Sandra A. Forbes Installed as the 77th President of The American College of Trial Lawyers

NEWPORT BEACH, CALIFORNIA (October 25, 2026) – The American College of Trial Lawyers (ACTL), one of the premier legal associations in North America, has installed Sandra A. Forbes of Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP as its 77th President.

Ms. Forbes, who has been a Fellow since 2011, assumed the position of President before an audience of more than 900 of the United States and Canada’s most accomplished trial lawyers during the recent Annual Meeting of the College in New York City, where 78 new Fellows were also inducted.

“It is an honor to serve as President of the American College of Trial Lawyers,” said Ms. Forbes, who is based in Toronto, Ontario. “The College is committed to protecting an independent judiciary, promoting access to justice and supporting the rule of law – all foundational principles of a healthy democracy. As the College’s third Canadian President, I look forward to strengthening the bonds of friendship and respect between the Fellows of the United States and Canada.”

Sandra A. Forbes has a broad commercial litigation practice across Canada, including class action defense and anti-trust matters. After graduating from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1990, she clerked for the Honorable Mr. Justice Peter Cory of the Supreme Court of Canada in 1990-1991. In 1992, she joined the predecessor to Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP, where she has practiced her entire career and now sits as a member of the firm’s management committee.

In addition to her role as President of ACTL, Sandra has served as President of The Advocates’ Society and a Director of Pro Bono Ontario. She is currently the Editor in Chief of The Ontario Reports. She is highly ranked by a number of legal directories, including Chambers (Band 1) and, in 2025, was awarded Litigator of the Year at the Canada Law Awards.

During the Annual Meeting, the College installed the following new Officers to serve until its 2027 Annual Meeting in Toronto, Ontario: President-Elect Catherine M. Recker of Welsh & Recker, P.C. (Philadelphia, PA); Treasurer Jeffrey E. Stone of McDermott Will & Schulte LLP (Chicago, IL); Secretary William P. Keane of Farella Braun + Martel LLP and Immediate Past President John A. Day of the Law Offices of John Day, P.C. (Nashville, TN).

The College also elected 4 new members to its Board of Regents at its meeting. The new Regents, who join 11 existing Regents, include: Melinda Haag of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP (San Francisco, CA); Stephen D. Raber of Williams & Connolly LLP (Washington, DC); Sharon L. McCarthy of Kostelanetz LLP (New York, NY); and Martha McCarthy of McCarthy Hansen & Company LLP (Toronto, ON).

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