Practicing in the US

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Have you ever been curious to know what it is like to work in the US as a lawyer? Have you been receiving inquiries from US law firm recruiters on LinkedIn and not sure what to do?

In the past year, Canadian legal practitioners have been migrating to the US legal market in increasing numbers. In this FACL BC panel event, we will have three Canadian lawyers now practicing in the US share their experiences with us. This lunchtime event will allow interested attendees to learn and discuss the logistics and issues involved with the transitional process.

We will consider a number of themes including the cross-border recruitment process, bar exam and relocation costs, potential visa and work issues, as well as work cultures on both sides of the border. We will also be hearing opening remarks from the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association.

If you have questions to submit to the panelists in advance of the event, please send them to membership@faclbc.ca and put “Practicing in the US Questions” as the subject line.

Speakers:

• Hansik (Joseph) Ha, Sidley Austin LLP, New York City

Joseph Hansik Ha is an associate in the Global Finance Group at the New York office of Sidley Austin LLP. His practice primarily focuses on leveraged finance transactions. Before joining Sidley Austin, Joseph was an associate at the Calgary office of Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP.

• Jessica Zhang, Mintz, San Francisco

Jessica Zhang is an associate with Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C. in San Francisco, focusing on capital markets, M&A and venture capital. Prior to joining Mintz, Jessica was an associate with MLT Aikins LLP in Calgary and worked as an in-house legal counsel for a Calgary based natural gas company.

Jessica graduated from the University of Calgary and was called to the bar in Alberta in 2018 and New South Wales, Australia in 2021. During law school, Jessica volunteered with Student Legal Assistance and Pro Bono Students Canada. She is currently volunteering with Mintz’s Afghanistan Refugee Project where she assists individuals in Afghanistan with their U.S. special immigration visa and humanitarian parole applications.

• Geeth Makepeace, Shearman & Sterling LLP, Menlo Park

Geeth Makepeace is an associate in the Capital Markets practice at the Menlo Park office of Shearman & Sterling LLP. He represents public and private companies, investment banks and sponsors in a broad range of corporate transactions, including securities offerings, public company reporting and compliance, venture capital, debt financing, mergers and acquisitions, and other general corporate and commercial matters.

Originally from Toronto, Geeth graduated from the University of Calgary and was called to the bar in Alberta. Before joining Shearman & Sterling LLP, he was an associate at Stikeman Elliott in Vancouver.

Opening Remarks:

• Priya Purandare, Executive Director of NAPABA

Moderators:

• Junki Hong, KSW Lawyers
• Fiona Wong, Samfiru Tumarkin LLP