Ms. Ackah is passionate about immigration law because it focuses on people and relationships, which are at the core of her personal values. Starting her legal career as a corporate/commercial lawyer in Toronto on Bay Street, Evelyn soon discovered she craved the rewards of having more direct contact with clients and the freedom to manage her own files. Business immigration law allows her to work with corporations and the people who make them successful. The highly specialized nature of business immigration law drives Evelyn to strive to remain at the forefront of legal and policy developments to ensure her clients are fully compliant with the latest regulatory and legal changes, and that they understand the nuances and impacts of these changes on their business and their people.
Whether business is done south of the border, across the “pond” or around the world, Evelyn employs her expertise to help clients achieve their desired business objectives. She develops and implements immigration strategies, provides advice on immigration matters related to employee mobility or relocation, and assists with global investment opportunities.
When clients are establishing new corporations or making North American investments, Evelyn calls on her previous corporate/commercial experience to develop strategies and recommendations. Before establishing her own law firm, Evelyn was a Partner at a leading international law firm and served as the national head of the business immigration law practice.
Evelyn is called to the bar in both Alberta and Ontario. Having graduated from Simon Fraser University with a Bachelor of Arts degree (Political Science) in 1993, she went on to receive her Bachelor of Law degree from the University of British Columbia in 1997.
Evelyn's native language is Twi and she has an advanced comprehension of it.
Evelyn is driven to give back to the community and to remain actively involved in her profession. She defines success by her personal, professional and community contributions. Evelyn attributes much of her professional success to the mentoring and support she received from other senior professionals across the country and believes in paying it forward by supporting a number of different organizations and charitable campaigns – both locally and nationally. In addition, she has mentored several dozen young law students across the country that are looking for guidance and support as they begin their careers.
Evelyn's current community involvement includes:
Board of Directors of Decidedly Jazz Danceworks: The DJD Dance Centre is a home for jazz dance to live and thrive. We exist to contribute meaningfully to the future of jazz dance. We are a dance hub in our city. Our community is wide and inclusive. We believe in human connection, personal expression, and the dignity of all people. We believe in dancing to music, with bent knees and movement in our torsos, we embrace improvisation, rhythmic sophistication, the individual, and the community.
Secretary for the Governance Committee with Operation Eyesight Universal and Secretary of the Governance Committee, which is an international development organization working to eliminate avoidable blindness. This organization integrates Evelyn's interest in global development and humanitarian contributions. Operation Eyesight works in Ghana, Kenya, Zambia, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
A Board Member of Enterprise4Good, a global organization focused on engaging and connecting people about social issues in their communities locally and globally to provide sustainable services, while at the same time working to permanently solve issues and problems.
Active Member of International Women's Forum, committed to shaping a future in which leadership has no gender and the next generation is inspired and equipped to transform the world.
Evelyn has helped raise millions of dollars to help move low-income women and their children out of poverty and into financial security in her previous role as a National Committee member and Chair of the Calgary “Women Moving Women” campaign on behalf of the Canadian Women's Foundation. She is also a past member of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Institute for the Administration of Justice, she served as Treasurer of the American Immigration Lawyers Association — Canada Chapter and served on the Executive of the Ontario Bar Association — Immigration Section. She was also Vice Chair of the Immigration Section of the National Bar Association (U.S.). Evelyn also served four years as a Director and Member of the Executive Committee of Junior Achievement of Central Ontario. Evelyn also regularly participates in charitable 10k and half marathon races to raise funds for different organizations.
Evelyn and Ackah Law are honoured to be recognized by many groups, organizations and publications for their contributions to the community and for providing excellent legal services:
- January 2021: Voted the Top Choice Immigration Law Services of 2021 in Calgary. Ackah Law previously won this award in 2018 and was nominated in 2020.
- January 2021: Ackah Business Immigration Law named 2021 Top 3 Best Immigration Lawyers in Calgary: by ThreeBestRated.com. This is the 3rd consecutive year that Ackah Law has been named Best Immigration Lawyers in Calgary.
- December 2020: Winner Clawbies Canadian Law Blog Award for Best Multi-Platform Presence
- In 2020, named to Top 3 Immigration Lawyers in Calgary, AB and a Top Choice Awards Nominee: Immigration Law Services
- In 2019, Ackah Business Immigration Law Ranked #97 in the 2019 Law Firm 500 Awards and named to Top 3 Immigration Lawyers in Calgary, AB
- In 2017, Ackah Law was nominated for 2018 B2B Top Choice Award, and in 2018 Evelyn was nominated as a Woman of Inspiration. Also in 2018, Ackah Business Immigration Law was nominated for a People's Choice Award and Innovation Award by the Calgary Chamber of Commerce.
- See a complete list of Ackah Business Immigration Law's Awards and Recognitions here.
Evelyn has been recognized by The Who's Who Legal organization as an Expert in Corporate Immigration Law from 2010 to 2014. She was honoured to be nominated by one of her clients and chosen as one of Avenue Magazine’s Top 40 Under 40 in Calgary in 2010. Most recently in 2013, Evelyn was nominated as an RBC Woman Entrepreneur of the Year. In 2014, she received the Obsidian Awards Professional of the Year Award from The African, Caribbean and Afro-Canadian Society of Excellence in Alberta.
Evelyn routinely shares her extensive legal expertise by speaking at conferences, writing articles and participating in media interviews. Evelyn has been featured in the Globe and Mail several times about her professional background and her entrepreneurial spirit.