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Established by Bencher consensus Sept. 27, 2019 as Practice Foundations Advisory Committee in response to the articling survey results. Benchers agreed to disband Practice Foundations Task Force and replace with more targeted Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and Lawyer Competence Committees Dec. 5, 2019.
Kathleen Ryan QC was born and raised in Edmonton. She received her Bachelor of Arts (with distinction) in 1988 and her Bachelor of Laws in 1991, both from the University of Alberta. She was admitted to the Alberta Bar in 1992.
She is a litigation partner at DLA Piper (Canada) LLP in Edmonton. She practices in a number of litigation fields including consumer and injury litigation, professional negligence, employment litigation, and commercial litigation. Since 2016, she has been recognized annually by Best Lawyers in Canada (Corporate and Commercial Litigation). She has twice been recognized by Lexpert as a Leading Practitioner in Canada (Personal Injury Litigation).
Kathleen received her Queen’s Counsel (QC) designation in 2012. She was elected as a Bencher of the Law Society of Alberta in 2011, 2014 and 2017 and served on the Law Society of Alberta Board for nine years. Ms. Ryan was named one of Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 for 2013, was a WILL award recipient (Women in Law Leadership – broader roles) in 2017, and received the ACTLA President’s Award in 2019. Ms. Ryan has been a director of the Alberta Law Reform Institute since 2019, She is a board member of the St. Thomas More Lawyers’ Guild (and a past President) and the Alberta Civil Trial Lawyers Association, ex officio (and a past President). She was the President of the Edmonton Ringette Club from 2013 to 2017. Ms. Ryan co-chaired the Creating Safe Spaces Anti-Bullying breakfast from 2010 through 2013. Ms. Ryan has been a presenter at numerous legal seminars and was guest lecturer at the University of Alberta in Professional Responsibility (Ethics in Negotiations). She has frequently taught or evaluated the CPLED course in Negotiations from 2001 through 2018. Ms. Ryan is the Chair of the Law Society of Alberta Equity Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee and the Lawyer Competence Advisory Committee. She also continues her service to the Law Society as a Non-Bencher Adjudicator.
Jason Harley is a lawyer at McLennan Ross LLP, practicing in the Labour and Employment group. Jason’s practice focuses upon workplace investigations, specialized investigations, employee disciplinary matters and grievance arbitrations. In addition to practicing in Alberta, Jason is called to the bars of the Northwest Territories and the Yukon. Jason holds a Bachelor of Arts and Juris Doctorate from the University of Alberta and a Master of Arts from Royal Roads University. As a NCCP certified baseball coach, Jason spends much of his free time coaching youth baseball.
Andy Hayher is a Partner at Vogel LLP and practises in the area of family law as a lawyer, mediator and arbitrator. He has appeared before the Provincial Court of Alberta, the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta and the Alberta Court of Appeal on a number of occasions. He has been involved in multiple leave to appeal applications before the Supreme Court of Canada as well. Andy has been faculty at LESA seminars and acted as faculty at the National Judicial Institute.
Tina’s early practice involved in family, criminal, labour, civil litigation, corporate and estate files. She commenced solely practicing in the area of family law in 2008, with a special interest in appellate work, and arbitration of family disputes. Tina started her own firm in 2012, and practices in an association with 4 other lawyers. She became a nationally certified arbitrator in 2015, and is currently a designated Chartered Arbitrator. Tina is in the process of transitioning her practice from litigation to working as a mediator/arbitrator and appellate practice only.
Tina has chaired numerous Legal Education Society of Alberta (LESA) panels, and presented for both LESA and the Canadian Bar Association (CBA) over the years. She was a sessional instructor for Techniques in Negotiations at the University of Alberta Faculty of Law for 5 years, and has guest lectured numerous times for other courses. She has also been a volunteer instructor with Canadian Centre for Professional Legal Education (CPLED), teaching oral advocacy.
Tina has been involved with the LSA as a Practice Review Officer since 2016, and previously served on the LSA Family Law Advisory Committee. Over the years she has additionally volunteered as a Child Support Resolution officer; with the Edmonton Community Legal Centre; Habitat for Humanity (Law Build) Committee and mentoring patients diagnosed with oral cancer.
Raphael is a Disputes Associate with BLG Calgary and practices in the areas of insurance and tort liability, health care disputes, construction disputes and commercial litigation. Raphael has appeared before the Provincial Court of Alberta, Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench and at various ad hoc domestic and international arbitration proceedings. Raphael is a board member with the Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers (Western) and Secretary to the Canadian Bar Association’s Young Lawyer section.
Shetal Jas is a lawyer at Miller Thomson LLP, in the Real Estate group. She was called to the Alberta bar in 2019. Prior to being called to the Alberta bar, Shetal was a lawyer in Sydney, Australia (where she was born and raised). She completed her LLB at the University of Technology, Sydney and became a member of the Law Society of New South Wales in 2016.
Shetal is passionate about giving back to the community. She has volunteered for numerous charitable and non-profit organizations in Calgary and Sydney. Becoming a member of the Advisory Committee has continued her passion in this regard.
Mandy was called to the bar in Ontario and Alberta. She is a lawyer with the Alberta Justice and Solicitor General on the Municipal, Education and Service Alberta Legal Team and is proud to have been lead counsel on grant programs nearing $800 million and on complicated legislation projects. Mandy formerly worked in private practice as litigation counsel appearing before the Provincial Court of Alberta, the Court of Queen’s Bench, and the Alberta Court of Appeal. In a former life, she was a high school teacher for over 10 years. She provides pro bono legal counsel to the Edmonton Community Legal Clinic, is a Director with the Action Coalition on Human Trafficking (ACT), is an assessor for CPLED, volunteers with the Women in Leadership within government, and is the Vice President of the Alberta Justice and Civil Lawyers Association. Mandy has lived in five countries but is proud to call rural Alberta her home.
Kelsey Meyer is a partner at Bennett Jones LLP, with nearly 20 years’ experience advising clients in complex commercial litigation, insolvency and restructuring, and administrative law matters. She has appeared before all levels of court in Alberta and British Columbia, before the Supreme Court of Canada, and before a number of administrative tribunals. She has been recognized in the Legal 500 Canada, Benchmark Litigation Canada, the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, and in the Lexpert Guide to the Leading U.S./Canada Cross-border Litigation Lawyers in Canada. She has a proven track record of hard work and dedication to her clients, colleagues and community. Kelsey is the volunteer coordinator of the Alberta Lawyers’ Assistance Society’s New Parents Practicing Law program in Calgary. She serves as the secretary on her son’s school and parent councils. She is a volunteer member of the International Women’s Insolvency and Restructuring Confederation’s Education Committee, and has served as a member of the Turnaround Management Association’s Network of Women’s Global Committee. She has served on the board of directors of Champions Career Centre, which assists people with disabilities in finding employment. At Bennett Jones, she has acted as a principal to eight articling students and as a formal (and informal) mentor to many junior lawyers, and is a member of the firm’s Associate Liaison Committee. She regularly speaks at legal conferences and seminars and has authored numerous articles on insolvency, property tax, and energy law. Her clients and colleagues appreciate her as dedicated, incredibly hard-working and a valued collaborative and collegial team member. Kelsey’s colleagues appreciate her fierce commitment to what is right, and her devotion to building and maintaining a positive culture of collegiality, mentorship, and support. Kelsey was born and raised in Lethbridge. She received her BASc (with distinction) from the University of Lethbridge in 1999 and her LLB from the University of Victoria in 2002. She began her legal career as an articling student at Bennett Jones LLP in 2002. Kelsey and her husband enjoy spending time with their six-year old son.
Terri-Lee Oleniuk is a partner in the Calgary office of Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP. Her practice focuses on project-related issues concerning natural-resource development with a specialization in regulatory, environmental and Aboriginal law issues. Terri-Lee acts for a variety of companies in environmental assessments and regulatory proceedings to obtain approvals for major developments in the oil and gas, pipeline, mining, natural-gas processing, petrochemical, electricity transmission, hydro, solar and wind sectors. She advises clients on tolls and tariffs and provides strategic advice regarding ESG matters. Terri-Lee is the Practice Group Leader of the Firm’s Regulatory group in Calgary, a member of the Blakes Partnership Committee, and chairs the Calgary Women@Blakes initiative. She is on the executive of the Canadian Bar Association’s National Environmental, Energy and Resources Law (NEERLS) section, is a director of the Canadian Renewable Energy Association and is an independent director of an Alberta-based private power company. She holds a Bachelor of Science and Juris Doctorate from the University of Saskatchewan and a Master of Laws in Energy and Infrastructure Law from Osgoode Hall Law School.
Adam Pasichnyk is pleased to have been reappointed to the Lawyer Competence Advisory Committee for another year. Adam graduated from the University of Alberta’s School of Business with a Bachelor of Commerce in 2012, with distinction and a major in accounting. He then graduated from the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Law in 2015, with distinction, and received numerous awards, including the Felesky Flynn Scholarship in Taxation Law, the Honourable JJ Stratton QC Scholarship in corporate and commercial law, the Anthony (Tony) Cairo Memorial Prize in Professional Responsibility and the Canadian Energy Law Foundation Prize. After articling with the Department of Justice Canada and the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, Adam was called to the bar in 2016. Since then, Adam has carried on a litigation practice with the Department of Justice Canada, with a focus on tax litigation. Occasionally, Adam volunteers with the Edmonton Community Legal Centre.
Ivanna Perozak is a Deputy Chief Prosecutor in the Appeals & Specialized Prosecutions Office of the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service (ACPS). She is one of the coordinators for the Ministry of Justice and Solicitor General’s Articling Program. Ivanna graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1993. After articling with the Crown’s Office in Peel Region, she was called to the Ontario bar in 1995. Ivanna was a prosecutor with the Ministry of the Attorney General in Ontario until 2001, when she joined the Public Prosecution Service of Canada as a federal prosecutor in Calgary. In 2011, Ivanna moved to the ACPS as a Crown prosecutor in Specialized Prosecutions and in 2016, she became the Director of Education for the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service (2016-2022).
Charlene Scheffelmair is an Associate Lawyer with Davidson & Williams LLP in Lethbridge, Alberta. Charlene completed her law degree in Kamloops, B.C. and prior to law school, she completed her Bachelor of Education as a member of the joint Medicine Hat College/Mount Royal University collaboration program. While completing her studies in Medicine Hat she was a corporate legal assistant. Charlene is actively involved in the legal community both nationally and provincially. She also volunteers her time locally on the Board of Directors of the YWCA Lethbridge and District as the Vice President of Governance and Legislation, and the Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce as Chair of the Young Business Professional committee and as a member of the Convenor committee. In her free time, Charlene enjoys playing piano, knitting and spending time with her fur babies, Phoebe, Frankie, and Ellie.
Lisa Silver is a proud Calgarian, lawyer, educator and avid blogger. She is an Associate Professor at the University of Calgary, Faculty of Law, where she teaches criminal law, evidence and is the course director for the 3L advocacy program. She writes and researches in an extensive range of topics including sentencing, judicial decision-making and the admissibility of expert and digital evidence. She is the author of Criminal Law Defences, 5th Edition with Pat Knoll, QC. Lisa maintains her own award-winning law blog and regularly contributes to the Faculty’s ABlawg website. She was awarded the Faculty of Law’s Howard Tidswell Memorial Award for Teaching Excellence in 2016-2017. Lisa sits on various boards and committees.