Tamara is a consummate problem solver whose advice is sought by some of Canada’s most influential business and political leaders.  

Tamara lives in Nanaimo, British Columbia and is called to the Bar in both BC and Ontario. Tamara works remotely from Nanaimo as Senior Counsel at the law firm of Ross & McBride, travelling as needed to meet clients and attend court. Tamara also provides private mediation and arbitration services.

Over the course of a wide-ranging career, Tamara has led organizations in both the private and public sectors. Before moving to BC, Tamara ran the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal. Tamara’s deep background in advocacy and human rights includes engagements as a Trial Assistant at the International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia, Director of Advocacy at Egale Canada, Co-founder of Canadians for Equal Marriage, and summer law clerk for the President of the Supreme Court of Israel. Tamara also spent time in Bolivia building capacity at the Municipal Jewellery School in La Paz.

Tamara has significant advisory, governance and transactional expertise from a background in commercial law that included involvement in numerous high profile national and international transactions in the energy sector and more broadly. Her past transactional work in the energy sector includes the lease of the Bruce Nuclear Plant to Bruce Power, business process outsourcing transactions involving companies including OPG, Hydro One, and NiSource, and joint venture transactions for hydrogen companies including Stuart Energy Systems. Tamara also brings political and government relations expertise from numerous political campaigns and political advocacy work.

Tamara has served on the board of several for- and not-for-profit organizations, including a former engagement as Board Member and Chair of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee of Toronto Hydro. Tamara currently sits on the board of the Nanaimo Alano Society.

Tamara’s drive to advance diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), along with her passion for tackling issues related to the environment, social justice and governance (ESG) help organizations be and create the change they want to see in the world.

Temperamentally, Tamara is a lateral thinker who lives happily in both the left and right sides of her brain. In addition to being an accomplished lawyer, Tamara is intensely proud of being a Goldsmith and a skilled trade, and she remains the Founder & CEO of Studio1098, the award-winning custom jewellery manufacturing and retail business she built from the ground up.

When she isn’t working, Tamara chills with her husband, two teenagers and a rescue pup named Austin. Tamara loves to travel within Canada and beyond, plays competitive Duplicate Bridge, and loves cooking, rowing, canoeing and learning.