Alberta's legal regulator adds benchers John Evans, Ali Rakka, Riad Tarrabain
Following the Nov. 18 bencher elections, the Law Society of British Columbia announced the re-election of 16 (three by acclamation) and the election of six new ones: Michael Zimmerman, Nazanin Aram, Tanya Heuchert, Arun Mohan, Karen Tse, and Sara K. Hopkins.
District 1: Vancouver
- Cheryl D'Sa: 1,238 votes (re-elected)
- Kevin B. Westell: 1,172 votes (re-elected)
- Tim Delaney: 1,012 votes (re-elected)
- Christina J. Cook: 955 votes (re-elected)
- Aleem Bharmal: 936 votes (re-elected)
- Ravi Hira: 927 votes (re-elected)
- Tanya Chamberlain: 910 votes (re-elected)
- James Struthers: 732 votes (re-elected)
- Michael Zimmerman: 673 votes (elected)
- Nazanin Aram: 669 votes (elected)
- Tanya Heuchert: 631 votes (elected)
- Arun Mohan: 430 votes (elected)
District 2: Victoria
- Marcia McNeil: 319 votes (re-elected)
- James A. S. Legh: 254 votes (re-elected)
District 3: Nanaimo
Nicole E. Smith: 108 votes (re-elected)
District 4: Westminster
- Gurminder Sandhu: 416 votes (re-elected)
- Jaspreet Singh Malik: 331 votes (re-elected)
District 5: Kootenay
Karen Tse: 48 votes (elected)
District 7: Cariboo
- Benjamin Levine (re-elected by acclamation)
- Georges Rivard (re-elected by acclamation)
District 8: Prince Rupert
Sara K. Hopkins: 39 votes (elected)
District 9: Kamloops
Jay Michi (re-elected by acclamation)
In a news release, the BC law society shared that Thomas L. Spraggs (District 4), Michael F. Welsh (District 6), and Katrina Harry (District 1) would continue to serve as benchers until they finished their respective presidential terms.
Brook Greenberg, BC law society president, congratulated those re-elected and the newly elected. Greenberg expressed gratitude to all candidates for their participation, as well as to the following departing benchers for their contributions:
- Paul Barnett
- Nikki L. Charlton
- Jennifer Chow
- Sasha Hobbs
- Dr. Jan Lindsay
- Barbara Stanley
- Gaynor C. Yeung
- Jonathan Yuen
The BC law society noted that Greenberg, Chow, and Stanley would become life benchers next year.
Alberta’s new benchers
On the other hand, the Law Society of Alberta welcomed John Evans, Ali Rakka, and Dr. Riad Tarrabain as new benchers.
Rakka and Tarrabain, appointed by Alberta’s justice minister and solicitor general as the new public representatives on the Law Society Board, replace Louise Wasylenko and Glen Buick, who both held their roles for around a decade.
In a news release, the Alberta law society thanked the two departing representatives for their professionalism, enthusiasm, and dedication.
John Evans
Evans worked as an articling student, associate, and partner at Stringam LLP. He served as the firm’s managing partner from 2008–22 and as board chair from 2022–24.
He focuses on estate litigation, family law disputes, corporate shareholder disputes, other high-conflict litigation, and construction law disputes. He has represented plaintiffs and defendants alike in professional negligence matters.
As a member of the law societies of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and the Northwest Territories, Evans has appeared before all Alberta court levels, before federal courts, and before courts in Saskatchewan, NWT, and Ontario.
Last March, he accepted an appointment to serve on the Electoral Boundaries Commission. In 2020, he received a King’s Counsel designation and an appointment to the Provincial Court Nominating Committee (now known as the Alberta Judicial Nominating Committee).
According to a news release from the Alberta law society, Evans obtained an LLB from the University of Calgary in 1995.
Ali Rakka
Rakka is lead admission advisor and community liaison coordinator at Columbia College. In his work, he oversees the admission process, helps students attain their academic and career objectives, and links the college with communities and stakeholders.
He is a certified career development professional and a workshop facilitator. He is also a member of the Alberta premier’s Advisory Council, the University of Calgary’s Senate, and Calgary Police Services’ Middle East Advisory Board.
Riad Tarrabain
With doctor of chiropractic and a medical degrees, Tarrabain has worked as a healthcare provider for over 25 years. As a director of multidisciplinary health clinics in Edmonton, he leads a team of health professionals and medical specialists providing patient-centric care.
He volunteers with numerous organizations and sits on the board of a non-profit promoting youth development, interfaith engagement, and mental wellness.
