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