Local lawyer loves her job, neighbourhood

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 17/11/2021 (559 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s hard to tell if Ifeyinwa Echezona is more passionate about living in Royalwood or being a lawyer.

Born in Nigeria, Echezona arrived in Winnipeg in 2017 as an experienced, foreign-trained lawyer. She had to complete the necessary steps to become licensed to practice law in Manitoba.

Echezona challenged the law exams and was successful. But when it came time to do her articling, the only position she could find was unpaid. Through SEED Winnipeg’s Recognition Counts program, Echezona obtained a specialized loan from Assiniboine Credit Union to help cover the cost of the bar exam and other licensure requirements and also received a grant from the province of Manitoba.

Iphie Law was founded in 2019, operating from Echezona’s apartment in St. Vital. She longed to move to Royalwood and achieved that objective in 2020.

“Royalwood was the first neighbourhood that I fell in love with after moving to Canada,” she said.

“I always wanted to live at 455 Shorehill  Dr.; it was my dream home. I love Royalwood for the serenity and people are nice here. During the pandemic lockdowns, it helped to be so close to beautiful parks and see all the wildlife.”

For health safety reasons, Echezona’s practice is largely virtual, in the areas of immigration law, real estate and property law, family law and as a notary, administering oaths and declarations and certifying documents for both national and international needs. Her practice has grown considerably, and she has capacity to take on even more clients.

According to Iphie Law’s website, Echezona “is very passionate about helping clients navigate legal situations with less stress and more confidence.”

Without breaking client confidentiality, what she finds most rewarding about being a lawyer is the ability to help bring resolution to legal issues for clients, welcoming both newcomers and Canadian citizens.

While Nigerian and Canadian legal systems both have roots in U.K. common law, Echezona sees a big difference in the practice procedure, which she is still learning.

“The hardest part of practicing law for me is accounting and book-keeping,” she laughed. “I do not know a lot of lawyers who like math.”

Echezona is fully supportive of young women considering becoming lawyers:

“I say go for it. Whatever you set your mind to, you can achieve. The profession definitely needs more women.”

To book a consultation, email ifeyinwa@iphielawoffice.ca or call 204-257-0742.

Tanya Misseghers is a community correspondent for Royalwood.