1) Tell us about yourself! (Current occupation, family, pets, where you reside, etc.)
My name is Avechi Chimara and I am a Corporate and Securities Associate Lawyer at Ormston List Frawley LLP. I live and work in downtown Toronto. I graduated from the University of Ottawa in 2020 and was called to the bar in Ontario in 2021. Prior to my legal career, I completed my undergraduate studies at the University of Toronto, where I earned an Honours Bachelor of Arts with a double major in Political Science and Sociology.
I have always held an interest in the intersections of business, law, and governance. In high school, I completed a Specialist High Skills Major in Business and I was an Accounting Co-Op student for the Brampton Board of Trade. Prior to law school, I worked for a Canadian Chartered Bank. During law school, I summered for two years with an Ottawa business law firm where I was able to learn and practice corporate law.
After completing an MBA Project Management course in law school, I was inspired to learn more about entrepreneurship and start-up culture. I was privileged to be accepted to two international exchange programs that exposed me to captivating legal subject matter. The first was a program in Israel that focused on start-up culture and the second was a program in Puerto Rico that concentrated on intellectual property law.
Currently, my practice focuses on advising on debt and equity financings for private and public companies, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, securities compliance, and other transformational corporate events. I am also regularly involved in providing legal advice on corporate and commercial agreements.
2) How long have you been involved with the OBA? Why did you join?
I joined the OBA in 2017 as a student member. I became more actively involved in the OBA because one of my law school classmates was the previous Student Representative for Ottawa. She raved at how great the OBA was throughout her term. I had joined the OBA as a general member in my first year of law school and had always received e-mail notifications, but I did not know much about the OBA until she told me about all the mentorship and networking opportunities. I was intrigued and inspired. The following year, I ran for a position as the student representative for Ottawa and was elected. During my articling term, I was elected to be the Chair of the Student Division Executive. Being the Chair of the Student Section was a rewarding experience and taught me a lot more about the governance and advocacy efforts behind the OBA. This year, I am a Member at Large of the Business Law Section and the Young Lawyers Division – Central. I’m so glad that I joined the OBA, as I have been able to meet so many amazing lawyers, and friends through my OBA membership.
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