Meet our founders and 2020-2021 directors
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ANTONIO F. URDANETA - President
Employment and Labour Lawyer, Antonio F. Urdaneta is a marathon runner who improves the work climate and empowers business leaders to reduce the inherent threats of workplace relations by providing innovative training, advisory, investigations, and litigation services. Antonio uses coaching tools and skills to inform, advice and represent workplaces in their virtual and physical challenges, including business transformation and managing toxic leadership.
JULIA VALLADAO - Professional Development Director and Secretary
Julia is an ITL who is passionate about the inclusion of ITLs in the legal market. She has dedicated the last few years to working with legal professionals on their careers and helping them position themselves for success. She has also worked with law firms and companies to assess and improve their hiring practices as a labor market consultant. Julia is Brazilian and has an LL.M. in Business & Finance Law. She has experience both in the Canadian and U.S. job markets.
JASMINE SINGH - Treasurer
Jasmine is Legal Counsel for BMO Financial Group. She is a derivatives lawyer based in Toronto. Jasmine has experience with a broad range of capital markets transactions, with a particular focus on OTC derivatives, repos, and securities lending transactions and advising on collateral, set-off, netting and derivatives enforceability.
Jasmine holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts from York University and a Juris Doctor from Bond University. After being called to the bar, she commenced her legal career as corporate counsel for George Weston Limited. Jasmine is an advocate for advancement of equity, justice and opportunity for women and racialized lawyers in the Canadian legal community.
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PRISCILA ATKINSON - Communications, Participants Engagement and Publications Director
Priscila is an Internationally Trained Lawyer from Brazill. She holds a LL.B from Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE) and LL.M from Osgoode Hall Law School. In Brazil, Priscila was a Judicial Law Clerk at both the Federal Court of Appeal and the Electoral Court of Appeal. During her LL.M, among other things, Priscila volunteered at Pro Bono Ontario and was a Chapter Leader of the Runnymede Society. This year, she was a Summer Law Student at the Constitutional Law Branch of the Ministry of Attorney General, where she will be returning as an Articling Student.
YONIDA KOUKIO - Memberships and Community Engagement Director
Yonida practiced litigation in Athens, Greece, with a focus on plaintiff-side tort claims. She holds LL.B. and LL.M. degrees from Democritus University of Thrace and, more recently, an LL.M. degree from Osgoode PD in Intellectual Property and Business Law. While at Osgoode, she acted as an IPilogue Editor, focusing on technology and data-related legal issues, and co-published two peer-reviewed health and biotech-related articles. She recently completed her Law Practice Program placement focusing on corporate/commercial and IP law, and was called to the Ontario Bar in June 2020.
SAMANTHA DEL FRATE - Strategic Initiatives Director
Samantha is a current Articling Student at McCarthy Tétrault with a keen interest in regulatory law and professional regulation.
In 2019, she created and organized the inaugural On-Campus Interviews (OCIs) for ITLs and NCA Candidates at the Ontario Bar Association (OBA). She is a Co-founder and Director of ITLNCA Networks and the Chair of ITLNCA OCIs. She is an advocate for equity in the legal profession.
After graduating from The University of Glasgow School of Law, Samantha worked full-time at McCarthy Tétrault while completing the self-study NCA exams and bar exams. When she is not working, Samantha enjoys art, live music, and biking.
MICHAEL TAM - Policies and Advocacy Director
Michael is the Program Lawyer, Professional Graduate & International Programs at Osgoode Professional Development. In this role he develops degree programs, graduate courses, and non-degree education options for lawyers and law students. He is also the academic and career counsellor to all OsgoodePD students. Michael holds an Honours B.Sc (Hons) in Psychology, an LL.B. from the University of Leicester, and an LL.M from the University of Toronto with a focus on human rights. He completed the NCA process in 2013 and was called to the Ontario Bar in 2015. Michael is a passionate advocate for diversity, inclusion, and equity initiatives
The joint effort of
Canadian Hispanic Bar Association
South Asian Bar Association of Toronto
Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers
Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers
South Asian Bar Association of Toronto
Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers
South Asian Bar Association of Toronto
South Asian Bar Association of Toronto
South Asian Bar Association of Toronto
&
Arab Canadian Lawyers Association
Hellenic Canadian Lawyers' Association
Hellenic Canadian Lawyers' Association
Hellenic Canadian Lawyers' Association
Hellenic Canadian Lawyers' Association
Hellenic Canadian Lawyers' Association