Our Team

We are Here to Help

Our team of experienced lawyers and staff strives to guide and serve clients with a thoughtful presence and to offer wisdom, encouragement, and advice for the challenges faced and tasks required.

Website Banner Photos (2)

Our Lawyers

Portrait-Selects-V1-9

Ken Volkenant
Lawyer, Partner

Ken is a founding partner of Volkenant Law Group and the firm’s senior solicitor with more than 32 years of legal experience. Prior to founding Volkenant Law Group, Ken was the founding partner of De Jager Volkenant, one of the leading charity and non-profit law firms in British Columbia. 

Ken provides practical legal advice to our business and non-profit clients from start up to wind-up and through all of the corporate, commercial and real estate transactions in between. Throughout his career, Ken has served non-profits and charities from a variety of sectors and in particular, has extensive experience in helping clients with housing projects and with complex real estate development and financing structures involving BC Housing. Ken also helps our clients with their personal estate and succession planning including Wills, Planning instruments and Trusts.

Ken teaches frequently in his areas of expertise, particularly in the areas of not-for-profit and charity law, board governance, and Wills and Estate Planning. He has also served as a volunteer on the boards of a number of community and educational organizations.

Apart from his legal practice and volunteer activities, Ken has a lifelong love of the Beautiful Game and enjoys coaching soccer at community levels. Ken and his wife Sandee reside in Surrey, British Columbia and together enjoy traveling and spoiling their grandchildren.

Ken provides legal services through Kenneth H. Volkenant Personal Law Corporation.

Year of Call & Education:

  • Called to the British Columbia Bar in 1987 
  • Bachelor of Laws, University of British Columbia (‘86)
  • Bachelor of Arts (History), University of British Columbia (‘82)

Representative Work:

  • 100 acre+ land assembly and development for single and multi-family residential and commercial real estate project in South Surrey British Columbia
  • 25 acre land acquisition and development, corporate and charity structuring, and ongoing operational advice for a 200 unit+ life-lease residential development with multi-level care components in North Surrey British Columbia
  • Restructuring and providing advice as general counsel to a Canada-wide not-for-profit organization having real estate holdings, complex financings and 50 independent not-for-profit thrift store operating entities in 6 Provinces
  • Numerous multi family, seniors and special needs affordable housing and care related developments throughout British Columbia
  • Will, estate and trust planning for business clients with diverse and complex business and family dynamics and considerations
  • Multiple million dollar+ financings for business and charity clients engaged in property acquisitions and corporate and real estate development

Practice Areas:

Current Community Involvement:

  • Trustee, Christian Education Benefit Solutions (pension and employment benefits provider)
  • Director, Christian Education Benefit Solutions (pension and employment benefit plan sponsor organization)
  • Director, VLG Charitable Foundation

Contact:

ken@volkenantlaw.com

604.953.1503

WebSelects-V1-Compressed-7

Brayden Volkenant
Lawyer, Partner

Brayden is a founding partner of Volkenant Law Group and he has a strong commitment to educating clients in his primary practice areas and serving the non-profit and charitable sector as a volunteer. 

Brayden helps our clients with their relationships of employment, contractor, directorship, membership, and tenancy (residential and commercial). This includes contract and policy drafting and review, human rights issues, and dispute resolution related to all of those areas. Brayden also has experience with administrative Tribunals and Court, but he prefers to help clients resolve disputes without the need for formal legal proceedings, if possible.

Brayden enjoys any opportunity to present on topics relating to his educational and legal experiences. When he is not working or volunteering, Brayden enjoys watching and playing whatever sports he can, and most of all, spending time with his wife Katrina and their four children.

Brayden provides legal services through Brayden Volkenant Law Corporation.

Year of Call & Education:

  • Called to the British Columbia Bar in 2019 
  • Juris Doctor, University of Alberta (‘18)
  • Bachelor of Arts (Business), Trinity Western University (‘12)

Practice Areas:

Current Community Involvement:

  • Director, Storehouse Community Hub Society
  • Director, VLG Charitable Foundation 
  • Coach, Surrey United Soccer Club

Contact:

WebSelects-V1-Compressed-9

Rhys Volkenant
Lawyer, Partner

Rhys is a founding partner of Volkenant Law Group who has extensive experience as a volunteer in the charitable sector and who thoroughly enjoys the opportunity to assist organizations and individuals that carry out impactful work both locally and internationally.

Rhys helps our clients with all things charity and corporate, including incorporations, charity applications, charity compliance, amalgamations and restructuring transactions, constating document review and revision, and corporate governance. Rhys also assists our clients with reviewing and developing policies and contracts related to their operations including leases, grant agreements, intermediary agreements, services agreements, rental/licence agreements, tenancy agreements, and funding agreements.

Outside of work, Rhys most enjoys being a dad and the time spent with his wife and their five children. In his limited spare time, he also enjoys playing, watching and coaching sports both with and without his kids, with soccer taking pride of place.

Rhys provides legal services through Rhys Volkenant Law Corporation.

Year of Call & Education:

  • Called to the British Columbia Bar in 2019 
  • Juris Doctor, University of British Columbia (‘18)
  • Bachelor of Arts (Religious Studies), Trinity Western University (‘14)

Practice Areas:

Current Community Involvement:

  • Director, LangleyHill Housing Society
  • Director, VLG Charitable Foundation
  • Coach, Surrey United Soccer Club
  • Volunteer on Solicitors’ Roster, Access Pro Bono Society of BC

Contact:

rhys@volkenantlaw.com

604.954.0632

MaryGrace-Johnstone-Jan-edited

MaryGrace Johnstone
Lawyer, Associate

MaryGrace is an associate of Volkenant Law Group with extensive experience working with borrowers, creditors and sureties on secured transactions including real estate transactions, deposit protection insurance facilities, subordinated loans, note issuances, multi-jurisdictional financing and corporate restructuring. She is a skilled negotiator, assisting clients with credit agreements, security documents and priority agreements, as well as advising on property acquisitions and sales, leases, property development, and trust agreements.
 
Prior to joining Volkenant Law Group, MaryGrace was a senior associate in the financial services group at a national law firm, where she gained experience leveraging legal technology to streamline lending transactions and provide clients with technology-enabled support. She also worked for Dr. Janis Sarra at the University of British Columbia, where she researched global financial systems, structured credit and securitization, cryptocurrency, climate-related financial risk, and banking and financial institution regulation. Before moving to Vancouver, she worked for the Edmonton Symphony Society and Francis Winspear Centre for Music, acquiring grants for artistic programs and editing governance and policy documents for a non-profit and charitable organization.
 
Outside of work, MaryGrace enjoys songwriting, cycling and travel.
 
Year of Call & Education:
  • Called to the British Columbia Bar in 2020
  • Juris Doctor, University of British Columbia ('19)
  • Bachelor of Music with Distinction - Flute Performance ('11)
 
Practice Areas
  • Commercial Lending
  • Commercial and Non-Profit Real Estate and Development
  • Contract Review and Preparation
  • Corporate Law
  • Wills, Estates & Succession Planning
 
Current Community Involvement:
  • Volunteer, Access Pro Bono
  • Mentor, Canadian Bar Association British Columbia Law Student Mentorship Program
  • Mentor, Beedie Luminaries Mentorship Program
WebSelects-V1-Compressed-4

Ashley Celenza
Lawyer, Associate

Ashley is an associate of Volkenant Law Group with extensive experience supporting charities, non-profits, and businesses. Her background includes serving as an in-house lawyer for a Vancouver based technology company, where she gained valuable insight into navigating complex legal and operational challenges to help organizations achieve their missions with efficiency and innovation.

Ashley provides clients with comprehensive support for real estate transactions, offering guidance on property acquisitions and sales, leases, property development, and financing. She is also highly skilled in advising non-profit and charitable organizations on board governance, policy development, charity applications, charity compliance, and the drafting, review, and revision of constating document and general commercial agreements.

Known for her pragmatic and client-focused approach, Ashley brings a deep understanding of the unique challenges faced by non-profits and charities. She is dedicated to empowering her clients to achieve their goals and has served as a volunteer director for charities focused on community services, care, and housing.

Outside of work and volunteering, Ashley enjoys spending time with her husband and son, hiking Vancouver’s trails, and travelling to new destinations.

Year of Call & Education:

  • Called to the British Columbia Bar in 2018 
  • Juris Doctor, University of Victoria (‘17)
  • Bachelor of Arts (Criminology & Psychology), Simon Fraser University (‘12)

Practice Areas:

Current Community Involvement:

  • Director, SHARE Family & Community Services Society
  • Director, 43 Housing Society

Contact:

Our Team

WebSelects-V1-Compressed-8

Katrina Volkenant

Paralegal
Kellyn-edited

Kelly Sloan

Legal Assistant

kelly@volkenantlaw.com

604.954.0641
WebSelects-V1-Compressed-1

Natalia Baelde

Administrative Coordinator
Maeryn-edited

Maeryn Lawrence

Administrative Assistant
WebSelects-V1-Compressed-2

Lina Tello

Legal Assistant

lina@volkenantlaw.com

604.954.0640

Kiera-Hummelman-edited

Kiera Hummelman

Legal Assistant

kiera@volkenantlaw.com

778.557.5062

WebSelects-V1-Compressed-6

Amy Straforelli

Administrative Assistant

amy@volkenantlaw.com

604.953.1505

Alida Olson-edited

Alida Olson

Bookkeeper

Let's Work Together for Good

Contact us to explore how we can serve your mission. We look forward to working with you to make a meaningful impact.

We’re Always Looking 
for Great People

If you’re interested in joining our team, we’d love to hear from you.

Please send your cover letter and resume to info@volkenantlaw.com, and feel free to introduce yourself even if you're unsure how you might fit into a specific role.

We appreciate your interest in joining Volkenant Law Group, and while we’re unable to respond to every submission, we will contact candidates who are selected for an initial interview.