Current Council

Michelle Kelly is a Partner with Cox & Palmer and practices in commercial and insurance litigation.  Michelle was admitted to the Nova Scotia Bar in 2004 and graduated from UNB with her LLB in 2003.  Michelle has spent the last 20 years zealously representing her clients across Nova Scotia and has appeared at all levels of Court in the Province.

Within her Firm, Michelle has had the role of Finance Partner and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Partner as part of the Management Team at Cox & Palmer.  She currently acts as the Regional Chair of the EDI Committee and sits on Cox & Palmer’s Regional Board.

From 2019 to 2023, Michelle served as a Member of Bar Council and has also served on the Professional Responsibility Policies and Procedures Committee, the Supreme Court Liaison Committee and Co-Chaired the Gender Equity Committee.  Outside of NSBS, Michelle has served on various boards including Chairing the Board for Alice House for a number of years, serving on the Board of the Jamaican Cultural Association of Nova Scotia and sitting as a Member of the Advisory Council for the Status of Women before assuming the President role with that organization from 2018-2019.

Michelle received her QC (now KC) in 2021 and in 2023 was named one of Canada’s Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers by Canadian Lawyer.  She was also recently inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers.

Candee McCarthy has over 20 years’ experience as a lawyer.

She served two terms on Council, was Co-Chair of the Society’s Gender Equity Committee, served on the Rural Practice Working Group and currently sits on the Law Office Management Standards Committee.

Candee has substantial board experience, including serving on boards that promote EDIA interests. She also has experience with Legal Aid and small to mid-sized law firms. She currently runs her own firm with three associates. 

Originally from Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, Cheryl Hodder brings deep executive leadership experience to the role of Chief Executive Officer for Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society. Cheryl has more than 30 years of legal, governance and executive business experience, earning the respect of her peers through leadership in corporate, legal, and community organizations regionally, nationally, and internationally.

Cheryl has most recently served as Chief Sustainability and Legal Officer with Canada Post Corporation (CPC), based in Ottawa, and she has been leading a team across a diverse portfolio that is directly relevant to NSBS’s mandate. Cheryl’s role saw her as executive responsible for Indigenous Reconciliation and with other executives shared responsibility for EDI, as a pillar of Canada Post’s ESG strategy. She also provided support to the work of a diverse employee group involved in developing a new anti-racism charter. And, as part of the learning path and process around the organization’s accessibility strategy, she has undertaken extensive consultation across the country involving diverse groups with lived experience, and she has had the opportunity to be involved in intensive unconscious bias training. Cheryl is an officer of the corporation and a member of the senior management team reporting to the CEO. CPC is one of Canada’s largest crown corporations, generating $8.2B in revenue annually, with more than 64,000 employees across Canada.

Prior to her role at CPC, she was a Partner at McInnes Cooper from 2005-2019, one of Canada’s 25 most prominent law firms. Her primary areas of practice were corporate governance and business. She was Managing Partner of the Halifax Office for four years and Vice-Chair of the firm. Cheryl was named one of the best lawyers in Canada in corporate governance every year from 2011-2018 by Best Lawyers in Canada. In 2010, she was named Atlantic Canada’s first Women of Influence and was appointed to the Queen’s Counsel. She was previously Vice President, Legal Services and Risk Management for a large Atlantic Canadian company, where she also acted as General Counsel to a group of private companies.

Cheryl is a corporate governance expert, a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors, and earned her ICD.D designation in 2012. She has served as a private company and crown corporation director and is currently a Mount Allison University Board of Regents member. She is a past director of Nova Scotia Business Inc., Halifax Chamber of Commerce, Scotsburn Dairy Cooperative, past chair of the Atlantic Chapter of the Institute of Corporate Directors, past chair of Film and Creative Industries Nova Scotia, and past chair of the national board of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. She has served as a board director of many volunteer organizations, including Lex Mundi, Symphony Nova Scotia, Neptune Theatre, and the QEII Health Foundation. Cheryl is also a past Honorary Consul of Sweden for Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland & Labrador. She has served as Academic Director and Facilitator for the Institute of Corporate Directors and has taught law and business courses at Dalhousie Law School and Saint Mary’s University. She has had direct experience as a regulator and served as Chair of the Human Rights Board of Inquiry.

Cheryl received the Canadian Bar Association’s Community Service Award for contributing to many community organizations and boards, including the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. In 2013, she received a Progress Woman of Excellence Award.

Nick joined Lorway MacEachern McLeod Burke in 2016 as an associate after articling with the firm. In 2020, Nick became a partner of the firm and has an interest in Criminal Law, Insurance and Personal Injury Litigation, Civil Litigation, and Property Law. Nick has appeared before numerous courts, including Provincial Court, Supreme Court of Nova Scotia and the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal.

Nick has extensive experience in Criminal, having practiced for a period of time with Nova Scotia Legal Aid. Nick was born and raised in Victoria Mines and is pleased to offer the opportunity to meet with clients at a satellite office in New Waterford. Nick is a former Captain with the Canadian Armed Forces as a Health Care Administration Officer with 35 (Sydney) Field Ambulance; he received the Canadian Forces’ Decoration (CD).

Community involvement is extremely important to Nick and is one his passions. He is pleased to be practicing in Cape Breton and the opportunity to give back to this wonderful island.

Christopher T. Conohan is a seasoned lawyer based in Sydney, Nova Scotia, practicing with the law firm Khattar & Khattar. He has been a partner at the firm since 2001 and was admitted to the Nova Scotia Bar in 1998. His legal education includes a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Political Science from St. Francis Xavier University (1994) and a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from Dalhousie University (1997).

Conohan’s practice encompasses a wide range of legal areas, including litigation, family law, corporate/commercial law, criminal law, real estate, and wills & estates. He is also known for his community involvement, having coached rugby and volleyball, and served on the boards and executives of organizations such as the United Way of Cape Breton and the Sydney Rotary Club, and has volunteered in a variety of other community organizations.

Jasmine Mary Ghosn is licensed to practice law in both Ontario and Nova Scotia.

In Ontario, she has represented the interests of regulated health care professionals since her call to the Ontario bar in 2000. Her clients have included hospitals, doctors, nurses, dentists, dental hygienists, occupational therapists, pharmacists, veterinarians, massage therapists, chiropractors, social workers, and others. She was the health policy and legal advisor for the Ontario Dental Association for seven years, where she helped manage a province wide mediation program designed to resolve patient disputes.

In Nova Scotia, Jasmine operates a general litigation practice, assisting with matters involving professional regulation, commercial contracts, construction projects, shareholder disputes, etc.

Jasmine is a past chair of the Ontario Bar Association Health Law Section, and a past chair of the Review Board under the Involuntary Psychiatric Treatment Act in Nova Scotia.

Jasmine has represented clients before various Discipline Committees, in the superior courts and appellate courts of both Ontario and Nova Scotia. She divides her time between Toronto and Halifax.

Jasmine’s favourite quote about the law: “If we never do anything which has not been done before, we shall never get anywhere. The law will stand still whilst the rest of the world goes on; and that will be bad for both” – Lord Denning in Packer v. Packer [1954]

Rob Kennedy, KC is Senior Crown Counsel with the Nova Scotia Public Prosecution Service (PPS).  He graduated from Saint Mary’s University in 2005 with a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology and Dalhousie Law School in 2008 with a Bachelor of Laws.  He was admitted to the Nova Scotia Bar in June 2009.  He received his Kings Counsel designation in February 2025.  He has served on Bar Council since 2023. He sits on the Credentials Committee and the Canadian Centre for Professional Legal Education Appeal Committee.    

After spending a brief time in private practice, Rob has been with the PPS for over 15 years and is currently assigned to the Appeals and Special Prosecutions Section.  He prosecutes major cases throughout the province and conflict files throughout Atlantic Canada.  He is a frequent presenter on criminal law topics to lawyers, judges, students, and law enforcement.  

Since 2017, Rob has been an adjunct professor in the Criminology Department at Saint Mary’s University teaching Criminal Law, as well as Sexualized Violence.  He previously taught Business Law at Acadia University from 2012 to 2017.  Rob regularly mentors law students through the Criminal Clinic Program and acts as a practice judge for law students participating in moot competitions.  He is a faculty member of the Halifax Regional Police Cadet Program where he presents on criminal law topics. 

Rob has been very involved in the local soccer community for most of his life.  He is a member of the Soccer Nova Scotia Board of Directors, Governance Committee, and chairs the Ethics Committee.  He coaches with soccer club Suburban FC.  He refereed soccer for over 20 years, officiating many national tournaments throughout Canada. 

He is the father of two daughters, Elyse (13) and Farrah (10).

Gregg graduated from Saint Mary’s University in 1986 and Dalhousie Law School in 1989. He was admitted to the Nova Scotia Bar in 1990.  He is currently an Associate Legal Counsel with the Nova Scotia Health Authority based at the East Coast Forensic Hospital in Dartmouth.

Early in his career, Gregg was Chair of the Wills, Estates and Trusts Section of the Canadian Bar Association’s Nova Scotia Branch. This led to a career focussed primarily on estate planning and administration, elder law and charitable giving. His career included other areas of practice such as mental health law, wealth management, taxation, business succession, real property, administrative law, legislative drafting and enforcement.

Gregg has been a member of the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society Finance Committee for almost 11 years, having previously served on the Trust Accounts Committee. He currently serves as Chair of the Motor Vehicle Appeal Board. Until recently, he served as Chair of the Involuntary Psychiatric Treatment Act Review Board where he chaired adjudicative panels, managed the Board’s functions and oversaw the implementation of some of the recent amendments to the Act. He was an Adjudicator of the Small Claims Court of Nova Scotia for 13 years. He has served on several law reform initiatives beginning with the Probate Act Reform Project Legislative Subcommittee and the Law Reform Commission of Nova Scotia’s Report on Reform of the Wills Act, leading to the current Probate Act and Wills Act. He contributed to the Bar Admission Course materials and developed the trust accounts reporting standard for lawyers acting as executors and proctors. He served on the Canadian Bar Association’s National Charities and Not-for-Profit Law Section before founding and chairing the first Nova Scotia section.

Outside of the profession, he recently completed 11 years serving on the Board of Directors of Cole Harbour Place and he has been involved in other community initiatives. He is a member of the Society of Trusts and Estate Practitioners, the Canadian Bar Association and the Halifax Estate Planning Council.

D. Fraser MacFadyen graduated from Dalhousie Law School in 1985. He proceeded to article and then practice in BC until 1989.

In 1989, Fraser returned to Nova Scotia and joined Stewart McKelvey where he currently practices in the commercial area with a current concentration in more complex commercial property matters.

He has previously an instructor for several years with the Society’s Bar Admission program and he co-instructed Corporate Finance at Dalhousie Law School. Fraser was also previously the President of the CBA Real Estate Subsection for NS.

Fraser has contributed to his community throughout his career and is the past Chair of Feed Nova Scotia (2005-2010) and he was a board member at Halifax’s Sacred Heart School.

Nicole MacIsaac leads Valley Family Law, a full-service family law firm in the Annapolis Valley. In addition to notable experience handling intimate partner violence and power imbalances in relationships, Nicole has the capacity to see her clients through negotiations and litigation in emotionally trying times with compassion and a practical approach to resolving their legal issues.

As a certified mediator and collaborative family lawyer, Nicole encourages her clients to engage in alternative dispute resolution whenever possible. Nevertheless, Nicole regularly appears in the Supreme Court Family Division and relies upon her experience whenever litigation is necessary. Nicole obtained her B.Sc. Psychology at Dalhousie University, and her LL.B. at University of New Brunswick (2011). She is a member of the ADR Institute of Canada, the Association of Collaborative Family Law Professionals of Nova Scotia, and the Collaborative Professionals of Canada.

David is a well-known Lunenburg lawyer and principal of Hirtle Legal Services Inc. David was awarded the prestigious King’s Counsel designation (then Queen’s Counsel) in 2022

Colin J. M. Fraser practices at Hood Fraser d’Entremont in Yarmouth.  Colin was called to the Nova Scotia Bar in 2008 and represents many clients throughout Western Nova Scotia.  He has a general practice in civil litigation, criminal law, family law, real estate and wills & estates.

Colin was elected Member of Parliament for West Nova in 2015, serving until 2019. He is currently President of the Yarmouth County Barristers’ Society and serves on the Board of Juniper House and the Yarmouth Refugee Support Group.

Patricia Jones graduated from the University of Alberta and then joined Legal Aid as an articled clerk in 2006.  She began her practice with the Dartmouth Criminal Legal Aid office the following  year, transferring to the HRM Duty Counsel Office in 2015.  She became the manager of that office in the fall of 2022.   

Patricia is active on several committees relevant to her practice of criminal law.  She volunteers her time as second year moot judge for the Schulich School of Law and for the Schulich School of Law Gale Cup.  She also supervises students as part of the HRCE coop each year, and has mentored articled clerks.

In her spare time, she enjoys various volunteer roles such as being the Co-Director of the Youth Running Series, and the former Run Organizer for the Dartmouth Terry Fox Run.  She is an active volunteer within the running community, and has been present to cheer on runners as a volunteer at each finish line of the 17-leg, 30-hour Cabot Trail relay for the last 10 years.

Glenn Hubbard is a Senior Crown Attorney with the Nova Scotia Public Prosecution Service (PPS), practicing in Halifax.  He graduated from the University of Saskatchewan (U of S) in 1998 with a Bachelor of Arts in History (Distinction) before continuing his education at the U of S Law School, where he graduated in 2001. 

Beginning his career in Vancouver, B.C., Glenn was called to the Bar in 2002.  Initially working as a criminal defence lawyer, Glenn moved to Nova Scotia in 2008 to work for the PPS.  Although now primarily involved in appellate work, he has argued criminal cases before all levels of Court, including on three occasions, to the Supreme Court of Canada.

Glenn is involved in youth sports programs in Nova Scotia including coaching minor basketball as well as assisting in the development of junior elite provincial/national/international tennis players.

Kothai Kumanan is an Academic Quality Assurance Consultant at the Nova Scotia Community College. She has worked extensively in policy analysis, research, and strategy. Kothai has worked on numerous projects and programs for the Nova Scotia Health Authority and has a strong background in working with public and private sector organizations.

Kothai has a Master’s degree in Health Administration from Dalhousie University, a Diploma in Health Administration, and a Bachelor of Science degree from King’s College. Kothai has co-authored numerous publications on healthcare and healthcare administration.

Kothai also serves on the Board of Directors of Im/migrant Women’s Association of Halifax (IMWAH), volunteers with Hospice Halifax, and is a past Program Co-Chair for the Institute of Public Administration of Canada (IPAC).     

Carole Lee Reinhardt has enjoyed an extensive career in executive leadership and management supplemented by a Graduate Degree in Management and a CPA designation. Her expertise in organizational development, strategy and financial management saw her leading major initiatives in investment, immigration, innovation, policing, and productivity. During her three-decade career in the public sector, she produced over a thousand policies, three hundred business plans and over a hundred strategic plans through collaborative processes.  For the past six years, she has focused on leading member-based organizations and consulting on policy and governance matters. 

Carole Lee lives in Mahone Bay and enjoys getting out on her water on her vintage Boston Whaler, mountain biking and restoring her mid-century modern home. She is a dedicated member of the “Home Exchange Network” and loves to travel.