2026 Conference Speakers

Mike Siméon is a Montreal-based solo practitioner whose practice focuses on civil and commercial litigation, class actions, and state liability, with a particular interest in privacy rights.

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Since 2020, he has been counsel to Joseph-Christopher Luamba in the constitutional challenge to suspicionless police traffic stops in Quebec. He has argued the case at every level: before the Superior Court of Quebec, which declared the random-stop power unconstitutional in 2022; before the Court of Appeal of Quebec, which unanimously upheld that ruling in 2024; and before the Supreme Court of Canada, which heard the appeal in January 2026.

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Mike was called to the Quebec Bar in January 2019 and began his career at Langlois Lawyers, practising civil and commercial litigation. There, he developed a strong interest in complex litigation, civil liability, and constitutional law. In October 2020, he started his solo practice.

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Before practising law, Mike served for ten years in the Primary Reserve of the Canadian Armed Forces. This included a deployment in 2010 to Haiti on the emergency humanitarian mission that followed the earthquake.

He holds a Bachelor's degree in political science with a minor in Arabic studies (2013) and a law degree (2017), both from the Université de Montréal.

Lavinia Latham, J.D., is a co-founding Partner at Alphonse Latham LLP, practising in human rights, employment law, and workplace investigations. She advises public sector organizations and private employers on complex workplace matters, including employee misconduct, harassment and discrimination complaints, terminations, and human rights compliance. Lavinia has litigated before courts and tribunals including the Supreme Court of Canada, the Ontario Court of Appeal, the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal, and the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal.
 

Beyond litigation, Lavinia regularly conducts independent third-party workplace investigations and provides strategic guidance on high-risk matters involving systemic discrimination, anti-Black racism, and leadership accountability. She also delivers corporate training on employment law, workplace investigations, employee benefits, and human rights to organizations navigating these issues. Recognized as a Lexpert Lawyer to Watch for her work in workplace human rights and workplace investigations, Lavinia runs a LinkedIn newsletter on employment law and human rights called Justice Times.
 

Lavinia previously served as Human Rights and Equity Advisor to the Toronto Catholic District School Board, where she delivered over 100 human rights and equity training sessions to administrators and staff. She was named a 2026 100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women honouree, is the former Vice President of the Black Female Lawyers Network and the current Director of Communications for the Canadian Association of Black Lawyers (CABL).

Morris Odeh is an associate in Gowling WLG’s Toronto office, practising in the firm’s Advocacy Department. His practice focuses on a wide range of complex commercial litigation, arbitration and dispute resolution matters across diverse industries, including construction, insurance, transportation, and financial sectors.

Prior to joining Gowling, Morris practised law at a full-service law firm abroad as a commercial litigator for several years. His experience spans advising both public and private companies on a broad spectrum of commercial matters, including negligence, product and professional liability, breach of contract, oil spills, defamation, and urgent injunctive relief.

Morris earned his Master of Laws (LL.M.) from the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University, where he received the Governor General's Academic Gold Medal. While at Dalhousie, he worked as a research associate on a variety of legal research initiatives, served as a teaching assistant, and taught legal ethics to first-year law students.

Morris is currently a Vanier Scholar and researcher at Dalhousie, where his research examines the role of collaborative regional platforms in facilitating equitable trade, economic development, and cross-border business activity across Africa.

Marie-Laure is a member of the disputes group in the Montreal office. Her practice focuses on commercial litigation, particularly in the areas of administrative law, consumer law, class actions, access to information, privacy, and contractual and extra-contractual liability.
 

Marie-Laure obtained an integrated Bachelor of Civil Law and Common Law from McGill University with a major in Human Rights and International Development. During her studies, Marie-Laure was involved as a supervisor at the McGill University Legal Information Clinic.
 

She also worked at the Centre for Legal Pluralism and Human Rights before becoming an undergraduate student representative on the Board of Directors.
 

Prior to joining Osler, Marie-Laure was an associate at another major Montreal business law firm.

Theresa Donkor is a criminal defence lawyer at Rudnicki & Company. Her practice focuses on criminal appeals and she has appeared before all levels of court, including the Supreme Court of Canada. She also defends clients at trial and represents complainants in sexual offence cases. Theresa is ranked on the Best Lawyers Ones to Watch list and was a 2025 recipient of the King Charles III Coronation Medal for her advocacy work.
 

Racial justice is at the heart of Theresa’s practice. She is committed to fighting systemic racism in our criminal legal system and advancing race-based arguments in court. She has made submissions before the Canadian Senate and the House of Commons on the impact of proposed legislation on Black communities.
 

Outside of her practice, Theresa is the Director of Advocacy for the Canadian Association of Black Lawyers, serves on the board of Eva’s Initiatives for Homeless Youth, and serves on Legal Aid Ontario's Racialized Communities Advisory Committee. She also regularly speaks to the media and at conferences on topics of racial justice, social justice, and criminal law.

David Alli is a labour and employment lawyer in Hicks Morley’s Toronto office. He advises
employers on a variety of labour and employment issues, with a particular focus on wrongful
dismissal defence litigation, human rights and accommodation matters. David also regularly
works with clients to implement policies and strategies to maintain and develop healthy,
respectful workplaces.

As an experienced advocate, David has successfully represented clients in appellate
proceedings, wrongful dismissal litigation, human rights applications, Ministry of Labour
complaints and labour grievances. He also provides daily advice to clients to assist with legal
compliance and strategy

Lola (Agbaje-Williams) Williams-Afolabi is Lead Counsel at Williams Armstrong LP, where she advises on business and intellectual property law, with a focus on technology-driven transactions, commercialization, corporate structuring, and regulatory strategy. She supports startups, growth-stage companies, and innovative organizations in structuring and executing transactions, managing legal and commercial risk, protecting intellectual property assets, and scaling businesses across Canadian and international markets.

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Lola holds an LL.M. in Intellectual Property Law from Queen Mary University of London and is licensed to practise in both Nova Scotia and Nigeria. Her practice spans commercial transactions, intellectual property strategy, technology law, privacy, regulatory compliance, and cross-border business matters.

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She serves as President of the Nova Scotia chapter of the Canadian Association of Black Lawyers (CABL) and is a Board Member and Atlantic Regional Representative with the Canadian Technology Law Association (CANTECH), where she contributes to initiatives relating to artificial intelligence, privacy, and women in technology. She is also a member of the Canadian Bar Association's National Intellectual Property Section and its Copyright Committee.

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A sought-after speaker, she frequently appears on expert panels and contributes to national consultations and policy development on corporate law, intellectual property, and emerging issues in artificial intelligence.

Paul Davis is a Partner and National Co-Leader of McMillan LLP’s Capital Markets & Securities Group. Widely recognized as one of Canada’s leading M&A lawyers, he advises public and private companies on complex mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, proxy contests, financings, and other strategic transactions across a range of industries, including technology and financial services. Drawing on experience as both a senior business executive and former investment banking leader, Paul brings a practical, boardroom-focused perspective, helping clients navigate transformative transactions, innovation, and the evolving impact of emerging technologies on business and the legal landscape.

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About McMillan
McMillan is a national business law firm focused on serving clients across key industries in Canada, the United States and internationally. Using a collaborative approach to ensure clients receive the high-quality expertise they need, McMillan offers pragmatic legal advice through its offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa and Montréal.

Andrew is a partner at Fasken & Vice-Chair of Ontario’s Technology Law group focusing on tech-driven transactions including commercialization, acquisition, and implementation of advanced tech solutions, particularly AI. 

Andrew is active in the Black legal community having been a long time executive board member and past President of the Canadian Association of Black Lawyers, Co-chair of the NBA CLS CLE Committee, past co-chair of the Toronto Hosting Committee for the 2017 National Bar Association Annual Convention.

Named "Lawyer of the Year" for Technology Law (Toronto) by Best Lawyers in 2026, and recognized as a leading information technology lawyer by Chambers, the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, and the Lexology Index. He is past President of CAN-TECH Law & Chair of the ABA's Cross-Border Law & Technology Subcommittee.

Danielle Butler is a partner in the financial services group at Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP. Danielle's practice focuses on domestic and cross-border structured finance transactions, asset-based lending transactions and debt financing transactions. She advises sellers, purchasers, servicers and custodians on public and private securitization transactions involving various asset classes, including auto loans and leases, residential and commercial mortgage loans, consumer loans, credit cards and trade receivables.
 
Danielle has experience representing lenders and borrowers in secured and unsecured financing transactions, bilateral and syndicated loan structures and asset-based financings.
 
Danielle regularly acts as local counsel on multi-jurisdictional structured finance and debt financing transactions and provides advice to sellers, purchasers, lenders and borrowers on the Canadian aspects of the transactions.

Olayinka ("Ola") Fawumi is Lead Legal Counsel at Recurrent Energy, where she sits inside the business on large-scale renewable energy and infrastructure projects — not reviewing deals once they are shaped, but helping shape them. Over more than a decade across big law and in-house roles, her practice has shifted from executing agreements to advising on which deals are worth doing, how much risk the business can actually carry, and where legal time and spend create the most value.

Technology runs through her work in both directions. On the buy side, she negotiates the agreements now central to every commercial relationship - master services and software licensing agreements, SLAs, development and consulting contracts - along with the intellectual property, data privacy, and liability terms that decide who bears the loss when technology fails. She also builds technology into her own practice, using AI for document automation, first-pass contract review, and compliance monitoring, giving her a direct view of what these tools do well, what they do badly, and what they mean for how transactional teams will be staffed, scoped, and priced.

Called to the bars of Ontario and British Columbia among other jurisdictions, Ola advises across borders in a sector where regulation, capital, and technology all move faster than contract precedent. On this panel, she will speak to how the business lawyer's role is shifting from drafter to strategic partner, what AI is realistically doing to transactional workflows today, and how in-house counsel and firm lawyers can build practices that stay valuable as the tooling gets better. 

Jonathan Wallace is a Banking and Finance Associate at Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP in Toronto, where his practice focuses on banking, finance, and corporate/commercial transactions. He represents borrowers and lenders across a range of financing matters. Prior to joining Blakes, Jonathan practiced at an international full-service law firm.

Jonathan obtained his undergraduate degree with distinction from the University of Guelph before earning his Juris Doctor from Osgoode Hall Law School. During law school, he was heavily involved in advocacy, representing Osgoode in the Canadian National Negotiation Competition and the International Law School Mediation Tournament, while also serving as President of the Advocacy Society.

Jonathan currently serves as the Public Affairs Liaison for the Entertainment, Media and Communications Section of the Ontario Bar Association. In addition to his legal practice, he is an Assistant Coach with the men’s varsity basketball team at the University of Guelph.

Baino is an Osgoode Hall Law School graduate and 2026 call. He completed his articles with the Ontario Treasury Board Secretariat, where he practiced management-side labour and employment law. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Acadia University and a Master of Arts in Sociology from Memorial University.

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At Osgoode Hall Law School, Baino completed the Anti-Discrimination Intensive Program and received the Wendy Babcock Social Justice Award. Since graduating, he has remained involved with BLSA, where he spearheaded the creation of the 2016–2025 Osgoode Black Excellence composite and moderated the keynote address at the 35th Annual BLSA National Conference.

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Baino enjoys applying his legal training to help expand access to justice and serve the community. Outside of the practice of law, he enjoys politics, improving his French, and salsa dancing.

Jessica Eruchalu is Chief Legal Officer & Chief Compliance Officer at Parvis Invest, a publicly traded, technology-enabled investment platform expanding access to private market opportunities. In this dual executive role, she oversees the company’s legal, compliance, and governance functions, and is a driving force behind its enterprise risk strategy, regulatory positioning, and growth within Canada’s evolving financial landscape.

Jessica is known for translating complex corporate and regulatory challenges into clear, actionable business strategy — building the frameworks that let innovation move forward without compromising market integrity. She provides strategic counsel on corporate-commercial, governance, and technology matters, and plays a key role in shaping investor confidence across the private investment sector. Her pragmatic, business-first approach to legal leadership has made her a go-to voice on where law, regulation, and entrepreneurship intersect.

Jessica holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts with Distinction from the University of Toronto and a Juris Doctor from the Lincoln Alexander School of Law. She has been recognized for her leadership and business impact by organizations including Blakes, Cassels & Graydon LLP, TD Bank, and the Canadian Association of Urban Financial Professionals, and was honoured as Top 50 Chief Legal Officer by Women We Admire in 2026.

D'antal Sampson is Canada's first Legal Engineer – Product Specialist at Harvey, a legal AI company valued at $11 billion, and a founding member of the company's Canadian go-to-market team, based in the Toronto office. He works directly with lawyers at Canada's leading law firms and in-house legal teams — from articling students to senior partners — on integrating AI into their practice.

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Before Harvey, D'antal summered and articled at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP in Toronto and practiced as an associate in the firm's Emerging and High Growth Companies group (EHG) — the longest-standing Band 1–ranked practice in Chambers Canada for startups and emerging companies, and the only Canadian practice ranked among the top 10 legal advisors globally to venture-backed companies. He advised high-growth technology and AI companies, and the venture funds that back them, on financings, M&A, and securities matters.

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D'antal holds a J.D. from the University of Ottawa, where he served as VP Advocacy of the Black Law Students' Association, and a B.A. (Honours) from Queen's University, where he was a varsity football scholarship recipient and Academic All-Canadian. He serves on the boards of One Voice One Team, a youth leadership charity serving Canadian youth, and the Ontario Women's Intercollegiate Football Association. He previously served as VP Events for the Queen's Black Alumni Chapter. He is called to the Bar of Ontario.

Tracy Ventresca is a sole practitioner and entrepreneur. Over the last decade, she has acquired two respective legal practices and built a small business with a main focus on real estate and wills and estates law.

After attending law school at the University of London and completing her LL.M. at the University of Toronto in 2014, she began her legal career; first in litigation, then segueing to real estate law/wills and estates in 2018. She acquired her first practice in Downsview from her former employer following his retirement, and has since taken over another office from a retiring solicitor (located in Angus, Ontario) where she has practiced, predominantly, since 2022.

Through these experiences, Tracy has developed a particular interest in the business side of practicing law, including managing transitions with retiring lawyers, building sustainable systems, work-life balance with a growing family, and pivoting to new areas of growth during periods of uncertainty (COVID, market lulls). She brings a practical perspective on entrepreneurship, resilience, and the realities of building a legal career beyond the traditional associate-to-partner path.

Outside of law, Tracy enjoys cooking, baking, and spending time at home with her husband, daughter, and family. She is pleased to join CABL to share lessons learned from her first decade in practice and the entrepreneurial opportunities she has discovered along the way.

Sam Tecle is an employment and dispute resolution lawyer at Gowling WLG’s Vancouver office, where he advises and represents employers on complex workplace disputes, investigations, and regulatory matters. He has represented clients before all levels of court in British Columbia, the Alberta Court of King’s Bench, and administrative tribunals in both provinces.
 
Beyond his legal practice, Sam serves on the Board of Governors of Capilano University and teaches as an adjunct professor in its School of Legal Studies. He recently concluded his second term on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Association of Black Lawyers, where he served as Treasurer from 2022 to 2025.
 
Sam was named one of Business in Vancouver’s Forty Under 40 in recognition of his professional and community contributions.

Alana is a Senior Manager in Osler Works – Disputes (“OWD”). There, she leads eDiscovery review projects, working closely with firm stakeholders, technologists and vendors to design and implement AI-driven and conventional workflows to deliver optimal client solutions. She also manages and mentors a team of OWD review lawyers and project managers. Alana has worked in eDiscovery management for over 10 years, prior to which, she practiced as commercial litigation lawyer in the Caribbean.

Dr. Charles Osuji is a lawyer, executive leader, entrepreneur and community advocate. He is the CEO and Managing Partner of Osuji & Smith Lawyers, one of Canada’s fastest-growing and most diverse law firms and widely regarded as the country’s largest Black-owned law firm. Under his leadership, the firm has grown from a small local practice into a multi-office, multidisciplinary firm with close to 50 professionals speaking more than 30 languages and an expanding presence across Calgary, Toronto, Vancouver and Dubai.
 

Dr. Osuji was called to the Nigerian Bar before immigrating to Canada. After completing the National Committee on Accreditation process, he articled with the firm then known as Smith Law Office and was called to the Alberta Bar in 2014. He became a partner within two years and, in 2017, became the sole owner of the firm. His journey from internationally trained lawyer to leading one of Canada’s most dynamic law firms has shaped his commitment to mentorship, inclusion and creating pathways for others entering the profession.
 

Dr. Osuji is a graduate of Harvard Law School’s Leadership in Law Firms program and Harvard Business School’s Program for Leadership Development. He also holds the Chartered Director (C.Dir.) designation from the DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University. His legal practice and leadership have been recognized through more than 140 awards and distinctions, including Canada’s Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers, LEXPERT Rising Star: Canada’s Leading Lawyers Under 40, Calgary’s Top 40 Under 40, the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal, and two-time recognition among Canada’s 100 Most Influential Black Canadians. In 2024, Mount Royal University awarded him an Honorary Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) in recognition of his leadership, professional excellence and contributions to society.
 

Beyond legal practice, Dr. Osuji is the Founder and President of the Foot in the Door Initiative (FIDI), a nationally recognized mentorship organization that has supported hundreds of internationally trained lawyers, new Canadian lawyers, law students and emerging professionals in building careers in Canada. He is also the Founder of The Charles Osuji Foundation, which supports students and entrepreneurs through scholarships, grants and mentorship.
 

A passionate mentor and advocate for inclusive excellence, Dr. Osuji has served on numerous boards and community organizations and is a Fellow of the John Ware Institute. He is also a sought-after speaker on law, leadership, governance, entrepreneurship, diversity and organizational growth. His work is grounded in a simple conviction: that excellence and opportunity should coexist, and that those who gain access to opportunity have a responsibility to hold the door open for those who follow.

Charlene Theodore is a lawyer, former C-suite executive and workplace culture strategist who advises senior leaders, associations and boards on employment and labour law, workplace culture, governance and leadership accountability.
 

Through Theodore Advisory Partners, she provides legal and strategic advice when the gap between what an organization says it stands for and what people actually experience at work creates legal, reputational, talent and institutional risk.
 

For more than two decades, her career has spanned legal practice, executive leadership and organizational strategy, with deep experience advising organizations with large, complex and unionized workforces. Her work sits at the intersection of culture, legal risk, institutional trust and organizational performance.
 

Charlene previously served as Chief Inclusion Officer at McCarthy Tétrault, where she led the firm’s award-winning Inclusion Now strategy, and as President of the Ontario Bar Association, becoming the first Black person and tenth woman to lead the organization.
 

She was appointed to Canada’s Independent Advisory Board for Supreme Court of Canada Judicial Appointments and named one of Canada’s 25 Most Influential Lawyers.

Anthony N. Morgan is a Member of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal, where he adjudicates and mediates complaints under the Canadian Human Rights Act. His work draws on more than a decade of experience in Canadian and international human rights law, racial justice, constitutional law, and equality rights.

He holds a B.C.L./LL.B. from McGill University and an M.Sc. in International Human Rights Law from the University of Oxford, and has been a member of the Ontario Bar since 2013. He is also a Senior Fellow of Massey College and an Adjunct Professor at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Law, where he teaches on racial equality in Canadian law.

Before his appointment to the Tribunal, Anthony held senior social justice and human rights policy roles at the City of Toronto, where his work included advancing equity, anti-Black racism, Indigenous reconciliation, and institutional accountability. He also served as Co-Chair of the Toronto Police Services Board’s Anti-Racism Advisory Panel and previously practised civil, constitutional, and criminal state-accountability litigation. His legal and human rights work has included appearances before the Supreme Court of Canada and engagement with United Nations human rights bodies.

Anthony is particularly interested in the relationship between law, racial justice, public institutions, and the pursuit of substantive equality. Across his legal, policy, academic, and public-interest work, he has focused on confronting systemic inequality while developing more effective approaches to human rights protection and institutional change.

He is also a frequent speaker and educator on human rights, racial justice, equality, and public institutions, and has delivered a TEDx Toronto talk exploring policing, race, and the enduring political and cultural significance of Tupac Shakur.

Sue-Lynn Noel is Senior Vice-President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Purolator Inc. as well as the executive sponsor of its Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Advisory Board.  Previously she was a partner in private practice and held senior in-house roles in the customs brokerage, transportation and logistics and waste management industries where her focus was on mergers and acquisitions.  She graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School and was called to the Ontario Bar in 2002.  Sue-Lynn is a past President of the Canadian Association of Black Lawyers and served as Vice Chair of the Women’s Equality Advisory Group for the Law Society of Ontario.  Currently she is Vice-Chair on the Board of Covenant House Toronto and Chair of its Governance and Nominating Committee.  She has spoken at several seminars and conferences on topics related to business structures, corporate drafting, risk management, M&A, due diligence, legal services innovation and DEI.  She mentors many lawyers and leaders at all stages of their career and, in 2020, Sue-Lynn was named one of Canada’s Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers by Canadian Lawyer magazine in the Business category. 

Wura Dasylva is a corporate lawyer and partner in the Regina office of Miller Thomson LLP, a national business law firm. Her practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, banking and finance, corporate governance, and complex commercial transactions. Her experience spans a broad range of industries, including banking and financial services, real estate, agribusiness, automotive, retail, and hospitality.
 
Originally from Nigeria, Wura holds an LL.B. from the University of Ibadan and an LL.M. from the University of Manitoba. She was called to the Nigerian Bar in 2014 and the Saskatchewan Bar in 2018, and in 2023, at the age of 32, she was named partner at Miller Thomson LLP.
 
Beyond her legal practice, Wura is deeply committed to community leadership. She serves on the Board of the Regina & District Chamber of Commerce, where she became the 139th Chair of the Board in 2025. Her leadership continues as Past Chair, influencing policy and advocating for business growth in Saskatchewan. She has also served on other non-profit boards including YWCA Regina. Wura currently sits on the Dean’s Advisory Committee of the Hill Levene School of Business, University of Regina.
 
Passionate about mentorship and representation, Wura actively supports the next generation of Black professionals. She has called Regina home for over a decade. In her spare time, she loves to read and travel.

Shanice Prendergast is a lawyer and talent development leader whose work focuses on early-talent strategy, recruitment, professional development, and equity, diversity, and inclusion. As a dedicated mentor and legal professional, she has built her career around empowering emerging legal talent, supporting career development, and fostering more inclusive workplaces and professional environments.

Shanice’s career spans employment law and workplace investigations, legal recruitment, and the design and management of student and professional development programs at one of Canada’s leading national law firms. She has extensive experience embedding EDI principles into talent strategies, recruitment, mentorship, performance management, and culture-building initiatives.

A first-generation lawyer and former President of the Black Law Students Association at Osgoode Hall Law School, Shanice is passionate about supporting lawyers through pivotal stages of their careers and fostering professional environments where individuals can pursue meaningful, sustainable careers without losing sight of their well-being. Her commitment to mentorship was recognized with the Osgoode Alumni Award for Mentor of the Year and the BLSA Alumni of the Year Award, both in 2025. She currently serves as Director of Mentorship with the Canadian Association of Black Lawyers.

Sara is an Ontario lawyer called to the Ontario Bar in 2015. With over a decade of experience, Sara is distinguished in her field as an internationally recognized Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP). It's a designation that identifies her advanced knowledge and experience to identify and address developments in the trusts and estates industry and Sara has extensive experience in the area of integrated Estate and Tax Planning, including Trusts, Powers of Attorney/Guardianships, and Estate Administration.  Employed at the largest investment firm and bank in Canada, Sara works in-house at RBC Wealth Management, Family Office Services (Dominion Securities). As a Will and Estate Consultant, Sara consults high net worth and ultra-high net worth clientele on complex tax and estate planning matters. 
 

Sara completed her Joint Honours undergraduate degree in Political Science and Criminology from York University, and then went on to complete her Law degree at the University of Sussex in the UK. Sara has also completed a Masters in Tax Law at Osgoode Hall Law School, and has completed a STEP Diploma with the internationally esteemed Society of Estate and Trust Practitioners (TEP). 
 

Sara has a profound passion for mentoring and coaching. Recently awarded by her legal peers in 2025 with the ‘Mentorship Excellence Award’ presented at the Internationally Trained Lawyers Conference-Impact Awards, the largest gathering of ITL’s in Canada.  In 2020, Sara founded Global Esquire Canada, a mission focused social enterprise, established to empower internationally trained law students and aspiring lawyers. Sara is also a Professional Goal-Centric Certified Coach (PGCC) after completing an intensive certificate training course at Concordia University in 2023. Sara also coaches through the Law Society of Ontario’s Coach and Advisor Network (CAN).
 

In recognition of her widely respected reputation, professionalism, and leadership within the legal community, Sara was selected to serve as Chair of the Black Female Lawyers Network (BFLN) Retreat and Fundraiser for three consecutive years, 2024, 2025, and 2026. She has also been invited to speak at a range of conferences, professional forums, and organizations, where she shares her expertise and insights on matters relating to estate planning, tax minimization, leadership and mentorship, and the legal profession, including: Moderator for Canadian Association of Black Lawyers (CABL) 2023, Panelist at the Internationally Trained Lawyers (ITL) Conference 2025, and Panelist for the Black Law Students of Canada Conference 2026 (BLSA).

Dami Gittens is a Wealth Advisor, Client Relationship Manager at Nicola Wealth with nearly two decades of industry experience. Dami graduated from Simon Fraser University with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and currently holds the designations: Certified Financial Planner (CFP®), Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU®) and Chartered Investment Manager (CIM®). 

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In her interactions, she is known for her collaborative approach, unwavering integrity, empathy, and growth mindset. She believes that having a solid financial plan improves your chances of achieving your goals tremendously.

Dami lives in Vancouver with her family and spends most of her time running around with her 5 year old daughter.

Ebony Rose is a Senior Legal Program Manager, Practice-Specific Learning at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, where she develops substantive legal learning programs that keep lawyers at the forefront of their practice areas. She also serves as Director of Professional Development for the Canadian Association of Black Lawyers (CABL).
 

A graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School and member of the Ontario Bar, Ebony began her career in commercial litigation before discovering her calling at the intersection of law and education. She brings over a decade of experience to the art of creating learning experiences that are as engaging as they are rigorous — blending her legal acumen with a talent for connecting people to the ideas that will shape their careers.
 

When she's not building programs that spark curiosity and growth, Ebony is dedicated to advancing and empowering Black lawyers across Canada and fostering a legal profession where everyone can thrive.

Carine M. Diverlus is a Registered Psychotherapist, college professor, community educator and founder of Pieces to Peace Psychotherapy & Wellness, a holistic wellness practice centring Black and racialized women, girls, and femmes. Carine’s work is centered around the re-imagination and liberation of Black communities' healing and wellbeing. Through her work as an educator, Carine holds a decolonial approach to understanding and teaching mental health and its relation to racialized communities. Holding a Master of Education in Global Mental Health and Counseling Psychology, Carine is dedicated to using both her educational foundation and lived experiences to offer safe spaces for folks to discover what wellness is for their lives. Above all, Carine is forever a peace and joy-seeker. Her continuous dedication to finding and maintaining her peace and joy, is in defiance of an oppressive society & in commitment and love to her ancestors', her community, and most importantly, herself.

Jacqueline Beckles is General Counsel with the Department of Justice Canada, International Assistance Group, where she has worked since 2009, in the areas of extradition and mutual legal assistance.  She is also a part of the leadership team of the Black Employees’ Network of the Department of Justice. 

Jacqueline holds degrees in both civil and common law from the University of Ottawa and has been a member of the Law Society of Ontario since 2003. She was a member of the criminal defence bar in Ottawa from 2003 to 2006.  She had the opportunity to Clerk for the Supreme Court of Barbados and work as a Research Fellow at the University of the West Indies, before returning to Ottawa to resume her practice.

Jacqueline is devoted to giving back to her community and in addition to being the National Secretary of the Canadian Association of Black Lawyers (CABL), she is the chair of the Governance Committee and Vice-President of the Ottawa Chapter of that organization. She is also a member of the advisory council of the Black (Canadian) Law Journal and a board member of the Canadian Centre for Women’s Empowerment (CCFWE).

In addition to her legal career, she was a part-time professor at Algonquin College in the paralegal program and served as a member of the Canadian Bar Association Governance and Equality Committee and the Public Sector Lawyers section, the Ontario Bar Association’s Equality Committee and a Member-at-large of the Criminal Justice Section of both the OBA and the CBA, Vice-Chair and eventually co-Chair of the Law Society of Ontario’s Equity Advisory Group, and is a past Secretary and past President of CABL, and an executive member of the Donors’ Committee of the Black Canadian Scholarship Fund.

In 2020, Jacqueline won a Canada’s Legal Team award from the Department of Justice Canada for her work in mutual legal assistance.  In 2024, Jacqueline received the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion award from the department and was named a “Great Concordian” by Concordia University.  In 2025 Jacqueline received the King Charles III Coronation Medal for her extensive contributions to the legal field, her leadership in promoting equity and diversity, and her dedicated volunteer work with various legal and community organizations.  Most recently, Jacqueline was honoured by the Canadian Association of Black lawyers with the Selwyn Romilly Memorial Award, given annually to one or more persons who have worked over a sustained period to build, sustain or empower a CABL chapter or Black Lawyers in a Canadian Province or Territory.