Stephen A. Pike
Partner, Gowling WLG Law Firm

Stephen Pike is also the Co-Leader of Gowling WLG’s Canadian ESG Advisory Services practice. As a senior legal advisor to Canadian, American and global businesses, Stephen regularly advises on corporate, governance, ESG, transactional, operational and risk management issues, including advising businesses and investors on S-211 and how businesses can assess and address the risks of forced labour and child labour in their supply chains. He also advises businesses outside of Canada on setting up operations in Canada and entering the Canadian market.

Stephen is Co-Editor of a new book - ESG in the Boardroom: A Guidebook for Directors - published in 2022 by the American Bar Association. The ABA’s Business Law Section now features a new series of ESG in the Boardroom podcasts. Stephen is hosting the first three podcasts in the series.

Stephen appeared in 2022 as a Witness before the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights to give evidence regarding Bill S-211 Canada's proposed Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act. In late 2021, Stephen addressed the Canadian All Party Parliamentary Group to End Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery. Stephen is a member of the 2021, 2022 and 2023 Program Faculty of the ESG, Climate Risk and the Law Professional Development Certificate Course at Osgoode Hall Law School and lectured on Business and Human Rights (BHR): Risks, Intersections and Impacts for ESG. Stephen regularly speaks about forced labour and child labour in supply chains to business and legal organizations. In 2019, he began writing a continuing series of Insights for Canadian CEOs and Directors on Addressing Forced Labour and Child Labour in their Businesses and Supply Chains (now 18 parts).

Stephen is a member of the Board of Directors of the International Commission of Jurists – Canada and a Co-Chair of the ESG Subcommittee of the Corporate Governance Committee of the Business Law Section of the American Bar Association. He serves as a member on the Canadian Cancer Society’s Finance, Audit and Risk Management Committee. Stephen was previously a member of the Board of Directors of Prostate Cancer Canada, Chair of its Audit and Finance Committee and Interim Chair of the Board of Directors.

Stephen holds the ICD.D designation granted by the Institute of Corporate Directors and completed Directors Education Program presented by the Institute of Corporate Directors and the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management.

Stephen was part of the American Bar Association Business Law Section’s Task Force on Implementation of the ABA Model Principles on Labor Trafficking and Child Labor.

In 2015, Stephen initiated and helped lead a project in Canada involving he Canadian Corporate Counsel Association to draft Canadian Model Business Principles on Forced Labour, Labour Trafficking, and Illegal or Harmful Child Labour. These Canadian Model Business Principles were adopted and passed by resolution (Resolution 16-03-M) of the Council of the Canadian Bar Association in 2016. The resolution also urged Canadian lawyers and businesses to adopt and implement their own business and supply chain principles consistent with the Model Business Principles.