Lisa Mantello
Secretary, CASLA | Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
Lisa Mantello is an experienced transactional lawyer recognized for her creative problem-solving and strategic counsel. She practices across all areas of financial services, with specialized expertise in domestic and cross-border financing transactions, structured finance, and derivatives. Advising pension funds and other institutional investors, Lisa draws on deep practical experience from her involvement in the most complex and dynamic Canadian structured finance transactions of the last decade. Leveraging her exceptional background in derivatives, Lisa has strategically built a market-leading practice at Osler, establishing the firm as the legal advisor of choice for derivatives in Canada. She serves as primary Canadian counsel for the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA). In this capacity, her work includes drafting and publishing the Netting and Collateral opinions for Canada, Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, and Québec, which are relied upon globally by ISDA members and market participants. Lisa is consistently recognized as a leading lawyer by the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory for derivatives, by Best Lawyers in Canada for banking and finance, and is Highly Regarded by IFLR 1000 for banking, finance, derivatives, and financial restructuring. Named one of the Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers in Canada for 2023, she speaks and writes extensively on the derivatives industry, fintech, and cross-border financings. She also serves on the Finance Advisory Board for Practical Law Canada, established by Carswell.
Samantha D’Eramo
Coordinator, CASLA | State Street
Samantha D’Eramo is an Assistant Vice President at State Street Bank and Trust, where she manages key lending relationships for Canadian asset owners and asset managers within State Street Markets’ Financing Solutions. She advises clients on tailored securities finance programs and supports financing solutions designed to optimize lending strategies and liquidity management. Since joining State Street in 2015, Samantha has held progressive roles across Alternative Investment Services, Institutional Investor Services, and Financing Solutions, developing broad expertise in client servicing, operational strategy, and growth initiatives. She holds a Bachelor of Business and Society from York University with a specialization in Global Economics and currently serves as Executive Coordinator of the Canadian Securities Lending Association (CASLA).
Jacob Smolack
Treasurer, CASLA | KPMG
Jacob is an audit partner in KPMG’s asset management practice in Toronto, specializing in audit and assurance related to asset managers and related funds in the alternative investment space and retail fund space. Jacob has over 18 years of experience serving financial institutions in both Canada and the United States, including experience in banking, insurance, asset management, pension, as well as advising on the accounting for business combinations. He holds an MBA from Fordham University.
