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CCCA_V4No4_Global-FIN.qxd:CCCA_V1No1_DriversSeat-FIN.qxd 10/27/10 3:07 PM Page 22 Feature and US$10 billion in sales. He oversees 200 professionals in vari- Vince Lalonde ous fields all over the world. General counsel, Westlead Capital Inc. Along the way, Bourassa has been directly involved in a number Taipei, Taiwan of high-profile international transactions,the kind in which corpo- rate counsel play a pivotal role.In 1999,R.J.Reynolds International was sold by the defunct RJR Nabisco group to JapanTobacco Inc, the former tobacco monopoly of Japan. “That transaction,in and of itself,remains one of the highlights of my career,” says Bourassa.“Not only [were there] the transac- tional challenges, but also the cultural implications of moving from a seat-of-your-pants U.S. organization to a former Japanese government-owned monopoly. “Not only was that deal a great success — at the time, the biggest foreign acquisition by any Japanese business — we then went on to complete the acquisition in 2007 of a major com- petitor, UK- based Gallaher Limited, which was an even bigger foreign acquisition by a Japanese company,” recalls Bourassa. “The rapid and successful integration of various cultures into one seamless organization, and the chance to be part of that, was extraordinary.” He has also been busy with litigation.“We’ve been a fairly pop- ular target for plaintiffs’lawyers and governmental authorities,from Ottawa to Moscow, via Brussels, and points in between,” Bourassa says.“The chance to work on bet-your-company claims,with top- tier outside counsel around the world — not to mention negoti- ating with senior government officials in different countries — is extremely enriching, both professionally and personally.” Although Bourassa is based at JTI’s headquarters in Geneva, his position demands constant travel. Over the past two years alone, Bourassa has flown the equivalent of going around the world more than eight times.“Knowing how to pace yourself and stay in shape are critical,” he says. What does Bourassa advise for Canadian corporate counsel who might wish to follow in his footsteps? “The first thing I will say to Canadian lawyers wanting to work abroad is this:You live in a country with two official languages. Learn them,” he says.“I am still amazed at and humbled by people who are fluent in four or five languages or more. “Even though it requires more of an effort for those with English as a mother tongue simply because the entire business world already speaks your language, you will only gain in oppor- tunities at every level if you can learn a couple more languages,” he says.“The mere fact that you are seen as making the effort to learn a new language will also open doors for you,and make your CRAIG FERGUSON own integration a lot easier once you land abroad.” Bourassa also suggests “leveraging your Canadian-ness: At the risk of over-generalizing or falling into stereotypes,we have a great 22 CCCA Canadian Corporate Counsel Association WINTER 2010