WALIED SOLIMANToronto-based attorney-at-law, and chair of Norton,Rose & Fulbright Canada LLP

What are your first impressions of Kingston?

Vibrant. Full of spirit and activity.

What’s the most memorable meal that you have enjoyed in Kingston?

A Jamaican breakfast at Strawberry Hill. My favourite menu item was the bammy!

What would you do if you were mayor of Kingston for a day?

I would tell all of the citizens to dream big.

What would be your recommendations to a first-time visitor to Kingston?

Visit the mountains and drink the Blue Mountain coffee.

For the fields of law and politics where winning is critical, does maintaining one’s integrity become fantasy?

Absolutely not. Integrity is critical to success!

Successfully separating donors from their money relies on what motives other than impulse and recognition?

The most important motive is doing good. For instance, Kingsdale Shareholder Services Founder & CEO Wes Hall and his family are significant philanthropists. I can assure you that they treat every donation as an investment, not by impulse and they don’t care for recognition.

What are the new stakes in the business of mergers and acquisition?

Always be on your toes!

Which corporate job title or tier is the most dispensable during organisational restructures?

Head of corporate development. You can always find another one.

In pleading your case at the Christmas holiday dinner table, who comes to your defence and under what domestic circumstances?

My wife Deena!

When it came to being picked as a member of a team as a child, did you fall in the selection closer to first or closer to last, and what did it teach you about group dynamics?

Usually closer to the end. I was never good at sports. What did it teach me? To focus on something other than sports!