Syeda Nazifa Nawroj, Esq. is a Silicon Valley corporate lawyer specializing in Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A). With experience at top firms like DLA Piper and Fenwick & West, she has helped founders, investors, and private businesses navigate every stage of growth—from startup to successful exit.

Now leading Empowering Legal Solutions PC, Syeda focuses on guiding small to mid-sized businesses through M&A and providing strategic corporate advice. Throughout her career, she has worked on over 35 M&A deals, totaling close to $3 billion.

She is also the author of Sell Your Start-Up: A Founder’s Guide to Navigate and Win at M&A. She earned her J.D. from NYU School of Law, where she served on the NYU Law Review, and her B.A. from Mount Holyoke College.

In this third special "series within a series" episode, the tables turn once again as your host, Claudio Klaus, steps into the guest seat to share his experiences from his first semester at a Canadian law school and his journey navigating the Canadian job market. Co-hosted by ⁠⁠Erika Bailey⁠⁠, who has dedicated nearly 25 years serving the ⁠⁠University of Toronto⁠⁠, most recently supporting NCA internationally trained lawyers and law students at the ⁠⁠Faculty of Law’s⁠⁠ GPLLM and LLM.

The third episode, "Navigating New Beginnings: First Semester and Job Searching in Canada," dives into Claudio's personal story of adjusting to the academic challenges of law school while taking his first steps toward building a legal career in Canada. He discusses the highs and lows of juggling coursework, networking, and job applications, offering insights into what it really takes to start a new chapter in an unfamiliar country.

This episode provides an honest and practical look at how to balance academic life, cultural adjustments, and career ambitions. It's perfect for internationally trained lawyers, students, and anyone curious about the realities of job searching in Canada as a newcomer.

Bio:

⁠⁠Erika Bailey⁠⁠ (she|her) has served the University of Toronto for nearly 25 years, specializing in international graduate student advising and coaching. With an MA in Adult Education from ⁠⁠OISE|UT⁠⁠, an MA in Leadership from ⁠⁠Royal Roads University⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠Solutions-focused Brief Coaching⁠⁠, her passion is to support internationally trained lawyers and law students with the ⁠⁠University of Toronto’s Faculty of Law’s⁠⁠ graduate programs, specifically the ⁠⁠GPLLM⁠⁠ and the ⁠⁠LL.M.⁠⁠ She coaches and advises them in their orientation to, and engagement with, the rigorous recruitment processes for future law licensing candidates, as well as on their licensing processes. In particular, fostering communities of kindness and belonging through mentorship, networking, and transparent dialogue are at the heart of her work.

Luciana is a dual-qualified lawyer licensed to practice law in Ontario (Canada) and Brazil. She was admitted to the Brazilian bar in 2011, where she gained extensive experience over approximately 8 years. Initially, she worked as a litigator in the financial industry for 5 years before transitioning to an In-House counsel position. During her time in Brazil, Luciana played a significant role in one of South America's largest tailings dam collapse cases, specializing in mass-tort litigation and crisis management. She made valuable contributions to the crisis committee by overseeing 15,000 lawsuits through external counsels, conducting individual and collective settlement negotiations, and implementing a procedural strategy that resulted in a groundbreaking legal decision.
Luciana became a member of the Ontario Bar in 2023 after relocating to Canada. As part of her licensing process, she obtained her LLM degree at the University of Toronto and completed her articling term at a prestigious law firm on Bay Street. Luciana returned to an in-house role following her call to the bar, when she joined Philips Canada as Legal Counsel.

Sukhi Alberga⁠ is a Canadian lawyer with a passion for innovation and supporting growth-driven enterprises, and extensive experience in the business and health sectors. She holds an Honours Bachelor’s from the University of Toronto, a Juris Doctor from Bond University, and a Health Law certificate from Osgoode Hall Law School. She founded ⁠Bridging Legal Solutions⁠, Canada’s first multidisciplinary practice combining business law, health law, HR, and accounting services. Sukhi also created ⁠Counselurdocs⁠, an online platform simplifying complex business agreements for startups and professionals. She chairs the Canadian Bar Association’s ⁠Legal Futures Subcommittee⁠ and hosts The ⁠BLS Podcast⁠, featuring trailblazers in business and innovation. When she’s not driving change in the legal world, Sukhi enjoys hiking, bowling, and movies with her twins.

Chad Aboud is a coach, adviser, and speaker, former General Counsel, and experienced corporate lawyer. He is the founder of ⁠Chad Aboud Consulting⁠, where he helps lawyers and business leaders align their natural skills with career strategies to achieve success and fulfillment. Chad is also the host of the ⁠What You're About podcast⁠, where he explores stories of leaders using their unique talents in their careers.Chad is active in the community as a Strategic Advisor of Goodlawyer and a Board Director for Community Music Schools of Toronto. Chad previously served as General Counsel at AudienceView. Before that, he was Senior Corporate Counsel at Indigo and a Corporate & Securities Lawyer at Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP, advising on mergers, financing, and corporate governance. He is a JD/MBA graduate from Osgoode Hall Law School and the Schulich School of Business.

Join the Future of Law Summit on Nov 21, 2024: ⁠https://summit.goodlawyer.ca/#register⁠

In this special "series within a series" episode, the tables turn as your host, Claudio Klaus, steps into the guest seat to share his journey through Canadian law schools and the process of becoming a lawyer in Canada. Co-hosted by ⁠Erika Bailey⁠, who has dedicated nearly 25 years serving the ⁠University of Toronto⁠, most recently supporting #NCA internationally trained lawyers and law students at the ⁠Faculty of Law’s⁠ #GPLLM and #LLM.

The second episode, "Landed! Now What?", shares Claudio's personal story of his first month in Canada as he starts law school in Toronto. He talks about the excitement of arriving in a new country, but also the fears and worries that come with big changes. Claudio opens up about what it’s really like to adjust to life in Toronto, balancing school, and trying to settle into a new place. It’s an honest look at the ups and downs of starting a new journey away from home.

Bio:

⁠Erika Bailey⁠ (she|her) has served the University of Toronto for nearly 25 years, specializing in international graduate student advising and coaching. With an MA in Adult Education from ⁠OISE|UT⁠, an MA in Leadership from ⁠Royal Roads University⁠, and ⁠Solutions-focused Brief Coaching⁠, her passion is to support internationally trained lawyers and law students with the ⁠University of Toronto’s Faculty of Law’s⁠ graduate programs, specifically the ⁠GPLLM⁠ and the ⁠LL.M.⁠ She coaches and advises them in their orientation to, and engagement with, the rigorous recruitment processes for future law licensing candidates, as well as on their licensing processes. In particular, fostering communities of kindness and belonging through mentorship, networking, and transparent dialogue are at the heart of her work.

Bruna Kalinoski is an intellectual property, technology, and litigation lawyer at Burnet, Duckworth and Palmer LLP in Calgary. Her practice focuses on contentious aspects of intellectual property law, including patents, trademarks, copyright, industrial design, and trade secrets, with a particular emphasis on complex IP litigation.

Before joining BD&P, Bruna worked at a leading IP boutique in Canada and began her career in the IP and Technology groups at a top national law firm in Toronto. She has litigated a wide range of technologies, including pharmaceutical, telecommunications, mechanical, high technology, and software, from both technical and economic perspectives.

Bruna previously served as a judicial law clerk to the Hon. Justice Eladio Rocha of the Court of Appeals of the State of Santa Catarina, Brazil, where she was involved in deliberations on various civil and commercial disputes. She holds an LLM from Osgoode Hall Law School and a law degree from the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil. Before transitioning to law, Bruna studied Dentistry for two years, giving her a background in health sciences.

In this special "series within a series" episode, the tables turn as your host, Claudio Klaus, steps into the guest seat to share his journey through Canadian law schools and the process of becoming a lawyer in Canada. Co-hosted by Erika Bailey, who has dedicated nearly 25 years serving the University of Toronto, most recently supporting #NCA internationally trained lawyers and law students at the Faculty of Law’s #GPLLM and #LLM, this episode is the beginning of a series of podcasts that dives deep into the challenges and triumphs of navigating the Canadian legal landscape as an internationally trained lawyer from day one.

The first episode is called "Touchdown" as a nod to aviation lingo, capturing that key moment when the wheels first hit the ground. Before touchdown, the plane goes through a flare —a gentle rise to prepare for a smooth landing. Similarly, this episode marks the beginning of Claudio’s journey into the Canadian legal world, with more to explore as he settles into his new path.

Bio:

Erika Bailey (she|her) has served the University of Toronto for nearly 25 years, specializing in international graduate student advising and coaching. With an MA in Adult Education from OISE|UT, an MA in Leadership from Royal Roads University, and Solutions-focused Brief Coaching, her passion is to support internationally trained lawyers and law students with the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Law’s graduate programs, specifically the GPLLM and the LL.M. She coaches and advises them in their orientation to, and engagement with, the rigorous recruitment processes for future law licensing candidates, as well as on their licensing processes. In particular, fostering communities of kindness and belonging through mentorship, networking, and transparent dialogue are at the heart of her work.