Join us on Wednesday January 28, 2026 for a discussion with Sabino Dipaola (CPA, CA) Cedric Marin, Ravi Jain and Grace Allen about arriving at the decision to hang out a shingle, the bumps along the road, and the things we wish we knew before we started our own Canadian immigration law firms.
Discussion Topics:
- Bottom line: is it the right business decision?
- Things to consider re: Admin (Accounting? Succession Plan? Whether or not to invest in software? Advertising?)
- HR: how to know when/whether to bring on staff or to stay small? How to know who to hire?
- Any regrets?
About the Speakers:
Grace Allen is the founder and principal lawyer with Grace Allen Immigration Law in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Grace holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Mount Allison University with a double major in International Relations and Hispanic Studies. She graduated from this program holding First Class Honours with Distinction. She earned a Master of Science, Human Rights from the London School of Economics and Political Science where she focused her thesis on the intersection of migrants’ rights and citizenship. Grace stayed in London to complete her LLB at the City University of London in 2015. She has also lived abroad in Denmark, Germany and Mexico.
Cédric Marin is a bilingual immigration lawyer and founder of Marin Immigration Law. He has served as a law clerk at the Federal Court of Canada, a decision-maker at the Immigration and Refugee Board, and a resettlement expert with the UNHCR in Tunisia and Lebanon. He also developed immigration technology and was an approved participant in the Law Society of Ontario’s Access to Innovation Program. Cédric holds LL.L., J.D., and LL.M. degrees from the University of Ottawa and is licensed by the Law Society of Ontario.
Ravi Jain has over 22 years of practice experience and is certified by the Law Society of Ontario as a Specialist in Immigration Law. He has addressed committees in both the Canadian Senate and Canada’s House of Commons on several occasions. Ravi received the Diamond Jubilee Medal by command of Her Majesty the Queen and was recently selected by Best Lawyers as Lawyer of the Year. He was a Past National Chair of the CBA Immigration Section and has been active with the South Asian Bar Association (SABA) as a Board Member and is currently the Immigration Section Co-Chair for SABA North America. He co-founded CILA.
Sabino Dipaola is an accomplished Chief Financial Officer with 10+ years of experience in the exploration and mining industries, as well bio-tech and natural health industries. Mr. Di Paola brings a high level of expertise in financial reporting, equity financing and spin-out transactions and corporate governance. Mr. Di Paola previously held a leadership position as the Chief Financial Officer of Cornerstone Capital Resources Inc. which was acquired by SolGold ENSA giving it 100% ownership of the world class Cascabel Copper concession.
