We’re pleased to announce that the following individuals are among 29 lawyers receiving the 2024 King’s Counsel (KC) designation for exceptional contributions to the legal profession in BC.
Salima Samnani, who sits on LABC’s board of directors, was called to the bar in 2008. Salima 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. Principal of Salima Samnani Law Corporation, Salima 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, called to the bar in 2012, is a rural 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, Karen is dedicated to promoting access to justice in rural communities and providing mentorship to the Kootenay bar. Named volunteer of the year by the Fernie Chamber of Commerce, Karen’s 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.
Georges Rivard, called to the bar in 1992, practises criminal law in Fort St. John, defending cases in English and French. Of French-Canadian Métis heritage, Georges advocates for marginalized communities in northern B.C., particularly First Nations clients. He is committed to language rights, advancing these causes in court and mentoring young lawyers. As a bencher for the Law Society of BC, Georges contributes to ethics and complaints review. His fierce advocacy and dedication to diversity and justice have earned him respect in the legal community, particularly in the northern and rural regions of BC.
Suzette Narbonne, called to the bar in 1995, is a former LABC board member and managing lawyer at the Society for Children and Youth Legal Centre in Vancouver. Suzette’s legal career began in 1989 with Legal Aid Manitoba, where she served in remote areas and First Nations communities. After moving to BC in 1995, she focused on legal aid clients before joining the Society for Children and Youth in 2017. Suzette is an advocate for children’s legal rights, leading initiatives to ensure children’s voices are heard in legal matters.
To be considered for the KC designation, candidates must be members of the BC bar for a minimum of five years and be nominated by their peers. Nominations are reviewed by an advisory committee that includes the deputy attorney general and justices, as well as representatives from the Law Society of BC and the Canadian Bar Association’s BC chapter. The committee makes recommendations to the attorney general. The appointments are made by cabinet via orders-in-council.
For more information, including the full list of the 29 lawyers receiving the KC designation for 2024, see this media release.