Law History Profiles

Aside from being a successful lawyer at Osler, Hoskin, & Harcourt LLP, Steven Ngo is also a self-described "social entrepreneur". He co-founded a chapter of the Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers (FACL) in Alberta and also founded Healing Using Music (HUM), a musical not-for-profit organization that helps disadvantaged and at risk populations attain happiness and joy through music.

You call yourself a social entrepreneur, can you tell us what that means to you?

Alain Saint-Onge is a graduate of the JD class of 2014 from the Peter A. Allard School of Law. He currently works as an Associate in the Employment & Labour Group at the Calgary office of Stikeman Elliott LLP (“Stikeman Elliott”). His practice focuses on a diverse range of matters relating to employment and labour law as well as privacy law and human rights. He has ample experience regarding employment contracts, arbitration, employment standards, and the Labour Relations Board.

"When I was born, the doctors told my parents that there had been a tragedy," says Josh Vander Vies, who has no arms and no legs. "They painted such a bleak story." Now at 29, Vander Vies has charted a course filled with achievements: elite athlete, abstract painter, motivational speaker and father of two. In June 2014, he will add a law degree from the University of British Columbia to the list before working towards his next goal: competing at the 2014 World Boccia Championships in Beijing.

Adam Way graduated with the 2014 JD class from the Peter A. Allard School of Law. He currently works at Harper Grey LLP (“Harper Grey”) in Vancouver as an Associate in the firm’s Environmental, Commercial, and Construction Law Groups.

The Allard School of Law is pleased to welcome Dr. Asha Kaushal, who recently joined the faculty as an Assistant Professor (tenure-track). Dr. Kaushal is an alumna of the Allard School of Law, where she earned her Ph.D. in 2013. She holds an LL.B. from Osgoode Hall and an LL.M. from Harvard, along with an M.Sc. in International Political Economy from the London School of Economics. She joins the Allard School of Law following a SSHRC Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Law at the University of Toronto. Prior to embarking on her Ph.D., Dr.

What started as stress relief activity during law school turned into passion that would eventually lead to being published in the New Yorker. Zoe Si (JD, 2013) is a lawyer and cartoonist whose cartoons have gained quite the following of fans who can relate to her witty and thoughtful reflections on life, and recently, on isolation. We recently had the opportunity to chat with Zoe about her career and life as an artist.

Have you always been a cartoonist? How did you get started in the field?

Victor Gerchikov is an Associate at the Vancouver office of Stikeman Elliott LLP (“Stikeman Elliott”). His legal practice primarily centres on commercial and corporate matters ranging from securities to mergers and acquisitions. He works alongside the Corporate and Securities Group at Stikeman Elliott.

Mark McPhee is a graduate from the JD class of 2013 and is currently an Associate at Harper Grey LLP (“Harper Grey”) in Vancouver. Prior to attending law school, McPhee studied at both Kwantlen Polytechnic University and the University of British Columbia Okanagan. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Political Science in 2009 from the University of British Columbia Okanagan.

Millie Bojic graduated with a juris doctor in 2013, and completed a business law concentration through UBC Law’s Centre for Business Law. She has recently returned from Paris as head delegate and volunteer ambassador for the Young Diplomats of Canada. UBC Law caught up with her to learn about her important work in international diplomacy.

What have you been up to since you graduated in 2013?

Many law students pursue exchange semesters as a way to travel before entering practice, but for Dustin Klaudt, the CBA Young Lawyers International Program (YLIP) provided a chance to continue travelling, even after being called to the bar in BC. The program, with funding from Global Affairs Canada, places young law graduates at internships with organizations working in law reform, human rights, and access to justice in various countries in Africa, East and South Asia, and the Caribbean.

Claire Haaf is an Associate at Whitelaw Twining Law Corporation (“Whitelaw Twining”) in Vancouver. Her legal practice primarily focuses on personal injury litigation. Haaf has experience appearing before both the Provincial and Supreme Court of British Columbia.

Leah George-Wilson is a member of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation (“TWN”) located in North Vancouver. She was the first woman to hold the office of Elected Chief for the TWN, a position she held from 2001-2003 and 2005–2009, and has been involved in the TWN for many years in various capacities. For instance, Ms. George-Wilson was a member of the TWN’s negotiating team in the British Columbia Treaty Process, TWN Self-Government Coordinator, and Director of the TWN Treaty, Land and Resources Department.

Camille Chisholm is a graduate from the JD class of 2012 from the law school at UBC. Prior to attending law school she completed a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from UBC in 2007. She currently works as an Associate at Lawson Lundell LLP (“Lawson Lundell”) in the firm’s Litigation and Disputes Group. Her practice primarily focuses on commercial and real estate litigation and she has experience appearing before all levels of court in British Columbia.

Derek Frenette is a Partner at Alexander Holburn Beaudin + Lang LLP (“Alexander Holburn”). At Alexander Holburn, Frenette’s practice is largely litigation focused with a concentration in wills and estates, employment, and commercial law. Frenette works alongside numerous teams at Alexander Holburn, ranging from the Wills, Estates, and Trusts team to the Intellectual Property and Technology working group. Over the course of his practice Frenette has appeared before the British Columbia Supreme Court, the British Columbia Provincial Court, and a variety of administrative tribunals.

Dr. Russo obtained his LLB, LLM and PhD degrees from the Peter A. Allard School of Law, where he is currently a Lecturer. His research has been primarily in the area of immigration and labour law and he has published several peer-reviewed articles in this field. He has also held previous teaching appointments at the law school, and has taught first-year Torts, Transnational Law and Public Law in the JD program, as well as Advanced Legal Research and Writing and subjects in the LLM CL and Distance Learning programs.

Angela Crimeni is an Associate at the Vancouver office of Stikeman Elliott LLP (“Stikeman Elliott”) in the firm’s Litigation & Dispute Resolution Group. With extensive experience in litigation, Crimeni’s practice traverses many diverse areas of law ranging from employment agreements to securities regulation. She has appeared before all levels of court in British Columbia and also has experience with proceedings before the British Columbia Securities Commission.

Brad Cocke is a Partner at Harris & Company LLP (“Harris”), a well-regarded labour and employment firm located in Vancouver. Cocke works with both public and private sector employers, addressing his clients’ needs in relation to a variety of legal matters involving labour law, employment law, and human rights law.

Patricia Barkaskas is the Academic Director of the Allard School of Law (“Allard”) Indigenous Community Legal Clinic, and the incoming director of the Allard Judicial Externship Program. In addition to working closely with law students in these capacities, Barkaskas is a sole practitioner, practicing in the areas of child protection (as parent’s counsel) as well as criminal and family law.

Kyla Lee (JD ’11) is a criminal defence lawyer with Acumen Law Corporation in Vancouver, focusing on drinking and driving offences. Kyla hosts a podcast, Driving Law, which discusses current criminal law matters in BC and Canada. As well, Kyla generously supports one Allard School of Law student each year through the Kyla Lee Indigenous Law Students Award.

Note: Responses are paraphrased

What drove you to pursue law school and what inspired you to practice criminal law?

Affectionately referred to as “aunty” amongst Indigenous students at the Allard School of Law, Dana-Lyn Mackenzie is the Associate Director of the Indigenous Legal Studies Program. Whether it’s advising Indigenous students on course selection, connecting students with alumni or advocating for the Indigenous community within the law school and the University, Dana-Lyn plays an important role amongst the Indigenous study body. Her efforts were recognized in the summer of 2016 with the prestigious President’s Staff Award for Advancing Diversity and Inclusion.