The Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers (British Columbia) Society (FACL BC) extends its warmest congratulations to its members who have received the King’s Counsel (KC) designation as announced on May 6, 2025. This well-deserved designation is a testament to their exceptional merit and contribution to the legal profession in British Columbia (BC).
FACL BC takes immense pride in the collective accomplishments of our members, whose dedication and excellence inspire the legal community. Their achievements both reflect their individual prowess and underscore the diverse and impactful contributions of Asian Canadian lawyers in shaping the legal landscape in BC and Canada.
On this special occasion, we highlight the remarkable achievements of the below individuals, many of them being FACL BC members:
Peter Ameerali, KC is a leading public law litigator and has been a constitutional expert with the BC Ministry of Attorney General since 2005. He pioneered BC’s civil forfeiture regime and has argued at all court levels. A recognized mentor and trainer, Ameerali was a co-chair of the Young Lawyers subsection of the CBA and has since mentored dozens of students and lawyers both within government and in private practice. Ameerali has lectured at University of Victoria, Thompson Rivers University and CLEBC and provided career guidance and coaching about the legal profession at the high school level. He is a respected leader in legal ethics, equity and inclusion, serving in senior advisory roles within and outside government.
Raji Mangat, KC is the Executive Director of Litigation at West Coast Women's Legal Education and Action Fund (West Coast LEAF) and a respected leader and litigator with 20 years of experience. She is also a sessional lecturer at the University of Victoria, teaching courses such as Civil Liberties and the Charter. She works tirelessly to improve access to justice for marginalized communities through systemic change efforts. She is a strong voice for equity and inclusion in the legal profession and graciously offers her time and expertise to several legal organizations, including Access Pro Bono, Health Justice, and FACL BC. She has been a huge contributor to FACL BC, volunteering as a speaker on a number of panels and at events, including our Membership Retreat last year, providing the organization with guidance as an Advisor on our Advisory Committee (2023-2025), and being featured on one of the first episodes of our FACL BC Podcast.
Salima Samnani, KC is the director of legal services at the Indigenous Community Legal Clinic and a lecturer at Peter A. Allard School of Law at the University of British Columbia. Samnani is a Kenyan Indo-Canadian Muslim immigrant. As a lecturer, she is passionate about implementing clinical legal education pedagogies that focus on trauma-informed, skills-based legal training from a feminist, anti-racist and decolonization perspective. She is also the principal of Salima Samnani Law Corporation, where she practices in family law and employment law, providing legal expertise to individuals, community organizations, non-profit legal services and marginalized communities. She has served as the counsel for the Union of BC Indian Chiefs at the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and commission counsel for the Missing Women Commission of Inquiry (BC).
Karen Tse, KC is a family lawyer, family law mediator, Legal Aid BC duty counsel and civil litigator. As the first female and IBPOC partner at Rockies Law LLP and first Asian female to serve as vice-president and president-elect of the Kootenay Bar Association, she is dedicated to promoting access to justice in rural communities and providing mentorship to the Kootenay bar. Tse was named volunteer of the year by the Fernie Chamber of Commerce. Her work with the Fernie Women’s Resource Centre and Fernie Child Care Society continues to support rural families accessing child care and women and children in crisis.
Gaynor Yeung, KC is a partner at Whitelaw Twining in Vancouver, specializing in insurance law and mediation. She has appeared before all levels of BC courts and is widely respected by plaintiff and defence counsel. She is regularly recognized by Best Lawyers in Canada and is a member of the Canadian Academy of Distinguished Neutrals. Elected a Law Society of BC Bencher in 2021, she chairs the Practice Standards Committee and serves as vice-chair of the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee, demonstrating her leadership, commitment to ethics and integrity within the legal community. Gaynor has volunteered with FACL BC in different capacities, including as a panelist in our “Life of a Bencher: A Conversation with Our Current Benchers of Asian Descent” event, as a speaker at our Membership Retreat last year, and was featured in the FACL BC Podcast.
Once again, FACL BC congratulates all of the newly appointed King’s Counsel on their well-deserved designations and thanks them for their past and ongoing contributions to the legal and wider community in British Columbia.
