2026 ADVISORY BOARD

A smiling woman with shoulder-length gray hair, wearing a colorful floral-patterned top, against a neutral background.

Lydia Bugden, K.C.

Chief Executive Officer and Managing Partner

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Lydia is the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Partner of Stewart McKelvey, being called to the Nova Scotia Bar in 1992 and the Ontario Bar in 1994. After seven years as in-house counsel Lydia joined Stewart McKelvey in September 1999.

She is recognized in her profession previously being named Top 40 Under 40 by LEXPERT Magazine, and over the years has been noted as a leading corporate-commercial practitioner in a number of legal publications. Lydia gives her time as a member of the board of NetZero Atlantic and is Vice Chair of Ovarian Cancer Canada.

She sits on the UNB Law Dean’s Advisory Council and Co-Chairs the UNB Law Campaign Cabinet. Lydia is a recipient of The Progress Club’s “Women of Excellence” Award, was named one of the top leading women lawyers in Canada receiving a Lexpert “Zenith Award” in 2022 was inducted into Atlantic Business Magazine’s Top 50 CEOs Hall of Fame and in 2023 was named one of Atlantic Canada’s Most Powerful Women in Business.