Category: News

Ravi Jain is the Founder of Jain Immigration Law. He is one of Canada’s most recognized immigration lawyers in terms of leadership in the bar, peer recognition for excellence and client satisfaction.

Mr. Jain was presented with the Diamond Jubilee Medal by command of Her Majesty the Queen in recognition of his significant contributions to Canada. Recently, he was selected as “Lawyer of the Year” by Best Lawyers in Canada (the oldest peer-review publication for lawyers) for receiving the highest voter feedback from colleagues across Canada. Who’s Who Legal recognized him as a “Thought Leader” which is the top ranking for obtaining “the highest number of nominations from peers, corporate counsel and other market sources.” The Canadian Lexpert Directory has selected him as well, which is an “acknowledgement of excellence by a practitioner’s own peers and colleagues.” Moreover, the prestigious Chambers and Partners, which ranks the world’s best lawyers, has repeatedly recognized Mr. Jain’s work.

Mr. Jain has over 21 years of practice experience and is among a small percentage who are certified by the Law Society of Ontario as Specialists in Immigration Law. He has been invited to address committees in both the Canadian Senate and Canada’s House of Commons as a subject matter expert in immigration law on several occasions. Mr. Jain was instrumental in founding the Canadian Immigration Lawyers Association (www.cila.co).

His full biography can be found here: https://jainimmigrationlaw.com/lawyer/ravi-jain/

This year marks Ravi’s second year on the SABA board. Ravi regularly visits India and enjoys travelling there. He is a fan of Akshay Kumar movies.

1. What drew you to immigration law? Did you imagine doing anything else?

I love the people and the stories the most. It’s extremely rewarding to assist people with what is the most important matter in their lives. Clients have spontaneously hugged me when receiving a ‘bench positive’ decision at the end of litigation and reuniting families and facilitating smooth corporate transfers provide much satisfaction. Lately, I’ve been active leading the Canadian Bar Association Immigration Section and setting up a complementary new immigration lawyers’ group: the Canadian Immigration Lawyers Association (which will provide timely comment to Ministers, civil servants and the media, effectively build coalitions, do test litigation, operate as a think-tank and engage in lobbying).

2. How did you come to be involved with SABA?

Many years ago I started by attending some networking events and then signed up as a mentor and then I requested that the Advocacy Committee endorse a position I’d developed for the Canadian Bar Association which the Board at the time approved. It’s an honour to now sit on the Board.

3. Do you have a favourite memory from being part of SABA?

The in-person galas of course! The best part is meeting friends over cocktails prior to the main event. Lately, I’ve enjoyed getting to know some very talented fellow Board members.

4. What do you like to do during your down time to relax?

I enjoy travelling with my wife, playing with my kids and relish tennis followed by a drink catching up with friends.

5. What’s your favourite South Asian snack?

Panipuri

6. Who or what inspires you?

My father inspires me. He was a professor and was invested into the Order of Canada for his ground-breaking research citing the benefits of diversity in employment and the importance of removing non bona fide job requirements. He was very active in the community, establishing a Mayor’s Race Relations Committee that was replicated across Canada and also at the federal level as Commisisoner of the Canadian Human Rights Commission and internationally, developing employment equity policies at the end of apartheid at the request of President Mandela’s government.

Aaron Bains is a South Asian lawyer and partner at Aird & Berlis LLP.  He has a business law practice, which includes mergers and acquisitions, debt and equity financings and advising high net worth individuals and family offices. Aaron is from Surrey, British Columbia, where he grew up in a Punjabi family.  

Aaron initially began working with SABA Toronto several years ago as a volunteer, eventually being appointed to the Board and thereafter holding the roles of Treasurer, Vice President and President.  He is currently the Past President of SABA Toronto and Secretary of SABA North America.

Aaron spends his free time cooking and training as a classical Indian vocalist who also plays the harmonium. In addition to English, Aaron speaks Punjabi, intermediate French, and a little Italian.

1. What do you enjoy about your practice?

I enjoy problem solving and helping our clients effect their transactions.  A significant amount of my work is in the venture capital area.  As such, I am often asked to come up with creative solutions to overcome small and large barriers during a deal.  This can mean finding creative ways to provide security and assurance to a lender or investor in an otherwise risky and early stage investment to helping warring parties agree on middle ground solutions where their interests differ.

2. What are some moments in your career that you are proud of?

In the context of my professional work, I am most proud of how much I have learned and continue to learn on a daily basis and the positive impact that our work can have for clients.  Although I work in the area of corporate law, it is not all dollars and cents only.  I often help clients transition their businesses to the next generation, build and grow those businesses and one day sell them to see the profits of their decades of labour.  Outside of work, I am proud of the time that I have been able to dedicate to giving back to my community – through SABA and as a volunteer at several non-profit organizations in Toronto.  This year I was named the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Man of the Year after my team and I fundraised over $115,000 for blood cancer research.

3. What is your favourite moment from serving as SABA’s president?

I love attending the SABA Gala – it takes a lot of work to put that event together.  The gala committee is always working very hard up to the last minute.  However, there is nothing better than seeing our diverse and exceptional bar present and having a good time at the best legal gala in the city.  Recently, I was also exceptionally proud of our conference on Anti-Black Racism.  We touched on important topics and, we were later told that the conference sparked discussions at attendees’ workplaces on issues of racism. 

4. What is your favourite South Asian snack?

This is very hard but I would probably say sirnee (it is a fried noodle that is broken up for munching on – ideally with a cold beer).

5. What’s something unique that you have learned from your own practice that you can share with other lawyers?

Although we think that our practices are very different, the common theme is that two parties failed to communicate their expectations and as a result they have now come to a conflict.  If we can start thinking from the perspective of our client and the other party and each of their expectations, then we will start to be able to effectively communicate, draft documents and complete transactions with a goal to meeting those expectations and often with less cost to the client. 

Melissa is a South Asian lawyer who moved to Canada from Bangalore, India, at the age of 11. Melissa is the Associate General Counsel at BentallGreenOak (Canada) Limited Partnership, a global real estate investment company. Her role requires her to wear many different hats including negotiator of commercial contracts to manager of real estate transactions to advisor on employment matters with respect to the company’s nearly 1,500 employees.

Melissa is a former board member of SABA. She enjoys volunteering, hiking and Bollywood dancing. In addition to English, Melissa speaks Hindi and Kannada.

1. Is your current career path what you originally intended?

Yes and No. In high school, as part of the co-op program, I did a placement at a lawyer’s office and knew after that that I wanted to be a lawyer. However, in law school, I was convinced I was going to be a tax lawyer until I got to spend some time in the tax department during articling and realized that it was not for me.

2. What are some moments in your career that you are proud of?

I led the largest M&A deal that was undertaken by the oil and gas company I was working with a few years ago. The deal involved the acquisition of a company that was listed on both the Toronto stock exchange and the Colombian stock exchange. As such, there were many regulatory challenges as well as deal complexities. The deal won the company a Dealmaker award and my work on the deal was instrumental in making me a finalist for the Tomorrow’s Leader Award.

3. What’s your favourite memory from being part of SABA?

One of the things that I cherish from being part of SABA is the fact that we instituted a mentorship program this year. Having benefited from informal mentors, I’m very passionate about mentorship and am thrilled that we are able to leverage our large membership base to create such relationships to empower and enrich young lawyers. I have generally thoroughly enjoyed my time on the SABA board because of the smart, engaged and dedicated lawyers that form the board.

4. What’s your favourite South Asian snack?

My all time favourite South Asian snack is probably my mom’s medhu vada. I’ve never had a vada that is more crispy or perfect than the ones my mom makes!

5. What was the best advice you received about the practice of law?

I was told to try to give the other side the benefit of the doubt and to understand what is motivating them to argue the point that they are making – this has helped me significantly in not only resolving negotiations amicably but quite often, in my favour.

As an articling student, I was told: “No one expects you to know any law at this point, the best thing you have to offer is your reliability”. This advice has served me well throughout my career as I try to ensure my clients (internal and external while in private practice) feel that they can depend on me.

Sarah Malik is an Assistant Crown Attorney with the Ministry of the Attorney General. She prosecutes a variety of offences under the Criminal Code of Canada. Prior to that, she was a criminal defence lawyer with Hicks Adams LLP 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 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.

Sarah grew up in Canada from the age of 11 years. Sarah enjoys South Asian food, particularly Haleem, which is a savory stew consisting of meat, lentils, spices, and herbs. In addition to English, Sarah is fluent in Urdu and can understand Hindi and Punjabi.

1. What attracted you to criminal law?
   
   

I was not always sure that I wanted to be a lawyer, let alone a criminal lawyer, but it is one of few professions I considered seriously. I wanted to work with people and advocate for them so I wanted to be in a social justice field. I learned from participating in a mock trial competition in high school and then later mooting in law school that I wanted to be in the courtroom. Hence, I ended up pursuing that passion. I have been blessed and fortunate enough to have received opportunities that have allowed me to continue on this career path. I like that as a criminal lawyer, I can advocate for people, fight for their rights, and can have a direct impact on their everyday lives.

2. What are some moments in your career that you are proud of?
   
   

I find the quiet moments of the day to day work the most rewarding. Any day where I can either help a client who had their life turned upside down as a result of criminal charges or assist a complainant or the public to tell their evidence in court makes the work meaningful. If I can help any person get through a difficult day, then that day is worth it. The bigger precedent setting wins and jury trial wins do matter for sure and are a great dose of encouragement and pride we all need from time to time, but it is these quieter moments involving a lot of emotions, high stakes, and a variety of challenges that also make the career worthwhile.

3. What is your favourite memory from being part of SABA?
   
   

Being a part of the SABA board has been a wonderful experience. Organizing the 2019 annual gala has been one of my favorite memories. It was the first SABA gala that I planned as a member of the board. It was rewarding to see the long nights and the efforts pay off with a wonderful event that brought so much of the legal community together. 

When the pandemic hit in early 2020, I was directly involved in transitioning SABA events and advocacy efforts to a greater electronic format without affecting our ability to be a voice for the membership. Being able to do this fast, effectively, and while helping the organization adjust to the change caused by the pandemic was rewarding. This laid the groundwork for SABA Toronto to continue to be a leading legal diversity organization in Canada.

4. If you weren’t a lawyer, what else would you be? 

I may have become either an academic or a journalist. These are professions I have considered aside from law. I enjoy the process of taking the time to research a topic and present a story. I suppose, in a way, that is what lawyers do everyday, but to approach it from another angle continues to intrigue me.

5. What is the best advice you can give about the practice of law? 

Be authentic and the rest will follow. Never compromise your principles, ethics, faith, and well-being for anything. There will be challenges and they will come from different angles. Hard work as well as a good support system (whether from colleagues and/or a trusted group of legal and non-legal friends and/or family) is absolutely vital in this profession. Things will unfold and happen exactly as they are meant to.

Monty is an internationally trained litigation lawyer of Punjabi background. He is an Associate at Pallett Valo LLP, a full service law firm in Mississauga, where he practices in the areas of commercial litigation, estates, employment and labour, and insolvency and corporate restructuring. Monty is a graduate of the University of Buckingham law school in the United Kingdom. Monty’s favourite South Asian food is Aloo Paratha. He enjoys playing hockey, golf and cricket in his spare time. In addition to speaking English, Monty speaks Punjabi and Hindi.

1) What attracted you to litigation?
I’ve always been attracted to the adrenaline that comes with receiving a judgment or decision after putting your entire case out there as best as you can, for better or for worse. It’s a serious rush and one of the few measures of objective success one can have professionally. Winners and losers.

2) What should lawyers elsewhere in the country know about practicing law in Mississauga?
We get to play with the big guys while also serving smaller businesses and local community causes. That’s not always possible downtown.

3) What are some moments in your career that you are proud of?
I had the privilege of appearing before the Court of Appeal on a couple of occasions in the last few years, and it felt like a huge moment. Being a litigator, it was huge to appear in a Court that shapes so much of our province’s law.

4) What’s your favourite memory from being part of SABA?
Recently, I worked with Aaron Bains and Annie Tayyab to encourage South Asian judges to apply for the upcoming Supreme Court vacancy. I can’t believe I get to do things like this.

5) What was the best advice you received about the practice of law?
Regardless of whether you have the facts or the law, don’t let anyone outwork you.