OUR TEAM
KAREN CUNNINGHAM, SENIOR COUNSEL
Ms. Cunningham holds an Honours Degree in Political Science graduating Summa Cum Laude, First-Class Standing, from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario in 1991. She then obtained her Doctors of Jurisprudence from Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, Ontario in 1994. She was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1996. In 1997, Ms. Cunningham launched her law practice. She is the Senior Counsel at Cunningham Law Professional Corporation, a law firm situated in Mississauga, Ontario. She practices primarily in the areas of Family Law, Wills and Estate Administration and Litigation, Employment Law, and Corporate-Commercial Law. In addition to managing a successful law firm in Canada, Ms. Cunningham is also licensed to practise law in Jamaica, West Indies.
In 2011, Ms. Cunningham completed her training in mediation and arbitration and has obtained certificates in Conflict Management: Negotiation & Mediation Levels I and II from the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies’ Certificate Program in Conflict Management, offered through the Conrad Grebel University College and the University of Waterloo, and in Arbitration from the ADR Institute of Ontario. In addition to practicing law, Ms. Cunningham is a Mediator and Director of Dispute Resolution at Global Mediation Network Inc. in Mississauga, Ontario.
Ms. Cunningham has appeared as the keynote speaker and as a panelist at many events, including at the Olive Branch of Hope Workshop – Fighting Breast Cancer (on Wills and Estate Planning and Litigation); at the University of Toronto (Breaking Boundaries Conference - empowering minority students to pursue their dreams); the Annual University of Toronto High School Conference (to motivate high school students to pursue higher learning); and to at-risk youths presented by the Reachout Committee Inc. (the importance of education regardless of obstacles encountered). She has also appeared on CHRY Radio, G98.7 FM, and CHSC 1220 AM, expressing her legal opinion on current issues of the day.
Ms. Cunningham is devoted to enriching the lives of our youths and has been a volunteer and avid supporter of organizations such as the Youth Empowerment Program (YEP), a teacher with the Children’s Church at Praise Cathedral Worship Centre where she is also a member, the Spelling Bee of Canada where she has mentored and coached students as they prepare for spelling competitions, and she has also officiated as a Judge at the Regional Spelling Bee Competition level.
She is a donor and supporter of such organizations as the Reachout Committee, an organization devoted to addressing the problems of youths from all cultural backgrounds; DAM, a drop-in centre for youths; the Coldest Night of the Year Walk-a-Thon to raise funds for the homeless and people living in poverty in the Peel Region; Knox Past Student’s Association (KPSA) – Toronto Chapter, dedicated to raising the levels of education for KNOX students in Jamaica and students at tertiary institutions in Toronto, and the Jamaica Visionaries Association, an organization dedicated to helping the poor and needy in Jamaica.
Through the law firm, Ms. Cunningham offers scholarships and placements of students in co-operative education programs, to articling (or law) students, paralegals, and volunteer opportunities for persons who have a genuine interest in the law regardless of gender, ethnicity, socio-economic background, and culture. Her firm promotes the inclusivity of all persons.
Ms. Cunningham is a member of good standing with the Law Society of Ontario and is a member of its Lawyer Referral Program. She is also a member of Family Mediation Canada, the Canadian Christian Business Federation, the Christian Legal Fellowship, a Director on the Board of Directors of the Peel Law Association, and a presenter at the Mandatory Information Program (MIP) at the Brampton Court House.
In 1991, the Law Society of Ontario (formerly Law Society of Upper Canada) honoured her with the Law Society Education Equity Award presented to her by His Royal Highness, Prince Charles of England and Wales, and in 2011 she received the Award of Achievement in recognition of her outstanding “Achievement in the area of Law” from the Malton Black Development Association.
To schedule a consultation with Karen, please give us a call.
ATHENA MCBEAN
Athena McBean articled with Cunningham Law and joined the firm as an associate in 2017 upon her call to the Ontario Bar.
Athena earned her LLB from the University of Leicester in England where she was awarded the Gateley Legal Equity and Trusts Prize for achieving the best overall performance in Equity & Trusts. She obtained her Masters of Law from Osgoode Hall Law School through the Professional Development Program. She also holds a B.Sc.(Hons) in Human Biology, Psychology and French from the University of Toronto.
Areas of practice: Wills & Estates, Estate Litigation, Civil Litigation, Professional Negligence/Liability
To schedule a consultation with Athena, please give us a call.
JACQUELINE PIRES
Jacqueline is an associate lawyer with Cunningham Law, practising primarily in the areas of Family Law and Civil Litigation.
Jacqueline earned her LL.B (Hons) from the University of Kent in England where she gained valuable experience helping low income individuals as a volunteer caseworker with Legal Aid. She also holds a B.A in Criminology and Psychology from the University of Western Ontario. Prior to becoming an associate lawyer at Cunningham Law, Jacqueline completed her articles at a busy personal injury law firm in Mississauga. She was called to the Bar of Ontario in 2021.
Jacqueline is fluent in English and Portuguese, she takes pride in working with people from diverse backgrounds and understands the importance of communication in building a good solicitor-client relationship and understanding the client's needs. Jacqueline is passionate and dedicated in achieving fair results for her clients and their families.
To schedule a consultation with Jacqueline, please give us a call.
RAVEEN KAUR SEKHON, B.A., J.D.
Raveen became an associate lawyer at the firm in November 2022 after being called to the Ontario Bar.
She obtained her Juris Doctor from Bond University in Queensland, Australia, and holds a Bachelor of Social Sciences focusing on Political Science and Indigenous Studies from McMaster University. Raveen completed her articles with a major Canadian corporation, concentrating on Corporate Governance, B2B contracts, and M&A. Beyond her professional pursuits, Raveen enjoys Muay Thai, working out, and painting.
Her practice areas include Family Law, Business & Corporate Law, and Civil Litigation.
JEAN ROBINSON
Jean Robinson articled with Cunningham Law and is an Associate lawyer with the firm, practicing in the
areas of Family Law, Wills and Estate, and Civil Litigation.
Jean was called to the Bar in November 2022. Prior to joining Cunningham Law as an Associate, Mrs.
Robinson managed her own law practice.
Jean holds a Bachelor of Education from the International University of the Caribbean, Jamaica, and a
Bachelor of Laws from the University of Technology, Jamaica, where she received awards for outstanding
performance in Family Law, Criminal Law and Jurisprudence. She also holds a LLM from Osgoode Hall Law
School, York University, Canada.
To schedule a consultation with Jean, please give us a call.