Law360 (August 28, 2020, 5:02 PM EDT) -- Patrice Walch-Watson says she often feels like a firefighter as general counsel of the $392 billion Canada Pension Plan Investment Board.

And if the former Torys LLP partner is a firefighter, the immense plan is a vast and varied landscape of forested mountains, brushy hills, cities and plains; each burns differently, presenting its own challenges. She said she works long and unpredictable hours, traveling frequently — at least before COVID-19 struck — between six offices in five countries and working with more than 30 legal staffers who make it all manageable.

"I have had the great fortune of having hired a really high-performing, collaborative, cohesive team of people to support me in what I do," Walch-Watson said.

Walch-Watson is more than the general counsel for the plan, which is among the world's largest. She's also senior managing director and corporate secretary.

Her performance there has landed her among 13 corporate counsel named Legends in Law by the Burton Awards this year. She was nominated by Les Parrette, former general counsel of Novelis and Deputy Chair of the Burton Awards

"When I consulted my network of professionals in Canada, there was one name that was mentioned on every list: Patrice Walch-Watson," Parrette said. "I extend my warmest and heartfelt congratulations to Patrice on her remarkable career and standing as one of the legal profession's leading lights. There has never been a more deserving recipient of the Legend in Law Award."

Walch-Watson was slated to be honored in-person at the Burton Awards' June ceremony at the Library of Congress, but the event was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. The next ceremony is scheduled for June 14, 2021. Law360 is a sponsor of the Burton Awards.

In a recent interview, Walch-Watson credited her 23 years at Canadian BigLaw firm Torys LLP with preparing her for her role at the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board.

She said that at Torys, she handled mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, corporate governance and restructuring. Each of those experiences has been useful to her in her work as general counsel, and her work on Torys' executive committee prepared her for her other leadership roles in the fund.

The fires that require her attention include shifting policies across the globe as more governments implement protectionist policies. The trend has posed some problems, as well as some opportunities, Walch-Watson said.

Even so, it's one of many sources of concern for her — another fire to put out, she said.

"Making sure our organization understands where our lines are, what's OK and what's not OK, staying on top of the multitudes of constant changes and regulations and laws across the world," she said. "I worry about that."

--Editing by Kelly Duncan and Emily Kokoll.

Correction: A previous version of this story contained an incorrect title for Walch-Watson. The error has been corrected.

For a reprint of this article, please contact reprints@law360.com.