The Alberta Securities Commission (ASC) has announced the appointment of Samir Sabharwal as General Counsel, effective immediately. Mr. Sabharwal has been serving as Acting General Counsel since the May 2018 appointment of Kari Horn to the role of Vice-Chair.
Samir is highly qualified for this role, having served as the ASC’s Associate General Counsel for the past nine years,” said Stan Magidson, Chair and Chief Executive Officer. “In that role, he developed critical legislative amendments in conjunction with staff of the Government of Alberta on multiple occasions, and was significantly involved in preparing the Canadian Securities Administrators’ response to the International Monetary Fund during its most recent positive assessment of Canada’s capital markets. He has distinguished himself as being able to provide thoughtful and insightful analysis to complex matters, a skill that will serve him well in his new role.
As General Counsel, Mr. Sabharwal will be a member of the ASC’s senior management team, leading the Office of the General Counsel (OGC). The OGC provides research, analysis and advice to the Commission Members and ASC staff on emerging issues as well as guidance on the interpretation of securities laws and policies. Staff in the OGC deal with policy initiatives related to corporate governance and are also responsible for the corporate secretarial and legislative functions at the ASC.
As Associate General Counsel, Mr. Sabharwal assisted in carrying out the duties of the OGC. In addition, he represented the Executive Director and the Commission in litigation matters not related to proceedings commenced by the ASC’s Enforcement division. Prior to his appointment as Associate General Counsel, Mr. Sabharwal was Legal Counsel within the OGC and Litigation Counsel within the ASC’s Enforcement division.
Before joining the ASC in 2005, he was Legal Counsel at the Financial Services Commission of Ontario (FSCO), where he provided legal advice on issues related to the regulation of the financial services sector, and conducted hearings and trials before tribunals, arbitrators and the Ontario Courts in administrative, civil and quasi-criminal proceedings.
Mr. Sabharwal obtained a Bachelor of Laws from Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto in 1998, and was called to the Ontario and Alberta bars in 2000 and 2004, respectively.
The ASC is the regulatory agency responsible for administering the province’s securities laws. It is entrusted with fostering a fair and efficient capital market in Alberta and with protecting investors. As a member of the Canadian Securities Administrators, the ASC works to improve, coordinate and harmonize the regulation of Canada’s capital markets.