Fall Convocation, Tuesday, October 29, 2019 at 3 p.m.
Stuart H. (Kip) Cobbett
B.A., B.CL. (McGill University)
Doctor of Laws, honoris causa
Stuart (Kip) Cobbett鈥檚 love of McGill University began as a student. Highly involved in campus life, he participated in activities ranging from intramural athletics to the Winter Carnival. Immediately after graduation, he was elected Class Agent for the Law Class of '72. From 1976 to 1985, Mr. Cobbett was a part-time lecturer in banking and negotiable instruments in the Faculty of Law and when he moved to London, he took on the role of President of the McGill Alumni Association (MAA) in the United Kingdom.
Kip Cobbett has enjoyed a distinguished law career spanning more than 40 years, retiring from practice in 2014. During his time as partner at the business law firm of Stikeman Elliott, he served as Managing Principal of its London office, Managing Partner of its Montreal office and Chief Operating Officer of the firm. He worked to place greater emphasis on the firm鈥檚 corporate social responsibility, including increasing their pro bono听work. Many of his colleagues were involved in a United Nations program that, in conjunction with 14 other law agencies from around the world, worked to identify how national corporate law principles and practices foster respect for human rights. For his many contributions to the practice of law, the Barreau du Qu茅bec听recognized him as Advocatus Emeritus.
Mr. Cobbett has served as director of numerous cultural and charitable organizations, in Montreal and across Canada, and currently holds leadership positions in organizations such as Academics Without Borders, and The Endowment Fund of Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, previously he held positions with the Centaur Foundation for the Performing Arts, Bishop鈥檚 College School and the John Dobson Foundation.
A McGillian to the core, Mr. Cobbett has received almost every major honour possible from the McGill Alumni Association. He was President of the MAA from 2002-2004 and chaired the MAA's Task Force on Alumni Relations, which had a significant influence in shaping the direction of alumni programming and helped secure the necessary funding to ensure the services and activities offered today to McGill alumni. Mr. Cobbett has also served on the Advisory Board of the McGill News听magazine as both a member and the Chair. He has shared his expertise and career experience as a guest lecturer in entertainment law and most recently as a co-lecturer in the Directors Education Program at the McGill Executive Institute in the Desautels Faculty of Management.
Kip Cobbett is a Governor Emeritus听of McGill University's Board of Governors, having served since 2005, including seven years as Chair. In his words: "McGill has provided the foundation for my entire professional and business career. My McGill education transformed my life and set me on a path that I have followed to this day." McGill definitely runs in the Cobbett family: his father was a McGill graduate and his son Alexander and daughter Anne are both McGill alumni.
Collation des grades automnale- mardi 29 octobre 脿 15 h
Stuart H. (Kip) Cobbett
B. A. (Universit茅 McGill), B.C.L. (Universit茅 McGill)
Doctorat en droit, honoris causa
Le d茅vouement de Stuart (Kip) Cobbett envers l鈥橴niversit茅 McGill na卯t alors qu鈥檌l y est encore 茅tudiant. Tr猫s impliqu茅, il participe 脿 bon nombre d鈥檃ctivit茅s sur le campus, des 茅preuves sportives int茅rieures au Carnaval d鈥檋iver. D猫s la fin de son parcours universitaire en droit, il est 茅lu agent de promotion de la cuv茅e de 1972. De 1976 脿 1985, M. Cobbett est charg茅 de cours 脿 temps partiel 脿 la Facult茅 de droit, o霉 il donne des cours sur les op茅rations bancaires et les titres n茅gociables. Il deviendra plus tard pr茅sident de l鈥橝ssociation des dipl么m茅s de McGill du Royaume-Uni, apr猫s son d茅m茅nagement 脿 Londres.
Kip Cobbett a men茅 pendant 40 ans une brillante carri猫re d鈥檃vocat, avant de prendre sa retraite du domaine juridique en 2014. Comme associ茅 chez Stikeman Elliott, il a exerc茅 les fonctions de directeur du bureau de Londres, d鈥檃ssoci茅 directeur de celui de Montr茅al et de chef de l鈥檈xploitation de la soci茅t茅. Il a veill茅 脿 ce que ce cabinet en droit commercial accorde une plus grande importance 脿 la responsabilit茅 sociale, notamment en offrant plus de services b茅n茅voles. Avec plusieurs de ses coll猫gues et 14 autres cabinets du monde entier, il a particip茅 脿 un programme des Nations Unies visant 脿 d茅terminer comment les principes et pratiques du droit des soci茅t茅s encouragent le respect des droits de la personne. Le Barreau du Qu茅bec lui a d茅cern茅 la distinction honorifique Avocat 茅m茅rite听pour ses nombreuses contributions 脿 la pratique du droit.
M. Cobbett a si茅g茅 au conseil d鈥檃dministration de la Bishop鈥檚 College School et de nombreux organismes culturels et caritatifs, 脿 Montr茅al et ailleurs au Canada, notamment la Fondation Centaur pour les arts d鈥檌nterpr茅tation et la Fondation John Dobson. Il est aujourd鈥檋ui membre du conseil d鈥橴niversitaires sans fronti猫res et du Fonds de dotation des Grands Ballets Canadiens.
McGillois jusqu鈥檃u bout des doigts, Kip Cobbett a re莽u pratiquement toutes les grandes distinctions attribu茅es par l鈥橝ssociation des dipl么m茅s de McGill. Il a pr茅sid茅 l鈥橝ssociation de 2002 脿 2004 ainsi que son groupe de travail sur les relations avec les anciens 茅tudiants, qui a grandement influenc茅 l鈥檕rientation des programmes pour les dipl么m茅s et contribu茅 脿 l鈥檕btention du financement n茅cessaire pour les activit茅s et les services offerts aujourd鈥檋ui aux anciens. M. Cobbett a en outre 茅t茅 membre et pr茅sident du comit茅 consultatif du McGill News.听Il a transmis son expertise et son exp茅rience en droit du spectacle 脿 titre de charg茅 de cours invit茅 et cocharg茅 de cours 脿 la Facult茅 de gestion Desautels dans le cadre du Programme de perfectionnement des administrateurs de l鈥橧nstitut des cadres.
Kip Cobbett si猫ge au Conseil des gouverneurs de McGill depuis 2005, et l鈥檃 pr茅sid茅 pendant sept ans. Il est 茅galement gouverneur 茅m茅rite de l鈥橴niversit茅. 芦 McGill constitue le point de d茅part de toute ma carri猫re, explique-t-il. La formation que j鈥檡 ai re莽ue a chang茅 ma vie et trac茅 la voie que je suis encore aujourd鈥檋ui. 禄 McGill fait partie de l鈥橝DN de la famille de Kip Cobbett : son p猫re ainsi que ses enfants, Alexander et Anne, sont 茅galement dipl么m茅s de l鈥橴niversit茅.
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