About our mediators

Leisha Murphy^**

After being a family lawyer for over 14 years, coupled with my own personal experience with divorce, I have come to understand the difficult transition that comes with the end of a relationship. Through my personal and professional knowledge of family law, I bring separating couples clarity, education and options to assist them in reaching workable and enduring resolutions. I assist clients with or without counsel and deal with all areas of family law (including child support, spousal support and parenting), specializing in the division of businesses and trusts (including the tax implications of those divisions).

In helping clients reach agreement, I am keenly aware of future potential roadblocks separating couples should consider at the time of settlement. This experience comes from routinely going to court in my first decade as a family lawyer, where I witnessed the unraveling of well-intended agreements and protracted disputes over the interpretation of agreement terms. This court experience also led me to see how destructive that process can be for families, both financially and emotionally. That is the reason my practice is focused on reaching out-of-court settlements, through collaborative divorce, mediation/negotiation or assisting clients as a mediator. These processes reduce legal fees, stress and anxiety and allows parents to maintain a workable relationship going forward.

On the personal front, now that I am of an age where life is full of stressors, I have taken up meditation (and try to do it daily) as well as recently adopted a dog, which I have read is supposed to bring calm and love. The jury is out on whether either endeavor is working, but all we can do is try.

Rebecca Stanley

The focus of my practice is to empower people as they navigate the unique stresses (and opportunities) that accompany significant life transitions. My clients have said that my calm, strength and wisdom provide a solid anchor in the sometimes stormy seas of separation and divorce. I feel fortunate to be part of the Connect team, a collective of legal professionals and staff who understand that it is a privilege to support families through times of challenge and transformation.

I bring a rich background to my family law and mediation practice, having previously worked with families as a UBC chaplain and pastor. My undergraduate and graduate studies included courses in marriage and family counselling, which taught me to attune to the emotional aspects of separation and divorce as well as the legal ones. While not a therapist, I work with families holistically, listening to their stories and connecting them with professional and community resources when needed.

During my legal training, I completed various court-intensive work experiences, serving as a Judicial Extern to Vancouver’s Provincial Court judiciary while in law school and as a BC Supreme Court law clerk following graduation. My law clerk role in particular, where I assisted six judges and oversaw family law projects for the whole court, provided me with invaluable insight into the court process and the rare opportunity to learn at the feet of judges. This experience together with my training in collaborative law and mediation enable me to provide my clients with the full array of dispute resolution options to resolve their family law issues.

As a practitioner, my sole focus has been family law. Before joining Connect, I articled at Alexander Holburn LLP in Vancouver, then relocated with my family to Abbotsford where I ran a busy family law practice at RDM Lawyers. I have been working with Connect Family Law since August 2017 primarily from our Vancouver office, then our Surrey office and now expanding my mediation and legal services into the Abbotsford and Chilliwack communities.

In my work as a Certified Family Mediator, I enjoy creating a safe and private environment for separating couples to problem-solve together. I strongly believe that, even in the face of the deep challenges of separation and divorce, people can learn new listening and communication skills and forge a way forward peaceably. For those with children, this is critical because their roles as co-parents are lifelong and parents must finds ways to limit the negative effects of divorce and separation on their children.  I come to this work with previous experience mediating in the small claims arena and extensive training in family mediation, which included learning how to work with high conflict individuals, assess for family violence, and include the voice of children in the process.

I am committed to empowering people as they navigate significant life transitions. When in the role of a certified family mediator, my role is to assist people in hearing one another, ensure everyone has the information they need to make good decisions and put their agreements in writing in understandable and clear terms. I mediate with curiosity, respect and empathy.  As a collaborative family lawyer, I draw on these same values and also work hard to advise my clients with wisdom and calm in the midst of the stress of separation and divorce.

I am an active member and leader in the following professional groups: the Collaborative Roster Society, Collaborative Divorce Vancouver (CDV), Collaborative Association of the Lower Mainland (CALM), Collaborative Professionals of Canada (CPC), the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals (IACP) and the BC Hear the Child Society Roster.

I am a fourth generation Vancouverite and loved bringing up our kids in the city. My husband and I recently moved out to the Cultus Lake area to enjoy the beauty of BC, hiking with our dogs and creating a peaceful setting in the midst of challenging careers. I love cheering on our three young adult children (and their partners) as they forge their own paths. I serve as a board member of a non-profit organization that is working to build a new student residence, Menno Hall, on the UBC campus.

Geeta Gill

I am a collaborative family law lawyer, mediator and parenting coordinator.  I was drawn to family law because of its interaction among people, family and relationships, and having an undergraduate degree in psychology.  With more than 18 years of legal experience, I have dealt with all aspects of family law, whether it be through the separation and divorce process or in the preparation of cohabitation and marriage agreements.

I am committed to bringing not only experience and skill to my practice, but also genuine compassion for every client and their family.  Each client has unique circumstances and I work with them to provide practical solutions to meet their individual needs.  In my practice, I prefer to take a non-adversarial approach through negotiations, mediation and the Collaborative divorce process to minimize conflict, cost and stress for my clients.

I have been interested in law since I was a child, and to this day enjoy being involved in and contributing to the legal community.  I am a member of the Canadian Bar Association – Family Law Subsection, having previously served on the executive and as co-chair of the section for two years. I am also a member of the B.C. Parenting Coordinators Roster Society and previously sat on its board of directors for a two-year term. In addition, I am a previous author of updates for the Continuing Legal Education Society of B.C.’s Family Law Practice Manual and have been a member of the Practice Manual’s editorial board.  I have enjoyed speaking at meetings of the Canadian Bar Association and presenting at CLE courses.

Outside of my family law practice I love travelling and exploring new places and people, running and yoga, spending time with family and friends and, after a hard day, unwinding with a glass of wine and a good book.

Mark Chiu^**

I have practiced law in British Columbia since 2014. I use my skills as a negotiator and trial lawyer to solve family law problems. I am also a certified Family Law Mediator.

I became a lawyer after learning during my undergraduate studies in psychology that the most stressful life events are the death of a spouse, divorce, marital separation, and imprisonment. I find purpose and meaning in assisting others through their most difficult and stressful times.

In addition to my involvement in family law cases, I have represented the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, and have acted as criminal defence counsel, including in the jury system.

I have experience in family law cases that involve the Family Maintenance Enforcement Program and the Ministry of Children and Family Development.

I find the practice of law rewarding. I enjoy putting a “deal” together without the need for judicial intervention. I also enjoy using the formal trial process.

My current family law practice includes:

• division of family property, including assets held by corporations or those held in a trust;
• parenting disputes, including those involving parental alienation or estrangement;
• cases which also intersect the criminal justice system;
• relocation and mobility cases;
• support issues, including imputation or determination of the parties’ income;
• conducting and participating in settlement meetings and mediations; and
• conducting any necessary appeals.

I am an active volunteer for Access Pro Bono. I have also acted as Family Law Duty Counsel for Legal Aid BC.

As it relates to my practice style, my goal is to make decisions like an entrepreneur, prepare and compete like an athlete, and have the soul and integrity of a humanitarian.

During the summer, I am often cycling, paddle boarding, and walking. During the winter, I am often snowboarding. Year-round, my commitment to a yoga practice is deeply rewarding.

I also enjoy indulging in music, spoken audio, and film. I enjoy watching combat sports, basketball, and the Olympics. I prefer to read non-fiction.

I value traditional family values, respecting elders, and caring for the young.