Glen Lewis has not made one cent from the most rewarding experience of his legal career and he probably never will. The work that Glen does as Board Member of the Hockey Diversity Alliance does not feel like work because it is fueled by his passion to effect change for BIPOC communities in a sport that is close to his heart.
Hockey has long been a part of Glen’s life. As a child, he played competitively and as a now father to three children, he has been involved in the sport as a coach and supportive hockey parent. Glen currently works as Senior Legal Counsel in-house with BMO Financial, but in his previous private practice, he represented several pro hockey players. Loving hockey came naturally for Glen, but as a child, the unfriendly environment he played in made it difficult to enjoy at times. He, and other BIPOC players, experienced a lot of overt racism, which was a barrier to realizing their true potential.
After being out of the game for a few years and coming back as a hockey parent, Glen was alarmed by how little had changed on the rink despite the fact that society in general had evolved a lot in that time. The ramifications of racism in minor hockey extend far past local rinks. The National Hockey League is still ninety-six percent white and the systemic barriers that BIPOC communities face as children prevent them from developing their skills or even beginning to play hockey in the first place.
When Glen found out about the Hockey Diversity Alliance, an alliance formed by nine current and former NHL players with the purpose of eradicating systemic racism and intolerance in hockey, he felt drawn to help. With years of experience in both private practice and as part of an in-house legal team, he also knew his skills would be useful. Glen consulted with the players and drafted a pledge to the NHL that outlined various changes that the group believes they should make to increase the accessibility of hockey to BIPOC players. Glen is also involved in creating educational programs for minor hockey organizations as well as other grass-roots programs, all sharing the same goal of inspiring a new and diverse generation of hockey players and fans.
Glen is proud to be using his legal experience in a unique way that is driving change. He has also leveraged his experience working for BMO in negotiating several commercial and sponsorship deals with big players like Scotiabank, which give the alliance a major boost.
Glen’s devotion to making life better for his family led him to both his volunteer and career paths. Almost immediately after finishing law school, Glen and his wife (who is also a lawyer) started their family. Two hours after finishing his last bar exam, Glen’s first child was born. Although the couple quickly discovered how difficult it would be for two private practice lawyers to raise a family, Glen stayed in a corporate commercial practice for fourteen years. He was generally working twelve to fourteen hour days and staying in hotels close to the office when he had to work into the night. After having their third child, Glen and his wife decided that one of them needed to move to an in-house job. He secured a position with BMO in 2014 and was able to quickly move into a senior position leveraging the knowledge and experience he gained in private practice.
Working in-house, Glen gets a lot of exposure to the business side of BMO and although his legal skills are integral to his work, he is engaged in areas other than law as well. Glen is involved in corporate communications, marketing programs, project budgets and resource allocation, and he enjoys being someone that different departments can use as a sounding board for ideas . This diversity of work is one of the Glen’s favourite things about his job.
What does Glen love most about working in-house at BMO? The healthy work-life balance it provides. Glen still works hard and the occasional Saturday, but he spends his nights coaching his kids or volunteering instead of entertaining new clients. When Glen was in private practice, his youngest daughter was taking piano lessons. Due to his packed work schedule, he never got to attend her recitals. Glen may not make the same amount of money but missing this part of his daughter’s life taught him how much more important family was than money.
Glen does not regret spending a few years in private practice. He learned a lot and credits much of his success in his current role to the experience he gained on Bay street. Glen encourages others looking to work in-house to initially put the hours into private practice, if they are able. He worked very hard to get to where he is, but because of that, now has the time and energy to dedicate to his family and his work with the Hockey Diversity Alliance. Lawyering is challenging work, but the skills you develop can allow you to make real change. Glen’s time spent at work is great. But his time spent with family and as a volunteer making the sport he loves better is priceless.