Providing Quality Legal Advice Since 1986

John William Jackie

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. Although he still acts as senior counsel with the firm, John, who is no longer a partner, is now semi-retired and in the process of winding down his practice.

David Keith Handerek

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

Jeffrey Michael Forester joined the practice just after his admission to the Alberta Bar. Jeffrey Michael Forester became a partner on January 1, 1997, and the partnership became Jackie, Handerek & Forester. On September 30, 2020, Jeff became the sole owner of the firm.

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.

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.

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.

Owen Nicholson

Owen Nicholson’s practice is focused on civil litigation, including commercial and contractual disputes, as well as construction law, employment law, and landlord and tenant law.  He also practices in the areas of real estate, wills and estate planning, and corporate law.

Owen obtained his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science at the Campus Saint-Jean of the University of Alberta in 2016 and his Juris Doctor at the University of Ottawa in the French Common Law program in 2020. During law school, he took on roles such as working and consulting for a construction law firm in Vancouver, BC, following an experience with major construction projects, while also advocating for self-represented claimants at the Social Security Tribunal of Canada, in the nation’s capital.

Having grown up on the family farm and playing hockey in Leduc County, Owen completed his articling with Jackie, Handerek & Forester. He was admitted to the Law Society of Alberta in 2021, eager to serve his community.

Owen is fluent in both French and English. He is member of the Association des juristes d’expression française de l’Alberta (AJEFA). Owen welcomes French-speaking clients and is happy to assist and provide legal services in their preferred language.

Chris Younker

Chris Younker has a general practice which includes civil litigation, real estate, wills and corporate law. Prior to joining Jackie, Handerek & Forester, he amassed a decade of litigation experience focused on employment law, construction and commercial disputes at an Edmonton based law firm. Chris has also achieved notable success at the Alberta Human Rights Commission where he had his client awarded a precedent setting damages award for gender based discrimination. Chris obtained his B.A. in History at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver prior to attending the University of Alberta where he obtained his Bachelor of Law in 2011. Chris was admitted to the Alberta Bar Association in 2012.