This month’s spotlight shines on Sven O. Milelli of McCarthy Tétrault LLP.
How did you first get involved with CLEBC?
In 2008, I co-presented a paper on spin-off transactions in Canada at the Advanced Securities Law course. This was back in the days when presenting meant preparing a paper, which was daunting at the time but ended up being a lot of fun.
What are you currently working on (or have most recently worked on) with CLEBC?
I am currently working on CLEBC’s 2026 Mergers and Acquisitions course, which I have chaired since 2009. I have also participated as a presenter at CLEBC’s Advanced Securities and Corporate Governance courses over the years.
What made you decide to become a lawyer?
I don’t think I decided to become a lawyer so much as I decided to go to law school and do a joint Law/MBA program, which seemed like a great combination for someone interested in law, business, and public policy. After doing summer internships with a law firm and an investment bank, I had to decide where I would start my career. I decided on practicing law given that it would be easier to transition from law to business down the road than vice-versa.
After graduating from law school in Canada, you decided to commence your practice in New York. What inspired you to go there, and what inspired you to come to Vancouver?
At the time I graduated from law school, more and more New York firms were beginning to recruit in Canada. Given my interest in M&A, it was only natural to consider New York, which promised work on the largest transactions for global clients. What really sealed it was the fact that my wife, who was working at RBC at the time, had the opportunity to transfer to their New York office. So New York was a joint adventure for us, and an incredible learning opportunity. Once we started a family—our first child was born in New York—we were on the clock to return to Canada to be closer to family. We chose Vancouver, where neither of us had lived before, since it felt like a new adventure and a great place to live a vibrant, active life.
What advice would you pass on to a newly called lawyer?
First off, I’d congratulate them for choosing a challenging career that brings with it incredible opportunities, lifelong stimulation and learning, and membership in an important civic community.
Second, I’d tell them a legal career is a long game, and to invest in themselves from the start: identify and pursue their passions, begin to build a network of friends, peers, mentors, and champions, and embrace opportunities to stretch and grow.
Third, I’d tell them that their pathway may not be a straight line, and to be prepared to embrace detours when opportunities or challenges require them. Diverse experiences and perspectives will only enrich their career.
Other than law, what are you passionate about?
Travel, and the chance to learn and speak foreign languages. My big sporting passion would be tennis. My family—including my five children—constantly inspires new passions in me, including for music, fashion, soccer, and volleyball (mostly from the sidelines).
If you weren’t a lawyer, what career path would you have chosen?
Before law school, I spent a couple of summers interning at the Privy Council Office in Ottawa, which is the nerve centre of the federal government. Watching the most senior levels of government in action, and where and how the political and policy processes cross paths, was captivating at the time. If hadn’t enrolled in law school, I think there’s a good chance I would be a diplomat or a public servant.