Providing Quality Legal Advice Since 1986
A supporter of many local charities, events and sports teams, as well as sponsoring a scholarship at Leduc Composite High School, Jackie, Handerek & Forester has been historically composed of very community-minded people. The founding partners have strong community roots in Leduc. John Jackie, B.A., LL.B., Q.C. (now retired) is a former councilman and mayor of the City of Leduc. David Handerek, B.Sc., LL.B. (now retired) practiced in Leduc since 1981 and was a very active member of a local service group for many years. Jeff Forester, B. Comm., LL.B., was born and raised in Leduc, and continues to reside in Leduc with his family for over 50 years.
A Respected Law Firm Since 1986
Jackie, Handerek & Forester first opened its doors. in January 1986 with two lawyers and two support staff.
A Growing Practice, Support Staff & New Partner
In three years, Jackie & Handerek outgrew its first office and in 1989 moved to a newly renovated building on the corner of 50 Street and 48 Avenue in Leduc. The firm continued to expand, once again outgrowing its offices. In November 2007, Jackie, Handerek & Forester built and moved into the new JH&F Professional Centre, where they currently occupy the whole second floor.
At our current locations, Jackie, Handerek & Forester continues to serve our clients with six lawyers and 16 support staff. We also offer opportunities to students-at-law and work-experience students in support roles. Our team includes:
Meet Our Partners
John William Jackie (retired)
Jackie & Handerek was formed on January 1, 1986, when John William Jackie and David Keith Handerek set up their law practice in Leduc. Mr. Jackie was admitted to the Alberta Bar in 1977 and is also a member of the N.W.T. bar – currently on the inactive list – and was appointed Queen’s Counsel (Q.C.) in 1998. John has retired effective June, 2023.
David Keith Handerek (retired)
Mr. Handerek was admitted to the Alberta Bar in 1981. After forty years of practicing law as a solicitor, David retired on August 16, 2021.
Jeffrey Michael Forester
Jeff joined the practice just after his admission to the Alberta Bar in 1993, became a partner on January 1, 1997, and the partnership became Jackie, Handerek & Forester. On October 1, 2020, Jeff became the sole owner of the firm.
Practice areas :
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Real Estate, Wills & Estates
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Corporate/commercial law
Meet Our Associates
Ashley M. Rickard
Assisting the Jackie, Handerek & Forester staff is Ashley Rickard. From Beaumont, Alberta, Ashley received her B.Sc. with distinction in 2008 and Bachelor of Laws in 2012, both from the University of Alberta. Ashley was admitted to the Alberta Bar Association in 2013.
Practice areas: Family law, Criminal prosecutions and General litigation.
Shaun Maddex
Shaun grew up in Alberta before attending law school at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops. He was part of the 2019 graduating law class and then joined our firm as an articling student in July. Before law school, he received a B.Com degree from Grant MacEwan University in Edmonton and in his spare time, he likes to be active and spend time with friends and family.
Practice areas:
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Real Estate, Wills & Estates
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Corporate/commercial law
Giovanna Leonor Hinman
Giovanna Hinman was raised in Santiago, Chile. She received her L.D. J.S.S. degree in Chile, where she became a lawyer in a Civil Law Jurisdiction in 2008. In Chile, she worked for the private sector leading mediation between clients and the company. She further pursued her legal education and completed her common-law training at the University of Alberta in 2017.
Giovanna is an articling student at Jackie, Handerek & Forester since July 2019. She is also fluent in Spanish and will gladly assist you in your preferred language.
Practice areas: Family law, Criminal law, Guardianship/Trusteeship matters and general litigation.
Irena Slocuh
Irena has a general practice which includes real estate, wills & estates, and corporate law. Irena received her BSc. with distinction in 2013 and JD in 2019, both from the University of Alberta. Irena was called to the Alberta Bar in 2020.
Practice areas:
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Real Estate, Wills & Estates
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Corporate/commercial law
Owen J. Nicholson
Owen J. Nicholson's practice focuses on general civil litigation while assisting clients with real estate transactions, wills, and estates. He's experienced in construction law, with a significant background in the heavy construction and utilities industries that complement his legal work in that field. Owen is also experienced in litigation and dispute resolution on a wide range of commercial, corporate, employment, estate, defamation, intellectual property, insurance and personal injury matters.
He has successfully represented clients in the Alberta Court of King's Bench, the Alberta Court of Justice and the Provincial Court of British Columbia, as well as at Alberta's Land and Property Rights Tribunal and Alberta Human Rights Commission. Owen has also successfully represented clients in mediation and arbitration hearings, including the American Arbitration Association and at the International Centre for Dispute Resolution Canada in Vancouver, BC.
He graduated from the Faculty of Law at the University of Ottawa in 2020. During law school, he advocated in French a leading precedent case on extenuating circumstances at the Employment Insurance Commission of the Social Security Tribunal of Canada in Ottawa, Ont. He obtained a bilingual political science degree from the University of Alberta's Campus Saint-Jean in 2016.
Owen was born and raised in Leduc County and is passionate about finding effective and creative solutions for his clients. Owen is a member of the Association des juristes d'expression française de l'Alberta (AJEFA) and welcomes French-speaking clients to provide legal services in their preferred language.
Work With Us
Join our dynamic and reputable law firm today. We are always looking for professional, reputable lawyers and assistants to join our team.
If interested, please forward a letter and resume to the attention of Jeff Forester.
Email: jforester@leduclawyers.ab.ca