Administration Management and HR Team

Tanya Postma, Chief Administrative Officer
519-837-2100 ext. 330
tpostma@svlaw.ca

In her role as Chief Administrative Officer, Tanya is responsible for making the day-to-day operations of both the Guelph and Fergus/Elora law offices run smoothly, properly and efficiently.

Originally from Kitchener, Tanya obtained her CHRL designation bringing a comprehensive background in Human Resources Management to the firm. Reporting directly to the Managing Partner and the Executive Committee of SV Law, Tanya supervises a team of Accounting, Human Resources, IT and Administration staff who report directly to her and administers various operational and human resources duties for over 75 law clerks and assistants. Since joining the firm in 2011, one of her primary responsibilities is implementing the strategic direction of the firm and is also accountable for overseeing Human Resources, Administration, Finance, IT, and Facilities Management.

Outside of the office, Tanya loves to travel and has given back to the community through volunteer work including over 20 years involvement with the Children’s Wish Foundation.

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Lori Clysdale, HR Business Partner - Training, Development, and Culture
519-837-2100 ext. 266
lclysdale@svlaw.ca

Lori is one of SV Law’s Human Resources Business Partners, reporting to the Chief Administrative Officer.  Lori’s responsibilities include assisting with the recruiting of new employees and leading the facilitation of onboarding of new team members, providing ongoing training to the Legal Team, and promoting engagement and the positive culture that is so important to SV Law.  Lori further supports the Legal Team as a whole by coordinating ongoing training and providing day to day support to ensure that the Legal Team is successful in managing their challenging and demanding work responsibilities.    Lori also sits on many of SV Law’s internal committees. 

Previous to her current role, which commenced in June of 2020, Lori was a Law Clerk with SV Law, working with one lawyer in the Family Law Practice Group for more than 20 years.  Lori transitioned to the position of Professional Resources Coordinator in the Firm in 2019 when the lawyer she worked with was appointed to the Bench. 

When outside the office, Lori enjoys spending time with her husband and two sons, listening to music everywhere she goes, visiting her family farm in Paisley, camping and kayaking.

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  Cadence Listhaeghe, HR Generalist
  519-837-2100 ext. 346
  clisthaeghe@svlaw.ca

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Teresa McDermott, Office Services Coordinator
519-837-2100 ext. 317
tmcdermott@svlaw.ca

Teresa is SV Law’s Office Services Coordinator and part of the Human Resources Team reporting to the Chief Administrative Officer.  Teresa’s role has grown over the last 9 years with the firm and is responsible for maintaining the Guelph and Elora offices, benefit administration and payroll among many other services.  Teresa has a “can do” approach to requests and is essential in making sure that the offices are running smoothly.  Teresa also sits on many of SV Law’s internal committees and prides herself in working with a great team!

Teresa has had previous years of working within a law firm prior to joining SV Law’s team in 2014.  Teresa’s position has transformed into a very diverse and busy position working closely with the Human Resources Team.

When not in the office, Teresa enjoys spending time with her family, camping life in Kincardine, spending time with friends and family on the beach, and playing with her 2 four-legged children.

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Chris Riley, Information System Manager 
519-837-2100 ext. 337
criley@svlaw.ca

Chris is SV Law’s Information System Manager, supporting the Guelph and Elora offices. Chris is responsible for all firm IT systems and technical operations, (network, telecommunications, hardware/software) and IT security. He has been a part of our team since 2019 and strives to keep our technical operations running smoothly.

Chris has been an IT professional for 23 years, 17 years in legal work, and worked for a Cloud service provider for three years prior to joining SV Law. Chris has a BA from York University and earned multiple IT certifications, the most recent being the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certification.

When outside the office, Chris enjoys spending time with his fiancé and is a big fan of the Toronto Raptors and Buffalo Bills. He also likes to cook and host friends and family for a barbeque.

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Hayley Kenn, Marketing & Communications Coordinator
519-837-2100 ext. 257
hkenn@svlaw.ca

Hayley is SV Law's Marketing & Communications Coordinator. Her role consists of, managing SV Law’s social media presence, maintaining relationships with local media and business contacts, presenting internal and external communication strategies and developing marketing and communications plans to promote the SV brand.

Prior to joining SV, Hayley was the Marketing Coordinator at a large Law Firm in Barrie. She has several years of experience in marketing through freelance work. In 2020, Hayley obtained her diploma in Marketing and Advertising Communications from Georgian College in Barrie.

When outside of the office, Hayley enjoys spending time with friends, family and pets, attending concerts and spending time at her cottage in Sauble Beach during the summer months. 

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Gabrielle Walker, Director of Professional Development and Resources (she/her/elle)

519-837-2100 ext. 345
gwalker@svlaw.ca

Gabrielle is SV Law’s Director of Professional Development and Resources, reporting to the Chief Administrative Officer.  Gabrielle is responsible for overseeing the firm’s student and associate professional development initiatives.  She focuses on recruitment, onboarding, performance and practice management, and engagement.  Gabrielle strives to provide ongoing and holistic support to students and associates and to foster an inclusive and welcoming firm environment.

Prior to joining SV Law, Gabrielle practised as In-House Legal Counsel at a national health and dental benefits provider.  She holds a BA from St. Francis Xavier University, a JD from the Faculté de droit of the Université de Moncton, and an LLM in Business Law from Osgoode Hall Law School.  She was called to the Ontario bar in 2019.

Outside of the office, Gabrielle enjoys spending time with her fiancée, dog, family and friends as well as spending time reading, listening to live music, snowboarding and discovering local community events.