Awards and Recognition

Highlights of Evelyn Ackah and the Ackah Law team’s key work, awards and recognition, publications, presentations and community-related activities.

Awards and Recognitions

2021: Runner-Up for the 2021 Reisman Award for Excellence in Client Service
2021: Nominated for the 29th annual RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards
2021: Named Top 100 Canada Law Blogs, Websites & Influencers in 2021
2021: Named Alberta’s Leading Immigration Law Specialist of the Year by Acquisition International
2021: Named Alberta's Leading Immigration Law Specialist of the Year
2021: Winner 2021 Gold CommunityVotes Calgary Immigration Lawyer and Lawyers
2021: Named to Top 3 Best Immigration Lawyers in Calgary, AB
2021: Ackah Business Immigration Law Voted Top Choice Immigration Law Services of 2021 in Calgary
2020: Winner Clawbies 2020: Canadian Law Blog Award for Best Multi-Platform Presence
2020: Named to Top 3 Immigration Lawyers in Calgary, AB
2020: Top Choice Awards Nominee: Immigration Law Services
2019: Ackah Business Immigration Law Ranked #97 in the 2019 Law Firm 500 Awards
2019: Named to Top 3 Immigration Lawyers in Calgary, AB
2018: Ackah Business Immigration Law Voted 2018 Top Immigration Law Firm in Calgary
2018: Ackah Business Immigration Law Named 2018 Law Firm 500 Award Winner
2018: Voted Top Business Immigration Law Firm of 2018, Calgary Region
2018: Nominated for a People’s Choice Award and Innovation Award by the Calgary Chamber of Commerce Small Business sector
2018: Nominated as a Woman of Inspiration by Canadian Business Chicks
2017: Nominated for 2018 B2B Top Choice Award
2015: Member, HR Committee of the Calgary Chamber of Commerce
National Committee member and Chair of the Calgary “Women Moving Women” campaign on behalf of the Canadian Women’s Foundation
Member of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Institute for the Administration of Justice. Evelyn served as Treasurer of the American Immigration Lawyers Association – Canada Chapter
Executive of the Ontario Bar Association – Immigration Section
Vice-Chair of the Immigration Section of the National Bar Association (US)
Director and Member of the Executive Committee of Junior Achievement of Central Ontario
2014: Recognized by The Who’s Who Legal organization as an Expert in Corporate Immigration Law from 2010 to 2014
2014: She received the Obsidian Awards Professional of the Year Award from The African, Caribbean and Afro-Canadian Society of Excellence in Alberta
2013: Evelyn was nominated as an RBC Woman Entrepreneur of the Year
2010: Chosen as one of Avenue Magazine’s Top 40 Under 40 in Calgary in 2010

Evelyn Ackah's Recent Key Work

Assisted an Australian corporation to obtain approval for 90 LMOs to bring electric transmission workers to Alberta
Assisted a North American construction company with the development and implementation of immigration strategies to relocate 100 specialized workers to Canada for the creation of a cross-border electric transmission line
Advised a multinational imaging and printing corporation on immigration strategies to assist with employee transfers and secondments from other regions of the world
Acted for national recruitment and staffing companies on major projects to identify, recruit and relocate a high volume of skilled trades workers from around the world to address critical skills shortages in Canada
Assisted international oil and gas companies to develop immigration policies and processes for international recruitment purposes
Assisted major multinational corporations to establish Canadian and U.S. operations and advised on strategies to transfer experienced employees from other locations of the corporations to the new North American operations
Assisted international Venezuelan corporation with bulk LMO applications and Work Permits for highly skilled employees

Memberships/Professional Affiliations

Member, Law Society of Alberta
Member, Law Society of Ontario
Member, Canadian Bar Association — Immigration Section (Alberta and Ontario)
Member, American Immigration Lawyers’ Association (AILA), Canada Chapter and Washington State Chapter
Member, International Women's Forum
Member, Calgary Chamber of Commerce
Member, American Bar Association
Included in Who’s Who of Corporate Immigration Lawyers – Canada, 2010 to 2014

Publications

“Twibling Revelry”, Facts and Arguments – The Globe and Mail, October 23, 2013
“Fast and Furious – The Changing Nature of Canadian Immigration Law” published in The Lawyers Weekly, April 2012
“Mexican Business Visa Program Needs Work” published in The Lawyers Weekly, May 21, 2010
“Cross Border Travel — Be Prepared To Wait” published in The Lawyers Weekly, February 1, 2010
“The Foreign Worker Recession Question” published in Canadian Employment Law Today, July 15, 2009
Focus on Immigration Law “The New Canadian Citizenship Act” published in The Lawyers Weekly, May 22, 2009
“Canadian Employers, Foreign Workers and the Current Economic Crisis” published in Labour Notes, May 18, 2009
“Canadian Employers, Foreign Workers and the Current Economic Crisis” published in HRAC Perspectives Magazine, March 10, 2009
“New Immigration Class Welcomes Foreign Students and Workers” published in The Lawyers Weekly, October 10, 2008
“Risky Business: Crossing Borders with Laptops” published in The Lawyers Weekly, May 16, 2008
“Government Should Go Further with Foreign Worker Programs” published in The Lawyers Weekly, July 6, 2007
“Sovereignty or Sales” published in HR Professional Magazine, June/July 2007
“Advantage Canada Strategy: Will Canadian Employers Really Gain an Advantage in the Recruitment of Foreign Workers?” published in The Lawyers Weekly
“Immigration Requirements for Working in the U.S.”, Toronto Board of Trade’s Young Professionals Newsletter, July 2006
“Opportunities for Young Professionals Working Cross-Border”, Toronto Board of Trade’s Young Professionals Newsletter, May 2006 “When the Teacher is Ready”, published in Globe and Mail Facts and Arguments Section, March 21, 2006

Presentations

Panel, Alberta Women Entrepreneurs Legal Requirements for Hiring Canadians to Work Abroad, September 2019
Presenter, Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) 2017: Border Patrol: Cross-Border Canadian Visa Options for Filmmakers and Other Artists
Presenter, APEGBC: Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia, Vancouver: NAFTA Requirements for Working in the U.S., April 2017
Presenter, APEGBC: Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia: NAFTA Requirements for Working in the U.S., September 2017
Presenter, Human Resources Institute of Alberta (HRIA): Best Practices to Protect Your Organization if Terminating TFWs in Alberta's Current Economic Climate, November 2016
Presenter, APEGBC: Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia: NAFTA Requirements for Working in the United States, October 2016
Presenter, Armstrong Mitchell Lawyers, “Canadian Immigration Law – Recent Updates” October 24, 2012
Presenter, GE Women’s Network “Innovate and Inspire Diverse Leadership Panel”, October 2012
Presenter, Young Women of Influence Keynote “Negotiating Career Success”, October 10, 2012
Presenter, Calgary Exchange HR Group “Immigration Update”, February 8, 2012
Presenter, Alberta Law Conference – Employment Law Panel “Reaching New Pools of Talent”, January 26, 2012
Co-Chair/Presenter at Canadian Institute Employing Foreign Workers Conference, October 19/20, 2011
Presenter, Junior Achievement World of Choices “My Secrets of Success”, May 27, 2011
Presenter, Human Resource Association of Calgary “A Whole New World – Changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, March 22, 2011
Presenter, CBA Alberta Employment and Labour Subsection Seminar “Recent Changes to Canadian Immigration Law”, October 7, 2010
Delivered Webinar on Immigration Law Updates for the Human Resources Professional Association, September 21, 2010
Presenter at the Human Resources Professional Association Annual Conference in Toronto “Canadian Immigration and the Economic Recession”, January 28, 2010 Presenter, “Business Development Strategies for Women Lawyers” to Lilith Law Mentoring Program participants, Calgary, November 2009
Presenter, “Finding Innovative Solutions for Hiring Foreign Workers: Alternative to LMOs”, Business Immigration Conference, Calgary, October 22–23, 2009
Presenter, “Special Challenges with Work Sharing/Layoffs/Terminations”, Insight Employee Terminations & Restructuring Conference, Calgary, September 28–29, 2009
Presenter, CBA National 2009 Citizenship and Immigration Law Conference in Whistler, April 16–19, 2009
Presenter at the Human Resource Professional Association Annual Conference in Toronto, January 28, 2009
Presenter, “Strategies for Hiring and Retaining Skilled Foreign Workers: Effective Management of the Complex Business Immigration Process”, 3rd Annual Western Canadian Forum on Employment Law, Calgary, January 22–23, 2009
Delivered Webinar on Immigration Law Updates for the Human Resource Professional Association, October 2008
Presenter at Canadian Association of Importers and Exporters Conference in Calgary, Alberta, February 2008
Speaker at the Human Resources Professional Association of Ontario’s Annual Employment Law Seminar regarding immigration issues for human resource professionals, October 2007
Presenter/Facilitator, 14th Annual Immigration Forum, Law Society of Upper Canada, November 2006
Keynote Speaker, Junior Black Achievement Awards in Vancouver, October 2006
Presented on “Trailblazers” panel for Working Mother’s Best Companies for Multicultural Women’s Town Hall and The National Association for Female Executives, June 22, 2006
Keynote Speaker, “Brothers on the Bench — Living the Dream”, honouring Mr. Justice Selwyn Romilly of the British Columbia Supreme Court and Judge Valmond Romilly of the British Columbia Provincial Court for their contributions to the bench and the community, March 2004

Media

Evelyn Ackah and Ackah Business Immigration Law in the MEDIA.

Community Involvement

Director, Operation Eyesight Universal which is focused on preventing blindness and restoring sight around the world
Invited member of International Women's Association (IWF) - a non-profit membership organization of professional women and business owners
Member of Committee for Calgary Raising Canada event for Children First Canada
National Committee Member, Women Moving Women campaign for the Canadian Women’s Foundation, aimed at helping to move 2,500 women out of poverty by the sponsorship of educational programming, 2008–present
Chosen as Protégé for Women’s Executive Network Professional Mentoring Program, 2006–2008
Member, Diversity Advisory Committee, Career Edge, 2006–2007
Member of Board of Directors, Canadian Institute for the Administration of Justice, 2005–2007
Member of Board of Directors and Executive Committee, Junior Achievement of Central Ontario, 2003–2007
Mentor to Law Students from all across Canada, ongoing

Why Choose Ackah Law?

Why Hire An Immigration Lawyer?

Meet Our Team

Evelyn Ackah

Founder/Managing Lawyer

Howard Ames

Director of Operations

Oluwaponmile (Ponle) Ojemakinde

Associate Lawyer

Jessica Wong

Articling Student

Ginette Mangena

Registered Immigration Consultant

Regina Ramos

Registered Immigration Consultant

Liz Profumo

U.S. Immigration Counsel

Frances Hayden

U.S. Immigration Counsel

Patricia Marquez

Office and Legal Production Supervisor

Evelina Gorn

Client Engagement Coordinator

Andrea Bustamante

Client Engagement Coordinator

Emma Arnold-Fyfe

University of Calgary Legal Innovation Intern

Catherine Russell

Digital Marketing Consultant

Patty Busano

Office and Marketing Assistant

Mary Rizalie C. Ganelo

Executive Assistant

Laura-Anne Goulding

Articling Law Student

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