Advisory Committee

The Advisory Committee plays a critical role in assisting FACL BC achieve its long-term strategic vision. 

Fiona Wong (she/her) is a lawyer at Overholt Law LLP. She received the 2024 Emerging Alumni Award from her alma mater, University of Victoria, in light of her significant contributions to the community, as a recent graduate from within the past 10 years. Fiona has served on the FACL BC Board since 2019, starting as a Student Director and recently concluding her term as President in 2023/2024. During Fiona's term as President, FACL BC received the CBA Touchstone Award for advancing equality on a national level for issues such as race and gender. Fiona was an Associate Producer of the FACL BC documentary, But I Look Like a Lawyer, in 2021, and launched the FACL BC Podcast, which received a Clawbies' Award for Best Podcast in 2022.

Outside of FACL BC, Fiona enjoys travelling, attending spin classes, and snowboarding.

Cheryl D'Sa, K.C. is a first generation Canadian, born and raised in Vancouver. She attended law school at UBC and was called to the bar in 2008. She summered, articled and practiced at a mid-sized firm before joining a plaintiff only firm. In 2013 she joined her partner to start their own firm, Narwal Litigation LLP, where she remains today as the Managing Partner. The firm is devoted to criminal defence, professional regulation, securities litigation and personal injury. She is also a mediator.

She was the first visible minority female president of the Vancouver Bar Association. She received the CBABC WLF Debra Van Ginkel, QC Mentoring Award. Business in Vancouver named her a Top Forty Under 40 (2019) and she received the Canadian Lawyer Magazine Excellence Award in the Female Trailblazer of the Year category for the 2021 Canadian Law Awards.

Dr. Carol Liao is an Associate Professor and Director of the Centre for Business Law at the Peter A. Allard School of Law. Prior to academia, Dr. Liao practised M&A in New York with an international firm. She is the recipient of the 2021 Influential Women in Business Award from Business in Vancouver, the 2022 Women of the Year Award (Equity and Inclusion Champion) from BCBusiness and was named one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women by the Women’s Executive Network.

A long-time supporter of FACL BC, Dr. Liao appears in "But I Look Like a Lawyer” and delivered the closing keynote at FACL BC's 10th Anniversary Gala in 2021.

Winston Sayson, M.G.C., K.C. has been involved with FACL BC since 2011. He was the keynote speaker at FACL BC’s third annual gala and was the inaugural recipient of the FACL BC Lawyer of Distinction Award. Now retired, Winston served as a senior trial Crown Counsel with the BC Prosecution Service, Ministry of Attorney General (1989-2019).

Winston is a distinguished Filipino-Chinese Canadian who personifies the virtues of the BC Medal of Good Citizenship as demonstrated through his legal career, service to victims of crime, dedication to the rule of law, and volunteer work. He was a pioneer in combining wellness practices with legal work and taught lawyers trauma-informed practices to minimize re-traumatizing victims. 

Doug Chiu is a Partner at Hammerco Lawyers LLP and leads its Commercial Litigation Department. He acts for businesses in relation to corporate malfeasance claims and insurance disputes.

Doug has participated in FACL-BC’s mentorship program and has spoken at their various events. He is a member of the TLABC’s Executive Committee and Chairs its annual Litigation Conference. In 2021, he was appointed onto the Law Society of British Columbia Tribunal where he sits on discipline and credential hearings.

Doug is regularly featured on Chinese media and co-hosts a program where he discusses legal issues and fields live questions in Cantonese.

Gurminder Sandhu, KC is a partner at Hamilton Duncan. Gurminder practices civil litigation, family law and insurance matters since being called to the bar in 2000. He is widely respected by colleagues and the judiciary for his knowledge, his professionalism and his integrity.

Gurminder shares his knowledge to help build up the profession. He contributes to CLEBC and to the PLTC curriculum. He has written submissions on behalf of the Canadian Bar Association and has served on the BC South Asian Bar Association Executive.

In 2021, Gurminder was appointed to the Federal Judicial Advisory Committee where he served for two years, after serving on the Provincial Judicial Advisory Committee for ten years. Gurminder has been a Bencher since 2022. He has been appointed to various Law Society committees, including being appointed as one of three motions’ adjudicators. 

In recognition of his contributions, Gurminder was appointed King’s Counsel in 2023.

Izumi Miki McGruer's 34-year career in the financial advice industry has been characterized by giving back – to countless financial advisor firms through her leadership roles with London Life, Freedom 55 Financial and Canada Life, as well as through extensive volunteering for the betterment of the profession, and within the not-for-profit sector.

As Regional Vice-President, Canada Life, Izumi leads a team helping independent financial advisor firms thrive in Western Canada. Izumi’s commitment to the financial advice industry has also led her to volunteer for numerous regional and national industry leadership roles. She is past President of Advocis for Greater Vancouver and served as Chair of the National Chapter Leadership Council . She is also a past Director on the National Board of the Financial Advisors’ Association of Canada, a past voting member of the Insurance Council of BC, and was Co-Chair of the Vancouver Estate Planning Conference for many years.

Izumi’s extensive volunteerism within the industry also included 12 years as a financial planning mentor with the BCIT Financial Planning program. Today she continues to be a mentor with the UBC Women In Business Blossom Mentor Program.

Izumi also currently serves as a Trustee on the Advocis Institute for Advanced Education. She is also Acting Chair for the Discipline and Conduct Committee, and is on the Advisory Panel for the industry publication Forum Magazine. A long-time music lover, Izumi is also a Director on the Board of the Vancouver Kiwanis Music Festival Society. 

In her spare time, you’ll often find Izumi cooking, trying to tame her invasive species garden or boating with her family. She also loves to play piano for anyone who will sing.

Past Advisors

Kelly Ho entered the financial services industry in 2005. She holds the Certified Financial Planner (CFA) Professional and Certified Cash Flow (CCF) Specialist certifications. Kelly was a finalist for the 2022 Female Trailblazer of the Year award from Wealth Professional Canada and is frequently sought out by media outlets as an expert on common financial planning issues faced by Canadians.

In the community, Kelly is a longstanding Kiwanis Club of Vancouver member, working exclusively with youth initiatives, and has been involved with the FACL BC since 2016. 

Mark Leung is the founder and CEO of Interhouse, the former General Counsel for GSL Group and Chief Legal Officer / Chief Compliance Officer for OPBets, a prospective igaming operator for the province of Ontario. Prior to GSL and OPBets, Mark was the Director of Legal at BBTV, Corporate Counsel and Chief Copywriter for a branding firm that he co-founded, and a litigation associate at one of Canada's largest national law firms. 

Mark has previously served as a director with FACL BC and the Vancouver Asian Film Festival. He was also a member of the CBABC Legal Aid Committee and Civil Litigation Section. Mark currently teaches as an adjunct professor at UBC’s Sauder School of Business.

Raji Mangat (she/her/hers) is a non-profit leader and practicing lawyer with 20 years of specialist and senior level experiencing working to improve access to justice and enhance equity for underserved communities. She is currently the executive director of West Coast LEAF.  

Along with her role on FACL BC's Advisory Committee, Raji serves on the boards of the Vancouver Public Library and Health Justice, and on the national committee of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association. She is an adjunct professor at the University of Victoria’s Faculty of Law, where she teaches a course on civil liberties and the Charter. She recently served on a task force reviewing the Employment Equity Act.