Please note the New Location. You are welcome to invite a colleague; guests are welcome to attend a few meetings prior to joining AWI. Please RSVP by June 16 so we can reserve enough space.

We hope to see you all there.

Peter Matukas
Toronto Local Circle Convener

Running a micro-firm means you’re not just practicing law—you’re building trust, navigating conflict, and managing the relationships that drive results. In this discussion, Xan Raskin brings together two lenses: leading a law firm focused on workplace investigations and running a management consulting practice.

You’ll learn practical, lawyer-friendly ways to strengthen the “people side” of your work—self-awareness, communication, active listening, time management, and simple frameworks that create a real competitive advantage. A core focus is understanding your own work style and personality patterns—how you show up under pressure, how that lands with others, and how to adapt to different clients and colleagues.

Leave with tips and tools you can use immediately to set expectations, deepen relationships, and build a more sustainable practice.

Deadline to Register: June 16, 2026

Zoom Information

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83138566633?pwd=OHmfoaGBHxrPysVlJbEVMHAAsH03Zk.1

Meeting ID: 831 3856 6633

Passcode: 214868

Staci Dresher is the hosting Elks member (and she reports the drinks are tasty and inexpensive!).

See you soon!

Your co-conveners,

Kym McCourt, Staci Dresher, and Gabi Handler Marks

I am delighted to invite you to a new meeting of the AWI Quebec Circle. This virtual gathering will offer a casual and welcoming space to connect with peers, talk through the challenges of complex investigations, share ideas and best practices, and learn from one another. It’s also a great opportunity to build meaningful connections and help grow a supportive, engaged community of workplace investigators here in Quebec. Looking forward to exchanging with you!

Is it just me, or does a full moon actually change your caseload?

Grab your lunch and join us for our June virtual group discussion. We’re getting together to talk shop, share strategies, and bounce ideas off each other.

On the Agenda:

• What drives your investigations? Full moons, spring fever, warm fronts, holidays, or company parties—let’s talk seasonal surges
• The evolving ER function: What does the shifting corporate landscape mean for the future of internal investigations?
• AI tips and tricks: Practical ways to use AI for more efficient investigative report writing. Open Floor: Bring your current headaches, wins, or anything else you want to put to the group

No formal presentations—just real talk with people who get it. See you there!

Whether you are looking for feedback on difficult investigation issues, navigating evolving workplace dynamics, or simply interested in hearing how others are approaching similar situations, we hope you will join us for a collaborative, supportive discussion amongst colleagues.

Registration deadline: June 19

Network with other investigators in the area, share updates, and discuss relevant topics impacting our work. We meet by zoom on the last Thursday of every month from 12 - 1pm PT.

RSVP - You will receive the Zoom link with your registration confirmation.

Please feel free to e-mail me directly if you have items you’d like to discuss at either this meeting or in the future.

We hope to see you on June 25!

Grab your lunch and join Natalie Lynch, Founder of Treaty Oak Employers' Law Group, for a monthly lunchtime deep dive into AWI webinar content.

Each session we screen a featured webinar together at 1.5× speed, then spend the last 30 minutes in open discussion — sharing reactions, real-world challenges, and takeaways.

Our first screening: Investigation Conundrums — exploring the situations that test your credibility as an investigator. Should you be investigating a complaint from someone whose last two complaints you also handled? Should the case go to a third party given who the allegations are against?

Come ready to weigh in. No prep required — we watch together! Hosted by the Texas Circle and open to all AWI members. Free for AWI members.

Kindly RSVP so we can ensure you receive the Zoom link and session details by July 3

Got a thorny issue you’ve been mulling over? A topic you’re eager to explore? Send your ideas to Kym McCourt at kym@insightcounsel.com — we’d love to include your questions or discussion points in the agenda. We’re looking forward to a lively and thoughtful conversation.

See you soon!

Your co-conveners,

Kym McCourt, Staci Dresher, and Gabi Handler Marks

This session is a practitioner's playbook — packed with real-world tips and tricks for defending your work when you are under oath and under fire. Whether you are an investigator who may one day be deposed, or an attorney preparing a witness, this is the session you did not know you needed.

1. Recognize the most common tools – and traps – opposing counsel use with investigators — and how to handle them
2. Master practical techniques for answering questions about promptness, impartiality, and thoroughness under pressure
3. Apply documentation and investigation habits today that will make you a bulletproof witness tomorrow
4. Learn what seasoned deposition veterans know — from someone who has actually been in that chair, repeatedly

About the presenter – Sue Ann Van Dermyden, Esq. AWI-CH

Our presenter has been deposed more times than most lawyers have taken depositions. As a veteran investigator and employment attorney, she has sat across the table from opposing counsel — under oath, on the record — and lived to tell about it. What she learned in that chair has helped shape how Sue Ann and her team conduct investigations today. 

Network with other investigators in the area, share updates, and discuss relevant topics impacting our work. We meet by zoom on the last Thursday of every month from 12 - 1pm PT.

RSVP - You will receive the Zoom link with your registration confirmation.

Please feel free to e-mail me directly if you have items you’d like to discuss at either this meeting or in the future.

We hope to see you on July 30!

We’re looking forward to meeting you all.

Susan Arduengo and Carrie McFadden
AWI Membership & Marketing Committee Co-Chairs

Each session we screen a featured webinar together at 1.5× speed, then spend the last 30 minutes in open discussion — sharing reactions, real-world challenges, and takeaways.

Our next screening: Workplace Investigations: The Do's and Don'ts From Our Time in the Trenches — a practical look at conducting impartial investigations involving allegations of employee misconduct, from harassment to dishonesty and beyond. Taught from the perspective of two attorney investigators who also retain and oversee outside investigators, this session covers not just best practices but what to avoid and why — whether you're investigating by video conference or in person.

Come ready to weigh in. No prep required — we watch together! Hosted by the Texas Circle and open to all AWI members. Free for AWI members.

Kindly RSVP so we can ensure you receive the Zoom link and session details by July 31

Join us for our next quarterly meeting of the Internal Investigators Affinity Group. This meeting will provide a forum for participants to come together for a roundtable discussion on a topic of interest that relates to issues pertaining to those who lead internal investigation units or conduct investigations within a company/organization.

This Affinity Group provides an open forum for questions, to network, exchange ideas, and provide support in a supportive, non-competitive environment.

Please RSVP to receive the Zoom link. Space is limited so please register by August 25.