dean Edward Iacobucci)
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Access to Justice: A Social Justice Issue (Huffpost 2016)
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Law students help fill growing gaps in legal services (LAO Blog 2014)
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Out and proud for 25 years: How I grew up with Pride Day (Globe and Mail 2014)
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I've Been Out and Proud for 25 Years (HuffPost 2014)
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Pro bono: Law students can help solve Canada’s access-to-justice crisis (Toronto Star, 2013)
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Women in Law: In search of work-life balance (Toronto Star 2009, with Justice Harvey Brownstone)
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Divorce homo-style (Xtra Magazine 2004)
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Child Support (Money & Family Law, 2003)
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Custody & Access (Canadian Family Law Quarterly 2001, with Jonathan Cohen)
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How to mitigate systemic discrimination in law firms (Canadian Lawyer, 2021)
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In 2021, diversity-inclusion strategies must be 'action-oriented' and 'authentic': Nikki Gershbain (LawTimes, 2021)
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On the path to truth and reconciliation (CBA National Magazine, 2021)
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Women in Law: Setting the agenda for change (Canadian Lawyer, 2021)
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Lawyers can be diversity and inclusion changemakers in firms, say conference speakers (LexisNexis, 2021)
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Why are there still so few Black lawyers on Bay Street? (Globe and Mail, 2020)
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5 steps to building a more inclusive workplace (United Way Greater Toronto, 2020)
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D + I in the C-Suite (NEXUS at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Law, 2019)
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How Does McCarthy Tétrault LLP Plan to Improve Equity, Diversity and Inclusion? (Cowling Legal, 2019)
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Operation Court Rescue (NEXUS at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Law, 2013)
Quoted In
Select Speaking
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National PRISME Conference for LGBTQ Lawyers, on the state of the legal profession (Toronto 2022)
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Canadian Corporate Counsel Association Conference: In-house departments & law firms driving diversity & inclusion together: more than just talk (virtual webinar 2021)
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The Rise of Antisemitism in Canada (virtual webinar 2021)
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Uniquely Katie: One Woman’s Story of Embracing her True Self (virtual webinar 2021)
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Law Society of Ontario Mental Health Summit for Legal Professionals (virtual webinar 2021)
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Canadian Association of Counsel to Employers Human Rights Committee: What's In It for Me? DEI in Workplaces (virtual webinar 2021)
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Judicial Education on EDI (Ontario Court of Appeal, Toronto 2021)
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Getting Started on Diversity and Inclusion (virtual webinar 2020)
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Luxury Law Summit (virtual webinar 2020)
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The Fruit Machine Panel (virtual webinar 2020)
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Women General Counsel Canada: Tackling Structural Racism in Your Organization (Toronto 2020)
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Same Storm, Different Boat – Inclusion in the Time of COVID (Lexology podcast 2020)
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EDI in the Legal Profession (University of Toronto, Faculty of Law 2019)
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Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University) Legal Practice and Equity: A Conversation with the Bar, the Bench and Faculties of Law (Toronto, 2019)
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Diversity on Bay Street: Young lawyers share personal & professional strategies for navigating difference (Western Law Diversity Committee, London 2019)
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National Pro Bono Conference, on diversity & pro bono (Toronto 2018)
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Canadian Association of Law Teachers, A2J, family law & legal education (Kingston 2018)
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University of Toronto, Faculty of Law, limited scope retainers (Toronto 2018)
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Saskatchewan Self-Represented Litigants Working Group (a project of SK Justice), (Toronto 2018)
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Law Society of Ontario Family Law Summit, legal coaching (Toronto 2017)
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Western Law A2J Symposium, legal coaching (London 2017)
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County of Carleton Law Association Annual Conference, legal coaching (Ottawa 2017)
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Law Society of Ontario, 6 Minute Family Lawyer, legal coaching, (Toronto 2017)
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Pro Bono Ontario Conference, presentation on national pro bono rankings (Ottawa 2016)
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Law Society of Ontario, Connect, Create, Communicate Conference, access to justice (Toronto 2016)
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International Association of Clinical Educators Conference, legal coaching (Toronto 2016)
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Pro Bono Law Alberta, Keynote Address (Edmonton 2015)
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Out on Bay Street Law Panel (Toronto 2015)
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BLG World Pride Panel (Toronto 2014)
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Canadian Bar Association Equal Justice Conference, pro bono project development (Vancouver 2013)
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Canadian Clinical Legal Education Conference, pro bono and clinical education (Halifax 2013)
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Pro Bono Law Alberta Summit, Keynote Address (Calgary 2012)
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American Bar Association Equal Justice Conference, Canada’s pro bono model (Florida 2012)
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National Pro Bono Conference, pro bono and legal education (Montreal 2012)
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Pro Bono in the Americas Conference, Canada’s pro bono model (Santiago, Chile 2011)
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National Pro Bono Conference, pro bono and legal education (Calgary 2010)
Listen to Nikki and Charlene Theodore discuss what has worked in the firm environment, and how a comprehensive, integrated, action-oriented and evidence-based approach to embedding inclusion in the workplace topples both structural and cultural barriers:
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Canada’s Best Diversity Employers by Mediacorp (for Inclusion Now, 2021, 2020, 2019)
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Canadian Law Awards Bereskin & Parr Award for Diversity Initiative of the Year (2021) (for Inclusion Now)
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Canadian Law Awards Bereskin & Parr Inaugural Award for Diversity Initiative of the Year (2020) (for Inclusion Now)
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Inclusion Now nominated for Chambers Outstanding Canadian Law Firm for D&I (2020 & 2021)
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American College of Trial Lawyers Emil Gumpert Award (2020) (for PBSC Indigenous Human Rights Clinic)
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Law Foundation of Ontario Community Leaders in Justice Fellowship (2017)
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Nominated as top “Changemaker” by Canadian Lawyer (2013, 2015, 2017 and 2019)
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Lexpert Zenith Award (for PBSC Tax Court of Canada Clinic) (2011)
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Pro Bono Canada Pro Bono Program of the Year (for PBSC) 2010
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University of Toronto Stepping Up Award for diversity and inclusion (2007)
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University of Toronto Faculty of Law Michael John Eccles Prize in Criminal Law (2000)
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Fulbright Fellowship (1996)
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New School University Reba Kirson Mona Award (1996)
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Canadian Federation of University Women: Professional Award (1996)
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York University Alumni Silver Jubilee Medal (1995)
Awards
Volunteering
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Unbundled Family Legal Services Project, Steering Committee Member (2017-2018)
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Legal Aid Ontario, Family Law Advisory Committee, Board Member (2015-2018)
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Morse Street Public School, Founding Chair, Safe & Caring Schools Committee (2011-2016)
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Lexpert Zenith Awards, Advisory Board Member (2010-2018)
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Law Society of Upper Canada, Equity Advisory Group (2003-2007)
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Central Neighbourhood House, Board Member (1998-2001)
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Toronto, Ontario
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