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Board of Directors

Devin Persaud

President

Devin Persaud is a Senior Associate at Goodmans LLP, a premier Toronto-based full service law firm. Devin provides advice to clients on all aspects of Canadian competition, antitrust, foreign investment, marketing, and corporate compliance law. Devin also advises clients on all potentially anti-competitive and consumer protection business practices as well as in running internal investigations and implementing corporate compliance programs.

Devin is a passionate advocate for diversity-related initiatives in the Canadian Bar. He is a leading member of the SABA-Toronto network and for his efforts was recently one of the youngest recipients of the 2019 Lexpert Zenith Award – celebrating Change Agents in Law. In 2020 Devin was also a recipient of the FACL Young Lawyer of the Year Award, and was of 2022 recipient of the Precedent Setter Award. Devin is also the co- chair of the SABA North America Antitrust section, and the chair of the CBA’s Marketing Practices Committee for the Competition and Foreign Investment Section.

In his spare time Devin enjoys binging Netflix shows, trying and rating new Pizza places around the city and watching/emulating his favourite Bollywood stars.

Monty Dhaliwal

Vice President

Monty is a litigator and associate at Pallett Valo LLP, where he is a member of their Commercial Litigation Practice, Estate Litigation Group, Employment & Labour Practice and Insolvency & Corporate Restructuring Practice. He attended law school in the United Kingdom at the University of Buckingham, after which he gained inside knowledge of the NCA process upon his return to Ontario.

Outside of the law, wherever that is, Monty spends his time playing hockey and golf. He also serves as a member of the Young Advocates’ Standing Committee at The Advocates’ Society.

Anisha Bhardwaj

Secretary

Anisha Bhardwaj is an associate in the Litigation and Dispute Resolution group at Aird & Berlis LLP. Anisha has a general commercial litigation practice that includes contractual disputes, professional liability and economic torts. She frequently represents clients involved in disputes relating to real estate, commercial leasing, construction, employment and municipal matters.

Anisha’s involvement with SABA Toronto began in 2018 as the President of the South Asian Law Students Association at Windsor Law. Since she joined the Board in 2020, she has played an important role in forming SABA’s Mentor Match Program for lawyers and remains involved in coordinating the program.

Anisha received her Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from the University of Toronto and her Juris Doctor from Windsor Law where she was awarded the SABA Student Recognition Award.

Mohena Singh

Treasurer

Mohena Singh practices in estate litigation with a boutique firm where she helps clients in issues involving guardianship, trusts and will challenges. She received a Bachelor of Business Administration from the Schulich School of Business before attending Osgoode Hall Law School where she completed her JD. Mohena is passionate about advocating for equity and inclusion within the legal field and is looking forward to advocating for issues within the South Asian bar as a board member of SABA-Toronto.

Mohena is also a certified yoga instructor and in her spare time, enjoys practising and teaching yoga to her family and friends.

Ira Parghi

Director

Ira Parghi is a partner at INQLaw. She has over 20 years of experience practicing information law and health law and is recognized by Best Lawyers in Canada. In her information law practice, Ira counsels clients on Canada-US cross-border privacy matters, privacy and cybersecurity breach prevention and management, the development and adoption of digital health and AI-driven technologies, and the use and sharing of data in clinical research. In her health law practice, she focuses on clinical practice, medical research, and medical negligence and is a trusted advisor to senior leadership in hospitals and health care organizations. Ira advocates and litigates on behalf of clients before regulators, administrative tribunals, and the courts. She has worked in Canada and the US, both in-house (as the Corporate Privacy Officer at an extensive U.S. health network) and as external legal counsel (including as a lawyer in the health care group of a global law firm based in the US). She is also a former member of the boards of directors of the South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario (SALCO) and the Gerstein Crisis Centre.

Gurvir Sangha

Director

Gurvir Sangha is an associate in the Business Law Group at McCarthy Tétrault. He maintains a broad corporate practice, including mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, securities matters, and other corporate affairs. He is also an integral member of the firm’s Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) and Sustainability Strategic Issues Group, through which he advises clients about domestic and international ESG-related developments including climate-related financial disclosures.

Gurvir is a graduate of the University of Toronto Faculty of Law (JD ’20), where he was a recipient of the 2020 Student Recognition Award from SABA Toronto, and the University of British Columbia (BA ’16). He has previously worked for the Canadian Legal Information Institute (CanLII) and currently mentors BIPOC law students through mentorship programs at the University of Toronto, Osgoode Hall Law School, Western University, Queen’s University, Toronto Metropolitan University, and as part of the First Generation Network.

Janani Shanmuganathan Photo

Janani Shanmuganathan

Director

 

 

Janani Shanmuganathan is a partner at Goddard Nasseri LLP, a litigation boutique that specializes in criminal, civil and professional regulation. She has been counsel at the Supreme Court of Canada and argued more than 30 times at the Ontario Court of Appeal. In addition to criminal trials and appeals, Janani also does regulatory work, defending professionals subject to investigations and disciplinary proceedings.

Outside of the courtroom, Janani has taught at Osgoode Hall Law School and in the undergraduate Criminology program at the University of Toronto. She is a mentor with the Criminal Lawyers’ Association and the South Asian Women in Law mentorship program. She is also a member of the Probono Inmate Appeal Program at the Ontario Court of Appeal and volunteer duty counsel with the Law Society of Ontario.

 

Sarah Malik

Director

Sarah Malik is Crown Counsel with the Public Prosecution Service of Canada. She is responsible for the prosecution of federal offences, particularly drug prosecutions. Sarah is a former Assistant Crown Attorney with the Ministry of the Attorney General where she was involved in the prosecution of a variety of offences under the Criminal Code of Canada. Prior to that, she was a criminal defence lawyer with a prominent criminal defence firm where she successfully represented clients facing a variety of offences in the Ontario Court of Justice and the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario. Sarah obtained her Juris Doctor from the University of Ottawa, Faculty of Law and her Honours Bachelors of Arts from York University. She has a passion for social justice and is an advocate for diversity, equity, and opportunity in the profession and society at large.

Sahil Kesar

Director

Sahil is an associate at Blake, Cassels and Graydon where he maintains a diversified litigation and dispute resolution practice. He has experience in commercial and securities disputes, domestic and international arbitrations, and class actions involving mass torts and product liability claims. He also advises clients on privacy, data breach and cybersecurity issues as well as litigation considerations for corporate transactions.

Sahil obtained his law degree from the Faculty of Law at the University of Toronto and his international business degree from York University’s Schulich School of Business, and is called in both Ontario and British Columbia. Sahil was first involved with SABA as a student liaison in 2018, and previously served on the Board of Directors of SABA British Columbia from 2020 to 2022. He helped found SABA Toronto’s Young Lawyers’ Division in 2022 and continues as Chair of that committee.

In his spare time, Sahil is either out with his dog, exploring restaurants with his wife, or traveling some part of the world.

Kelvin Ramchand

Director

Kelvin is a Federal Crown Counsel with the Public Prosecution Service of Canada. Kelvin has worked on high profile criminal cases at both the trial and appellate level including drug, organized crime, terrorism and wiretap prosecutions in Toronto. Kelvin is a member of the PPSC Student Committee and National Council for Racialized Employees and has a sincere commitment to mentorship, equity, diversity and inclusion in the office.

Davin Garg

Director

Davin Michael Garg is Crown Counsel with Ontario’s Ministry of the Attorney General at the Crown Law Office — Criminal, where he conducts criminal trials and appeals at all levels of court. His specialties include white-collar and corruption cases, impaired driving prosecutions, and Charter litigation under sections 9 and 10. He practices in English and French. He is also a coordinator of the office’s education and student programs, which includes developing inclusion and anti-racism training.

Davin originally hails from Vancouver, where he completed his undergraduate degree in business at Simon Fraser University and his law degree at the University of British Columbia. He and his wife love spending time with their small son and their smaller chihuahua.

Jaspal Sangha

Director

Jaspal is an associate at Margie Strub Construction Law LLP. Jaspal represents owners, general contractors, and subcontractors on a wide range of construction related matters including contract drafting and negotiations, course-of-project advice, preservation and enforcement of liens, breach of trust claims, and construction contract disputes.

Prior to joining Margie Strub, Jaspal worked at a national firm in Toronto and at a regional insurance defence firm. During that time Jaspal represented insurance companies, professionals, as well as small and medium businesses on various litigation matters including construction lien disputes, breach of contract, professional liability, commercial disputes, injunction proceedings, real property disputes, shareholder disputes, debt enforcement, and personal injury claims.

Jaspal received an undergraduate degree at the Schulich School of Business and his law degree at Windsor Law. Outside of the law, Jaspal is an avid sports fan and has the misfortune of supporting the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Arun Krishnamurti

Director

Arun Krishnamurti is an experienced technology lawyer with a track record of practical, business-oriented legal advice. After having worked at a leading law firm, and now in-house at Google Canada, Arun’s well versed in analyzing and responding to complex (and frequently cross-border) legal issues, including product launches, cloud services and other outsourcing agreements, consumer protection and many other commercial and regulatory topics. In addition to SABA, Arun currently sits on the board of Can Tech, and remains actively involved in his communities, taking active roles in mentoring, as well as supporting diversity and equity seeking groups. 

Arun has been named to Lexpert Rising Stars: Leading Lawyers Under 40.

Amrita Mann

Director

Amrita Mann is a partner in the Dispute Resolution Group and exclusively practices commercial and civil litigation. She has broad-ranging experience in commercial litigation including breach of contract, shareholder and partnership disputes, oppression remedy litigation, professional negligence, construction liens, real estate litigation, and employment matters.

Amrita graduated from the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Law with magna cum laude honours and was also the recipient of the Martin Mason Memorial Prize in Constitutional Law. Amrita’ practice leads her to frequently appear before the Superior Court of Justice, the Court of Appeal and various administrative boards and tribunals. Amrita is a trusted advisor for her business clients and has developed a reputation among her clients and colleagues as a tough and aggressive litigator who takes a strategic and creative approach to resolving legal disputes.

In her spare time, Amrita is passionate about travel and fitness, especially kickboxing.

Aarondeep Bains

Ex Officio - Past President

Aaron Bains is an associate in the Capital Markets group at Aird & Berlis LLP. Aaron has a broad corporate practice, which includes mergers and acquisitions and debt and equity financings for start-ups and small to medium sized enterprises. Aaron has a diverse academic background having studied political science and international relations at the University of British Columbia and Institut d’études politiques de Paris (Sciences Po), Canadian law at Queen’s University and international and European business law at Université Jean-Moulin-Lyon-III.

Aaron initially began working with SABA Toronto several years as a volunteer, eventually becoming appointed to the Board and finally appointed as the Treasurer, Vice President and now President. Aaron also serves on several legal and non-legal boards and executive committees in Ontario.  He is a past executive committee member of the OBA Business Law Section and International Law Sections. He is an involved with the management of The St. Georges Society of Toronto Charity and the Breakfast of Champions for SickKids Charity. Finally, Aaron is the Vice President of the Canadian International Council Toronto Branch, a global affairs organisation and a regional advisory to the World Sikh Organisation.

When Aaron is not working he is found nowhere, as he is never not working. He kids, when Aaron is not working he is found enjoying the Ontario countryside.

Student Liaisons

Bhishm Khanna

Bhishm Khanna is an LL.M. Student at Osgoode Hall Law School. He enjoys cycling, taking long walks, and trying new cuisines.

Harjot Sarai

Harjot Sarai is a second-year student at Queens Law and a member of the South Asian Law Students’ Association at Queens. Her hobbies include traveling, playing sports, and being an avid lifelong Toronto Maple Leafs fan.

Humna Wasim

Humna Wasim is a third-year student at Osgoode Hall Law School, with an undergraduate Honours Bachelor of Science from the University of Toronto. In her spare time, Humna loves running, reading, baking, and travelling.

Anisha Sivathas

Anisha Sivathas is a 2L JD Student at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law. During her 1L year, Anisha was involved with the South Asian Law Students’ Association at U of T and the Law in Action Within Schools (LAWS) program and participated in the Cassels Brock Cup Moot. This summer, Anisha has been working as an Educator with the University of Toronto Faculty of Law’s Youth Summer Program.

Tanzim Rashid

Tanzim is entering his fourth year of the JD/MBA program at Osgoode Hall Law School and the Schulich School of Business. He previously served as Treasurer and Mentorship Director for Osgoode’s South Asian Law Students’ Association. When he is not prepping for another lap on the mooting circuit, he is busy reading Victoria-era literature, watching Christopher Nolan films, and listening to Taylor Swift.

Shreeya Devnani

Shreeya is currently in 2L at the Lincoln Alexander School of Law at Ryerson University. In her spare time she enjoys going for walks, hiking and discovering new coffee shops!

Nav Bedi

Nav Bedi is a third-year Dual degree student at Windsor Law and Detroit Mercy Law. During the school year, she works part-time as a consultant for a public and government affairs agency. In her spare time, Nav enjoys dancing and sparing at her boxing club.

Simran Joshi

Simran Joshi is a third-year law student at Western Law. Simran received her undergraduate degree in Criminology and certificate in Public Administration and Law from York University. She is summered at Mathews, Dinsdale & Clark LLP. Outside of school and work, Simran enjoys travelling, hiking, working out, and trying different foods.

Sindia Vijayarajan

Sindia is a third-year student at Osgoode Hall Law School and received the 2022 SABA Student Recognition Award for her work as a SABA Student Liaison. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, gaming, binging shows, memes, and astrology.

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