Current Council
Council members lead the Society and lend their voices and unique insights to decisions that impact Nova Scotia’s legal profession. Council includes 21 voting members who are elected lawyers from across the province, as well as five appointed public representatives.
Officers
Candee McCarthy
President
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.
Patricia Jones
First Vice-President
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, Patricia 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.
Robert Kennedy KC
Second Vice-President
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. Rob received his Kings Counsel designation in February 2025.
Rob has been with the PPS for over 15 years. He is currently assigned to the Special Prosecutions Section, where 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.
Rob has served on Bar Council since 2023. He also sits on the Credentials and Executive Committees, and the Canadian Centre for Professional Legal Education Appeal Committee.
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. He is a faculty member of the Halifax Regional Police Cadet Program.
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, the Discipline and Appeals Committee, and chairs the Ethics Committee. He has coached with soccer club Suburban FC and Armbrae Academy. He refereed soccer for over 20 years, officiating many national tournaments throughout Canada.
Members of Council
Jennifer Pink
Interim Executive Director
Jennifer Pink is the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society’s Interim Executive Director. She is a lawyer with 15+ years experience regulating the province’s legal profession.
Since joining the Society in 2010, Jen has focused on ensuring lawyers have the training, credentials, and resources to deliver competent and ethical legal services to their clients. Jen developed and led the Legal Services Support team and its risk management programs and previously taught negotiation and interviewing skills to Articled Clerks in the Bar Admission Program. She also worked as a complaints investigator, through which she gained a full perspective of the Society’s core regulatory functions and mandate.
Jen embraces leading the regulator in its work to eliminate systemic discrimination in the legal profession, beginning with significant changes to the Society’s own systems, policies, and culture, and modeling those improvements for the Society’s licensees and justice system partners.
Before joining the Society, Jen lived in the United Kingdom where her career began in legal journalism. She worked for a number of years for a London-headquartered international law firm (a predecessor of Gowling WLG), developing and executing corporate communications, public relations, and business strategies.
Jen was called to the Ontario Bar in 2000 and the Nova Scotia Bar in 2012. She is a graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School (LL.B, 1999) and McGill University (BA(Hons), 1995).
Frank E. DeMont KC, Q.Med
Federation Council Member nominated by the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society
Frank DeMont was nominated to the Federation Council by the Nova Scotia Barristers Society in September 2021. He previously served as President of the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society from 2018-2019 and chaired several committees during his term on NSBS Council. Frank continues to Chair the Society’s Code of Professional Conduct Committee and serves on the Professional Responsibility Policy and Procedures Committee, having chaired it for several years.
Frank has appeared in all courts in Nova Scotia and on five instances in the Supreme Court of Canada. His rural Nova Scotia practice has included many areas of law, and he has served individuals, small and medium-sized businesses, and clients in Municipal Governments. He continues to act as Town Solicitor for the municipality of New Glasgow, a position he has held for two decades.
Frank currently practices as a full-time Mediator and Arbitrator in labour, employment, and commercial matters. He is on the Minister’s list of Arbitrators of Nova Scotia and has served as a Vice-Chair of the Nova Scotia Labour Board.
In 1989, Frank earned his Bachelor of Law degree from Dalhousie University, and he was named King’s Counsel in 2012.
Colin Fraser
At Large
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.
Jasmine Ghosn
At Large
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, and shareholder disputes.
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]
Gregg Knudsen
At Large
Gregg Knudsen 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.
Nick Burke
Cape Breton District
Nick Burke joined Lorway MacEachern McLeod Burke in 2016 as an associate after articling with the firm. In 2020, Nick became a partner at the firm. His legal interests lie 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 Law, 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 of his passions. He is pleased to be practicing in Cape Breton and have the opportunity to give back to this wonderful island.
Chris Conohan
Cape Breton District
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.
Spencer Dellapinna
Central District
Spencer Dellapinna is a Senior Solicitor with the Truro office of the Department of Justice – Legal Services, practising in Family Litigation Services (Child Protection). Spencer has practiced law for over 15 years, with extensive litigation experience. He began his career at a private firm in Halifax Regional Municipality before joining the Department of Justice in 2012.
Spencer was raised in Halifax, obtained his Commerce and Law degrees from Dalhousie University, and now resides with his wife and children in Colchester County.
Spencer also serves on the Board of Directors for the Nova Scotia Government Lawyers’ Association, on the Supreme Court Family Division Liaison Committee, and previously as a Board of Trustee Member for the Dalhousie Legal Aid Service.
Meghan MacGillivray Case
Central District
Meghan MacGillivray Case was raised in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. She obtained her law degree from the University of New Brunswick after first obtaining a Bachelor of Science degree from St. Francis Xavier University. Meghan has over 20 years of practice experience in Antigonish, with a general practice background.
Meghan has extensive board experience having served on the boards of several organizations, including chairing the boards of the St. Martha’s Regional Hospital Foundation, Helping Healthcare Antigonish, and the Antigonish Women’s Resource Centre. She is also a lecturer in the business department at St.F.X. University.
Ryan Baxter
HRM District
Ryan Baxter is a Partner and Board Director with McInnes Cooper in Halifax. Ryan’s practice is primarily focused in the areas of professional regulation and health law. He is called to the bar in Nova Scotia and Nunavut.
In addition to his regular practice, Ryan has adjudicated matters as a member of the Review Board under the Involuntary Psychiatric Treatment Act, the provincial Motor Vehicle Appeal Board, and the Halifax Regional Municipality’s License Appeal Committee.
Ryan is also a part-time Lecturer in the School of Health Administration at Dalhousie University’s Faculty of Health. He recently co-authored a chapter entitled “Regulation of Dental Professionals” in the fourth edition of the leading Canadian dentistry text Dental Law in Canada, LexisNexis, 2026.
In 2023, Ryan was named one of Canada’s “Top 40 Lawyers Under 40” by Lexpert.
Ryan is an engaged participant with his firm’s pro-bono, collective social responsibility, and diversity and inclusion efforts. He is particularly passionate about mentoring and supporting junior members of the legal profession.
Level Chan
HRM District
Level Chan is a Partner in Stewart McKelvey’s Halifax office. He is a member of the firm’s Labour and Employment Group and advises on pensions, employee benefits, and executive compensation.
Level is Chair of the Racial Equity Committee of the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society and the President of the Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers, Atlantic Chapter. He was also the Chair of the National Equality Committee and a former member of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Bar Association (CBA). These groups have been dedicated to achieving equality in the legal profession, including through collection and publication of quantitative and qualitative data, law reform, advocacy and development of resources for legal organizations for the recruitment, retention, and advancement of legal professionals from equality-deserving communities.
Level is also a past Chair of the CBA’s National Pensions and Benefits Law Section and has been recognized nationally for his pensions and benefits work. He received his King’s Counsel designation in 2026.
In addition to his law practice, Level is an active and keen supporter of the Atlantic Region. He is a past member of the Board of Governors of Dalhousie University and former Chair of its Academic and Student Affairs Committee. Level has also held leadership roles in community organizations such as the Halifax Chamber of Commerce and FUSION Halifax.
Glenn Hubbard
HRM District
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.
D. Fraser MacFadyen
HRM District
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 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.
David Hirtle KC
South West District
David Hirtle 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.
Nicole MacIsaac
South West District
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.
Public Representatives
Kehinde (Kenny) Akintola
Public Representative
Kehinde (Kenny) Akintola is a manager in the correctional services division (CSD) of the Nova Scotia government’s Department of Justice. He is an internationally qualified lawyer who started his legal career in 2009 as a Crown Prosecutor in Nigeria, and has overtime gathered cognate professional experience in the field of law, legal research, law enforcement, and management, spanning across three countries (Nigeria, UK, and Canada).
Having worked in private law firms in Ottawa, he currently executes the DOJ’s custodial policies and helps implement correctional initiatives that are strategically aligned with government priorities, which has won him the prestigious CNSCF Superintendent’s Award for Professionalism & Courage.
He holds a 2008 Bachelor of Laws (LL. B) honors degree from the University of Lagos in Nigeria, a postgraduate law degree from the Nigerian Law School, and a Bar qualification as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. He obtained his Master of Laws (LL.M) with a ‘dissertation-distinction’ from the Robert Gordon University in Scotland, UK, a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) from Lancashire, England UK, and a graduate research training from Cardiff Metropolitan University in the United Kingdom.
Kehinde is a Commissioner of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia, a Canadian qualified mediator (Q. Med) and a Human Rights Educator for the Nova Scotia Department of Justice. He was appointed to serve on the Dalhousie University Research Ethics Board and recently appointed by the Halifax Regional Council to serve on the African Descent Advisory Committee.
Ruby Glenham
Public Representative
Ruby Glenham is a Process & System Improvement Consultant at IWK Health in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where she leads system-level improvement initiatives focused on governance, risk management, and data-driven decision-making within public institutions.
She is a licensed Professional Engineer in Nova Scotia, having obtained her Professional Engineer designation through Engineers Nova Scotia. Ruby holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Process Engineering from Dalhousie University, a Graduate Certificate in Business Intelligence and Analytics from Nova Scotia Community College, and is currently completing a Master of Science in Analytics at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Her academic and professional training focuses on data governance and the ethical use of artificial intelligence, including its legal and regulatory implications across Canadian, US, and EU contexts. She is a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt and a Prosci-certified Change Practitioner and was a recipient of the VERB Interactive Women in Tech Award (2021–2022).
Ruby is committed to equity, access to justice, and public trust, with particular attention to accessible legal services for Indigenous communities, equity-seeking populations, and individuals navigating legal systems with limited resources. She also has a strong interest in the ethical use of data and artificial intelligence, particularly where technological development outpaces legal and regulatory frameworks. As a Public Representative with the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society, she is dedicated to supporting a legal profession that is ethical, inclusive, transparent, and responsive to the diverse realities of communities and practitioners across Nova Scotia.
Kothai Kumanan
Public Representative
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).
John MacGillis
Public Representative
John MacGillis serves as the Director of Growth at MacGillivray Injury Law, where he oversees initiatives that integrate data-driven strategy and emerging technology to advance the firm’s operations and client service. He holds a master’s degree in journalism from Carleton University, with a concentration in ethics and technology, and leads the development of AI-based tools designed to support lawyers in their workflow and enhance organizational efficiency.
Betty Thomas
Public Representative
Betty Thomas was born in the historical African Nova Scotian Community of East Preston in HRM. From producing and hosting the “Equality Issues” TV program to extensive experience as a Board Member, Chair for Non-Profits, and Provincial Government Agencies, Boards and Commissions (ABC’s), Betty continues to make an impact in the community through public service.
In 2007 after 911, Betty gave a compelling presentation to Halifax Regional Council with the presence of persons affected during Racial Profiling by the Halifax Regional Police in HRM, which resulted in thorough investigation and positive actions. At the time she was Chair of the Halifax Regional Municipality’s Community and Race Relations Advisory Committee.
Betty’s nine-year experience as a Public Member includes serving as a key decision-maker and team member ensuring Board Governance compliance and upholding protection of the public interest during the creation of “one Nursing Regulator in Nova Scotia’ the Nova Scotia College of Nursing (NSCN) and the recent creation of the Amalgamated Nova Scotia Regulator of Dental Hygiene, Dental Technology and Denturists (NSRDHDTD).
Betty currently serves as Public Representative on the Nova Scotia College of Dispensing Opticians Board; Vice-Chair of the NSRDHDTD Board; Lay Member on the N. S. Advisory Committees on Adjudicative Boards and the Citizen’s Screening Panels on Non-Adjudicative Boards; and NSCN Regulatory Committee. She is also an Administrative Justice of the Peace officiating Civil Marriage Ceremonies in Nova Scotia.