Staff
ACE employs nine full-time staff members as well as occasional contract staff and students.
The Executive Director is responsible for the overall operational management of the clinic. Three Staff Litigation Lawyers are primarily responsible for the client intake service and any litigation. Two staff lawyers are Institutional Advocates, responsible for providing legal services to clients who need advice or assistance regarding long-term care homes, hospitals, psychiatric facilities, and other institutional settings. All staff lawyers contribute to systemic policy work and public legal education presentations.
Two licenced Paralegals manage client intake work, provide legal support and assistance to staff lawyers, and provide a wide range of other tasks that are necessary to deliver the range of legal services available from ACE.
Our Community Outreach Co-ordinator manages ACE’s public speaking engagements, coordinates community development and community organizing initiatives, and maintains ACE’s digital media.
ACE’s Administrative Co-ordinator attends to the day-to-day administrative functions of the clinic.
Our staff are listed alphabetically by first name, below:
Alyssa Lane, Staff Lawyer & Institutional Advocate
Alyssa joined ACE as a Staff Lawyer and Institutional Advocate in 2019. She provides legal advice and representation on age-related issues in long-term care homes, hospitals, and psychiatric facilities. Alyssa graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School. She has a Bachelor of Health Sciences from Western University, and a Master’s of Science in Healthcare Ethics and Law from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.
Alyssa holds a Certificate in Elder Law from Osgoode Hall Law School. During law school, she completed the Disability Law Intensive Program at ARCH Disability Law Centre. Prior to joining ACE, Alyssa was in-house counsel at a healthcare union.
Angeline Douglas, Licensed Paralegal
Angeline joined ACE in 2014. Angeline is a Licenced Paralegal and a member in good standing of the Law Society of Ontario. She graduated with honours with an Applied Arts degree in Paralegal Studies from Humber College. Angeline has extensive experience as a Litigation Law Clerk and Paralegal in private practice. Angeline previously worked as a sole practitioner focusing on Landlord and Tenant law and Small Claims Court actions.
Angeline’s qualifications include a Law Clerk Diploma and Bookkeeping Certificate. Angeline has volunteered in the community with various youth and adult non-profit community groups and at Osgoode Hall Law School. Angeline holds a Certificate in Elder Law from Osgoode Hall Law School.
Bethanie Pascutto, Staff Litigation Lawyer
Bethanie joined ACE as a staff litigation lawyer in November 2023. She graduated from the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Law and was called to the Bar of Ontario in 2019. Prior to joining ACE, Bethanie was an associate at a litigation boutique in Toronto. She has appeared before trial level and appeal courts across the country, as well as a number of administrative tribunals.
Graham Webb, Executive Director & Litigation Lawyer
Graham has been the Executive Director of ACE since October 2016. Prior to accepting this position, Graham was a Staff Litigation Lawyer at ACE from May 1995 to October 2016. He graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1983, was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1985, and obtained an LL.M. (Tax) from Osgoode Hall Law School in 2001.
Before joining ACE, Graham was engaged in private practice in Barrie, Ontario, in a general practice with emphasis on civil and criminal litigation. He has appeared in civil and criminal matters at all levels of courts and tribunals, including the Supreme Court of Canada, the Ontario Court of Appeal, the Superior Court of Justice, the Ontario Court, and a wide range of administrative tribunals on jury and non-jury trials, appeals, and administrative hearings.
Graham gives periodic legal education presentations on elder law issues to older adults and service providers, including health-care professionals and other lawyers. Graham was a part-time evening instructor in Gerontology at Ryerson University, and has won an award from the Continuing Education Students’ Association at Ryerson for excellence in teaching.
He is an elected member-at-large of the Ontario Bar Association Elder Law Section executive, and an honorary member as a former chair of the Canadian Bar Association National Elder Law Section executive.
Graham is a Distinguished Fellow of the Canadian Centre for Elder Law Studies.
Heather Jonasson, Administrative Co-Ordinator
Heather joined ACE as our Administrative Co-ordinator in 2019. She was born and raised in Toronto. She graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration from Ryerson in 1994. Heather holds a Mortgage Broker’s License and a Law Clerk designation. Heather’s work experience includes hospitality and tourism, financial institutions, and smaller private practice firms. Heather is always eager to support her colleagues any way she can so they can assist seniors in our community who need support and guidance.
Iris Selimi, Staff Lawyer & Institutional Advocate
Iris joined ACE as a Staff Lawyer and Institutional Advocate in 2024. Iris has a Bachelor of Health Sciences from Western University and a Master of Public Administration from Queen’s University. Iris graduated from Queen’s University Faculty of Law, and was called to the Bar of Ontario in 2022. While in law school, Iris was a student caseworker at the Queen’s Elder Law Clinic. Before joining ACE, Iris practiced in the areas of family law and estate litigation.
Jane E. Meadus, Staff Lawyer & Institutional Advocate
Jane is a Staff Lawyer and Institutional Advocate at ACE, which she joined in 1995. She represents clients in long-term care homes, hospitals, psychiatric facilities, and care homes (retirement homes) with respect to related legal issues.
Jane has a B.A. in Anthropology from McMaster University, an LL.B. from the University of Ottawa and was called to the bar in Ontario in 1993. She is the author of Chapter 9: Medical Issues, Housing Costs and Special Care Arrangements: Practical Considerations in the loose-leaf service Financial & Estate Planning for the Mature Client.
Jane is a regular speaker at educational seminars and before various groups, and is currently chairing both the Elder Law Certificate program and the Consent, Capacity & Substitute Decision-Making program for Osgoode Professional Development. She has represented parties at inquests related to long-term care, including the El Roubi/Lopez Inquest, and more recently at the Gillese Inquiry into Long-Term Care.
Jane is a frequent media contributor regarding long-term care issues and has been in high demand during the COVID-19 pandemic. In June 2021, Jane was appointed as a member of the National Long-Term Care Services Standard Committee, which is addressing standards for the delivery of safe, reliable, and high-quality long-term care services. She is also a Distinguished Fellow of the Canadian Centre for Elder Law Studies and the 2016 recipient of the Osgoode Professional Development Award for Outstanding Contribution to CLE.
Jocelynne Hiley, Licensed Paralegal
Jocelynne joined ACE in 2016. Jocelynne is a Licenced Paralegal and a member in good standing of the Law Society of Ontario. Jocelynne graduated from Seneca College with a Diploma in Paralegal Studies in 2015. She attended Trent University for her Undergraduate degree and graduated with an Honours B.A. in History.
Prior to joining ACE, Jocelynne worked at a small boutique law firm in mid-town Toronto as a law clerk.
Kimber-lee Wargalla, Licenced Paralegal & Community Outreach Co-Ordinator
Kimber-lee joined ACE in 2020. She is a Licenced Paralegal and member in good standing with the Law Society of Ontario. With a firm conviction that community legal clinics play a pivotal role in the justice system and contribute to building enduring community relationships, Kimber-lee utilizes her extensive professional background and diverse life experiences to connect with individuals from various walks of life. Raised in an environment where discussions about human rights, the pursuit of equality, and social justice were not just talk but translated into tangible actions, Kimber-lee developed a passion for community development. She firmly believes that access to justice begins with empowering and organizing communities, ensuring they are informed about their rights and capable of advocating for themselves.
Rita Chrolavicius, Staff Litigation Lawyer
Rita started working at ACE as a litigation lawyer in 1989. She graduated from the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Law and was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1983.
Rita holds extensive expertise in the area of federal income-security programs, including the Old Age Security Pension (OAS), the Allowance, the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) and Canada Pension Plan (CPP) retirement, survivor and death benefits.
Rita was counsel on the landmark case of Juzumas v. Baron, 2012 ONSC 7220, which imposed civil remedies for financial elder abuse.
Sarah Tella, Staff Litigation Lawyer
Sarah joined ACE as a staff lawyer in November 2021. Sarah worked for a year as an institutional advocate, where she represented clients in long-term care homes, hospitals and psychiatric facilities. Sarah now works as a staff litigation lawyer at ACE.
Sarah has a Bachelor of Arts in Global Development Studies from Queen’s University. Sarah was a long-term volunteer at a Health and Resource Centre in Kingston, where she served terms as both the Volunteer Coordinator and Assistant Director.
Sarah graduated from Queen’s University Faculty of Law. While in law school, Sarah was actively involved in providing pro bono legal services. Sarah was a student caseworker and then a clinic mentor at the Queen’s Elder Law Clinic. Sarah was also a member of Pro Bono Students Canada. Prior to joining ACE, she was an associate at a full-service law firm.