Laura is a Principal Lawyer and Co-Founder at Embarkation. Following her call to the bar in 2010, Laura has built a diverse, litigation-based practice focused on immigration and refugee law. Laura has appeared before all levels of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada and regularly represents clients in judicially reviewing negative decisions before the Federal Court of Canada.
Laura is listed as a Leading Practitioner in the Canadian Legal expert Directory. She is frequently relied upon by various media outlets to comment on issues relevant to Canadian immigration and has appeared on CTV, Global, CBC, as well as been quoted by the Globe and Mail, among other publications. She often is asked to speak at legal conferences and community events and co-chairs the annual “Immigration Issues in Depth” conference with CLE BC.
Laura maintains a close involvement with refugee rights in the community. She previously sat on the Board of Directors of the BC Public Interest Advocacy Centre and on the Vancouver Association of Survivors of Torture (“VAST”) for many years and is on the Legal Services Society duty counsel roster for immigration detention. Laura has working knowledge of Spanish and French.
Fadi is a Principal Lawyer and Co-Founder at Embarkation. He immigrated to Canada about 20 years ago, and he has lived, studied and worked in different cities across the country, which gives him a personal and intimate understanding of the challenges and benefits of immigrating and establishing a new life in Canada. He assists individuals, families and businesses from all over the world achieve their goals, and navigate the world of Canadian immigration, refugee and citizenship law.
Fadi is driven to secure the most efficient and cost effective results for his clients, whether he is developing strategies to attain his clients’ immigration needs, or he is in court to challenge a government decision. He regularly represents clients at the Immigration and Refugee Board as well as the Federal Court of Canada, and he uses litigation strategically and creatively to achieve results.
Fadi is a frequent speaker at legal and community events, as well as a media commentator who advocates for the rights of migrants and refugees. He previously sat on the Board of Directors of the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association, and he was a researcher at the Refugee Forum/Human Rights Centre at the University of Ottawa. Fadi is fluent in Arabic, and has working knowledge of French.
Lobat has a litigation practice in immigration and refugee law. She is President of the national organization of refugee lawyers and scholars, the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers (CARL). She regularly acts for clients at the Federal Court and the Immigration and Refugee Board. She has also argued at the Supreme Court of Canada. Lobat’s practice includes refugee hearings, judicial reviews, motions for stay of removal, immigration and refugee appeals, detention reviews, admissibility hearings and other immigration applications.
Lobat graduated from the University of Toronto’s joint law and social work program and has focused her legal career on social justice work. After articling and working at Lorne Waldman’s office, Lobat spent the first years of practice at the legal non-profit Pivot Legal Society. She also has worked at the BC Public Interest Advocacy Centre, focusing on systemic human rights issues facing low-income people.
Lobat has written numerous articles and reports on refugee and human rights issues, as well as having testified at the House of Commons’ Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration. She is a frequent speaker at legal conferences and regularly provides training for settlement workers, front line advocates and law students on issues relating to immigration and refugee law, access to justice, and human rights.
Juliana practices in all areas of immigration and refugee law.
Juliana clerked for Madam Justice Hansen at the Federal Court in Ottawa after obtaining her law degree from the University of British Columbia. She practiced in administrative law and employment and human rights law at a non-profit organization in Vancouver where she focused on advocating for the rights of migrant workers. Juliana has represented several migrant workers in legal proceedings to uphold their employment and human rights and has participated in law reform work, including advocating for reform of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program to better protect migrant workers from abuse and exploitation. Juliana has represented clients in several human rights cases in British Columbia, including representing parties and interveners before the B.C. Court of Appeal and Supreme Court of Canada.
She has served as a Board Member for LSLAP and currently edits its Immigration and Refugee Law and Citizenship Law manual chapters. She has been involved in various community initiatives aimed at furthering the rights of refugees and other migrants.
Amanda provides counsel on all areas of Canadian immigration, citizenship and refugee law. She appears regularly before all levels of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada on behalf of clients, as well as represents clients before the Federal Court of Canada. Amanda has also testified before federal standing committees of the House of Commons and Senate, and was a member of the Federal Advisory Committee on International Students and Immigration.
Amanda is an active advocate for women’s rights, labour rights and migrant populations, and is a member of the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers and the Canadian Bar Association. She has worked with organizations such as the West Coast Legal Education and Action Fund and the BC Government and Service Employees Union and is involved with Vancouver’s Sanctuary City movement. Prior to her life as a lawyer, Amanda represented students at the national level, advocating for accessible post-secondary education. Amanda is fluent in Hungarian.
Juliana has broad practice experience in Canadian immigration, refugee and citizenship law and has assisted individual and corporate clients from around the world to achieve their Canadian immigration goals.
Juliana has travelled to more than 27 countries, spanning four continents, and has lived in both France and Myanmar (Burma). Her international experience gives her a personal appreciation of the stress involved in trying to establishing oneself in a new country and the challenges that can arise when dealing with foreign bureaucracies. She takes a client-centered approach to practice and works closely with her clients to develop immigration strategies which are tailored to their circumstances.
She is passionate about immigration law and policy believes strongly in the promotion of human rights and the free movement of people across borders. Prior to joining Embarkation, Juliana practiced with one of Canada’s leading immigration boutiques, Sherritt Greene Barristers and Solicitors, and with the busy business immigration firm of Ackah Business Immigration Law before deciding to go out on her own in September 2017. As a sole practitioner Juliana’s work has ranged from study permits to medical inadmissibility replies Labour Market Impact Assessments to appellate work before the Federal Court and Refugee Appeal Division.
Juliana is fluent (working proficiency) in French and conversational (intermediate) in Spanish.
Juliana has broad practice experience in Canadian immigration, refugee and citizenship law and has assisted individual and corporate clients from around the world to achieve their Canadian immigration goals.
Juliana has travelled to more than 27 countries, spanning four continents, and has lived in both France and Myanmar (Burma). Her international experience gives her a personal appreciation of the stress involved in trying to establishing oneself in a new country and the challenges that can arise when dealing with foreign bureaucracies. She takes a client-centered approach to practice and works closely with her clients to develop immigration strategies which are tailored to their circumstances.
She is passionate about immigration law and policy believes strongly in the promotion of human rights and the free movement of people across borders. Prior to joining Embarkation, Juliana practiced with one of Canada’s leading immigration boutiques, Sherritt Greene Barristers and Solicitors, and with the busy business immigration firm of Ackah Business Immigration Law before deciding to go out on her own in September 2017. As a sole practitioner Juliana’s work has ranged from study permits to medical inadmissibility replies Labour Market Impact Assessments to appellate work before the Federal Court and Refugee Appeal Division.
Juliana is fluent (working proficiency) in French and conversational (intermediate) in Spanish.