In early November, UNB Law celebrated one of its finest. Frederick McElman, CM, K.C. (LLB’78), joined the ranks of a select group of law alumni, receiving the 2024 Ilsa Greenblatt Shore Distinguished Graduate Award at the fall Faculty of Law Academic Awards Night. It was a fitting tribute to his remarkable legal career and enduring impact on the community.
Addressing an audience of students, colleagues, and family, Mr. McElman shared a heartfelt message about seizing opportunities and valuing the privilege of receiving a university education.
"My wife and I are both of a generation where our parents could not go to university. My father wanted to be a lawyer, but that was not available to him. When I look at the next generation, all the cousins, nephews, and nieces, I see over twenty post-secondary graduates—one generation coming out of the depression to the next. That is a tremendous opportunity. We have to step back from time to time and think about what has been handed to us from other generations.”
McElman graduated from UNB with a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in 1972, followed by a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from UNB Law in 1978. He went on to complete a Master of Laws (LLM) at Harvard Law School the following year. Reflecting on his academic journey, McElman expressed gratitude for the professors who influenced his path, including Karl Dore (LLB’67), John Williamson (LLB’73), Richard Bird (LLB’67), Anne McLellan, and the late Fernand Landry (LLB’72).
“I had the great advantage of some exceptional professors. They allowed me to pursue the academic paths I wanted. When I did go to graduate school, Karl Dore—who wrote a reference for me—opened that door. As you go through law school you have to acknowledge those who helped you and those who support you, and that goes back to your family as well.”
Since being called to the bar, McElman has built a distinguished career in business and regulatory law. Today, as a Partner at Stewart McKelvey's Fredericton office, he serves a diverse clientele, including government bodies, professional associations, boards of directors, construction firms, and business purchasers and sellers.
What is especially remarkable about McElman’s expertise is that it is as deep as it is broad. His excellence in the field is consistently recognized, with regular rankings in Lexpert and Best Lawyers for his skill in Banking and Finance, Intellectual Property Law, Corporate Commercial Law, Directors’ and Officers’ Liability Litigation, and Computer & IT Law.
Beyond his celebrated legal career, McElman has an impressive record of public and community service. He has had a major impact on international development focused on child welfare. For many years, he volunteered with Plan International and Foster Parents Plan. As the global chairperson of Plan International, one of the world’s major child sponsorship organizations, he led the governance, overseeing initiatives in 42 countries and supporting over 1.3 million children. He was on the Board of Plan International for over a decade. Another example of his devotion to children, McElman served as Chairperson and Director of the Foster Parents Plan of Canada.
“As much as Fred is a fierce litigator, he is a fervent advocate for the world’s poorest children,” said Dean Marin. “His professional persona is an imposing one, a lawyer known for his remarkable skill and intellect. But you can see that beneath the suit and the barrister’s robe, he is a loving man, who cares deeply for the most vulnerable in our society.”
Building on his message about seizing opportunities, McElman shared how a chance conversation with renowned securities lawyer Glorianne Stromberg deepened his involvement with Plan International. While working together on a case, they discovered a shared connection to the organization—McElman as a sponsor of a child through Foster Parents Plan and Stromberg through her active role within the organization.
“She opened the door for me to get involved in Plan and working in the developing world with families and communities who were in need. As you go through law school and your career, the lesson is not only to be open to opportunities, but you have to accept them when they arise. For me, that has led to some of the most meaningful work I've been able to do.”
In the New Brunswick legal community, McElman has been a longstanding contributor to professional education, having helped educate countless students, junior and senior lawyers through his time as a lecturer for UNB Law, a presenter for the Canadian Bar Association and the Law Society of New Brunswick, and active mentoring of students and young lawyers in his practice. He is a past president of the UNB Alumni Association and a former member of the Board of Governors, which he also served as Chair of the Properties and Audit Committees. McElman was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2002 and King’s Counsel in 2006. He was honored with the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012 and the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal in 2022.
Mr. McElman left the crowd of students with the following advice, “What law school imbued in me was a sense of duty, a sense of responsibility, and an obligation to the clients I serve. And, to meet the standards expected of the profession. You will have an opportunity to help other people, and that is an opportunity you should always take because at the end of the day, you are given these skills through your training and your effort and you need to find the opportunity to use them well, that's what you should seek, and that's what you should be open to.”
