What We Do
We advise and assist the Board of Governors and Toronto Metropolitan University faculty and staff on policies, laws, governance, privacy, compliance, records management and risk management.
Our Mission
"The General Counsel and Board Secretariat advises and guides the Board, faculty and staff on policies, laws, governance and managing risk, in order to guard and uphold the reputation of the University."
Wendy Lawrence is General Counsel, Secretary of the Board of Governors, and Chief Privacy Officer for Toronto Metropolitan University, where she is a member of the University executive leadership team and a trusted advisor on a wide range of legal, governance, and privacy matters.
Wendy joins the University after spending over a decade in executive and senior legal leadership positions at academic hospitals, including The Hospital for Sick Children, and before that was counsel at the Ministry of the Attorney General. She is an experienced broader public sector lawyer, with expertise in matters ranging from corporate / commercial transactions, contracts, regulatory compliance, privacy and access to information law, and administrative law, and has been recognized for playing a leadership role in advancing compliance programs in the sector.
Wendy holds a Bachelor of Arts (Economics) degree from Queen’s University and a LL.B from the University of Windsor.
The General Counsel and Board Group ("GCBG") creates and delivers services that support the University's Academic Plan.
GCBG is comprised of the senior leadership of the Office of the General Counsel and Board Secretariat. As a group of professionals with expertise in governance, legal services, and information access and privacy, GCBG plays a key strategic role in safeguarding and upholding the reputation of Toronto Metropolitan University.
GCBG advises on matters of law and policy in order to manage risk and also ensures that sensitive information is safely handled throughout the community. On top of its day-to-day functions, GCBG also provides educational outreach and assistance to students, faculty and staff on the following areas:
- Good governance practices
- Legal advice, contract review, compliance and risk management
- Information access and privacy
- Records management