About Hanaa

Hanaa Al Sharief is a partner at McInnes Cooper with a practice focused in immigration law, trusts and estates law and estate administration. She is bilingual in Arabic and English with expertise in cross-cultural communications. Throughout her more than 15 years of experience working in Canada and internationally, Hanaa has helped her clients tackle various legal issues.

Hanaa works with clients to ensure their families are protected and their long-term objectives are met in the most efficient and tax-effective manner. She assists both individuals and corporate clients with estate planning matters, probate and administration of estates and trusts. Hanaa prides herself on being the first and only lawyer in Atlantic Canada providing sharia compliant estate planning to Muslim clients.

Hanaa also delivers cost-effective and strategic advice to clients in all areas of Canadian business and personal immigration law. She helps individuals and their families develop immigration strategies to obtain temporary and permanent residence status in Canada, and helps corporate clients with the transfer and recruitment of foreign workers to Canada under federal and provincial immigration programs, and with compliance reviews and inspection audits.

Beyond her practice, Hanaa loves helping her community navigate the legal system. She enjoys travelling and spending quality time with her family and friends.

Memberships

  • Member, Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society
  • Member, Canadian Bar Association
  • Member, Canadian Immigration Lawyers Association
  • Member, Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers
  • Member, Canadian Muslim Lawyers Association
  • Member, CBA-NS, Charities And Not-For-Profit Law
  • Member, CBA-NS, Citizenship & Immigration Law
  • Member, CBA-NS, Taxation Law
  • Member, CBA-NS, Wills, Estates And Trusts

    Appointments & Community Involvement

    • Board Member, YWCA Halifax
    • Board Member, Canadian Muslim Lawyers Association
    • Founder & Chair, Canadian Muslim Lawyers Association (Atlantic Canada Chapter)
    • Chair, CBA-NS, Equity Committee
    • Vice Chair, CBA-NS, Immigration Section
    • Chair, CBA-PEI, Immigration Section

    Education

    • LL.M. (Certificate in Business Law and Certificate in Intellectual Property Law), Berkeley Law, University of California (2016)
    • LL.B., Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie University (2008)
    • B.Sc. (Double Major in Computer Science and Spanish), Dalhousie University (2004)

    Bar Admissions

    • Nova Scotia (2009)

    Languages

    • Arabic
    • English
    • Spanish (Limited Working Proficiency)