Law History Profiles

With a passion for protecting human rights, recent graduate Flora Vineberg knew early on that she wanted to go to law school. At a young age her mother took her to a memorial for the Montreal Massacre, the tragic shooting that took place at the The École Polytechnique in 1989: “It was sort of my first exposure to the idea of injustice,” she said. “I guess as I grew up and matured, my thoughts were able to progress and I just realized that knowledge is power. One of the best ways to combat injustice, to foster inclusion and to give a voice to the voiceless is through the law.”

Michela Fiorido is a Lawyer at Harris & Company LLP (“Harris”) in Vancouver. The core focus of Michela’s practice concerns a variety of legal issues pertaining to the entertainment and performing arts sectors. She frequently advises and represents clients in relation to employment law, human rights law, and privacy law.

Recently called to the bar, Jessie Ramsay is looking forward to developing her legal career in Chilliwack, where she grew up and spent most of her childhood. After completing a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in First Nations studies from the University of British Columbia (UBC), Ramsay went straight from her undergraduate studies to law school. Indeed, law school was the only option for Ramsay – there wasn’t a backup plan.

Assistant Professor Efrat Arbel is a highly-accomplished alumna and one of the newer members of the Allard School of Law faculty.  She earned her doctorate from Harvard Law School in 2012, where she worked under the supervision of Dean Martha Minow.  She holds a BA from McGill University, a JD from UBC, and completed her LLM studies at Harvard Law School before proceeding with her doctorate.  Dr.

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.

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.

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.

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?

Katy Allen graded from the law school at UBC with the JD class of 2012. She currently works as an Associate in the Labour, Employment, and Human Rights Group in the Vancouver office of Lawson Lundell LLP (“Lawson Lundell”). Her work continually brings her before a variety of administrative bodies relating to employment, labour, and human rights as well as all levels of court in British Columbia. Allen has a keen interest in the intersection between human rights law and employment as well as questions arising from cannabis legalization.

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.

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.

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.

Emigrating from Poland at the age of 9, Alice Davidson worked hard in her youth leading to a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from the Schulich School of Business at York University before graduating from the law school at UBC in the Class of 2011 from the JD Program. Prior to pursuing her legal education, Davidson worked as a Contracts Associate at Schneider Electric in Burnaby, British Columbia.

Jon Conlin is an alumnus of the Class of 2011 and graduate of the Business Law Concentration program. Originally from Vancouver, Conlin attended Washington State University where he received a BA in Political Science and played NCAA football for the Washington State Cougars. After graduation he began working for Fasken in Vancouver as a member of the Technology group. He currently works as a member of the Mergers and Acquisitions (M & A) team at Fasken with a focus on companies in the technology and health sciences sectors.