Our Practice

G. Shiskin Law

Gilliana earned her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Calgary.  She articled under Mr. C. John Hooker – one of the most respected and experienced criminal defence lawyers in Calgary.  Gilliana is a member in good standing with the Law Society of Alberta.

During law school, Gilliana was awarded the Pro-Bono Student’s Canada Volunteer of the Year for her leadership of the Human Rights Project.  She was also the Founder and President of the University of Calgary’s animal advocacy organization, SADCLawS (Society of Animal Defence – Calgary Law Students).

Gilliana was awarded a Norton Rose International Study Grant to assist in her international studies. She spent one semester studying in Luzern, Switzerland, where she earned a Certificate in Global Legal Studies in International Economic Law, Human Rights, and Sustainability.  She was also awarded the Norton Rose Energy Law Internship which allowed her to spend one of her summers investigating the liability surrounding injection-induced seismicity.

Gilliana has also earned her Master’s Degree in Philosophy (Logic and Language) from the University of Alberta, and her Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy from the University of British Columbia.  While studying her undergrad degree, Gilliana played varsity volleyball for four years and earned a number of Student-Athlete awards.

Prior to earning her law degree and becoming a lawyer, Gilliana worked in business management and human resources for over a decade.  Most recently she was a Human Resources Business Advisor for Field Operations for a major international exploration and production natural resources company.  She assisted a client group of over a thousand employees and contractors who worked in conventional oil and gas operations throughout western Canada.  Gilliana excelled at progressive performance management, employment law and human rights issues.

Barrister and Solicitor

Gunntas Sidhu graduated with his Juris Doctor from the University of Calgary. He then first articled with Student Legal Assistance before beginning his articles at Craig Hooker Shiskin.

Gunntas recognizes each new client comes with their own interests, background, concerns, and questions. He takes the time to get to know his clients so he can thoughtfully and creatively explore strategic options that align with each client’s needs. He explains the options and related risks to his clients clearly, honestly, and straightforwardly, confirming their understanding and agreement of each step of the case’s development. 

Gunntas is solely dedicated to obtaining the best possible result for each of his clients.

In law school, Gunntas volunteered and worked at Student Legal Assistance, located at the University of Calgary, assisting low-income individuals with their criminal, family, civil, and landlord/tenant legal issues. Gunntas found his appreciation for criminal law at Student Legal Assistance and is now exclusively dedicated to learning and practicing criminal law.

Legal Assistant 

McKinley is a motivated and competent Legal Assistant with extensive customer services expertise and refined organizational abilities. She is adept in facilitating and resolving complex legal issues, communication, and legal administrative practices and concepts. 

After obtaining her Legal Assistant Diploma from SAIT, McKinley quickly secured a position as a Law Clerk, where she refined her skills in preparing legal documents, updating transactional documents, transmitting legal correspondence, and maintaining the administrative foundation of the law firm. 

McKinley's prior professional experience has led her to master customer relations and hone her capacity to multitask effectively in fast-paced environments. With well-rounded experience in law, from real estate and litigation to corporate and injury, McKinley's passion lies in criminal justice.  

Her desire to make a difference in the lives of others has led McKinley to pursue a career in criminal law with Craig Hooker Shiskin. As a high-performing self-starter, McKinley brings another dimension to the firm. She is happy to join the CHS team to assist in upholding justice and support the firm's administrative structure.

 Research Assistant

Walter Reid is currently a PhD candidate at McGill University where he is completing his dissertation “Antinatalism and Well-being: Three Essays on Procreative Ethics and the Value of Life.”  He has presented his research at over a dozen leading conferences internationally, including the American Philosophical Association, the Canadian Philosophical Association, and the Society for Philosophy and Literature in Singapore.  

For his projects, he received both the Master’s and Doctoral level Canada Graduate Scholarships from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.  Walter is also an award-winning lecturer in bioethics and philosophy at McGill and has seven years of prior post-secondary teaching experience at McMaster University, Syracuse University, and the University of Calgary. Prior to that, Walter earned his Master of Arts and a Bachelor of Arts (first class honors) from the University of Calgary.  During this time he founding the philosophy club and served as president.  Additionally, Walter was a member of the Scholars Academy.

Outside of academia, Walter has served as a Director of Communications and a Business Ethicist for the Calgary and Vancouver-based company Geometric Energy Corporation.  At Geometric, his notable work included compiling ethics regulation reports for the Government of Canada’s Minister of Public Services and Procurement, and publishing high-profile press releases for SpaceX.

The CHS Defence team benefits from Walter’s superior analytic and research skills.  And he has a cat.

Legal Assistant and Commissioner of Oaths

Carol was born and raised in Ontario.  After graduating from high school, and successfully completing a one-year Stenographer course at college, she moved out west to Banff, and then settled in Calgary.

Carol has worked at several secretarial and administration jobs including at insurance companies, banks, and oil companies prior to moving into the legal field. Carol graduated with honors from the Career College after completing the Legal Assistant Program.

Carol has been an Administrative/Legal Assistant to John Hooker since 2002.  Carol has also assisted other lawyers in the legal profession one who is now a Judge at the Calgary Courts Centre.  Carol’s extensive experience as a legal assistant is an invaluable asset to John Hooker, and the rest of the Craig Hooker Shiskin team. Carol is married and has a cat named Lucy.

Barrister & Solicitor

CHS had the pleasure of welcoming Connor Sprague in June of 2024! 

Connor Sprague has a wealth of early experience and a true passion for criminal law.

Connor is a Juris Doctor graduate from the University of Calgary, where he received the Gary J Bigg Memorial Award in Advocacy for his work with Student Legal Assistance, an organization which provides free legal assistance to low-income Alberta residents with criminal, family, civil, and traffic law matters. 

Connor successfully ran several trials as a law student and served as the Student Director of Student Legal Assistance in his final year of law school.

Following law school, Connor narrowed his focus to criminal law, articling for a prominent and highly respected Calgary criminal defence lawyer. In this article, Connor directly assisted in achieving exceptional outcomes for persons facing very serious charges in complex circumstances.

Connor’s deep interest in the law next led him to complete a clerkship with the judges of the Alberta Court of Justice in Calgary, providing him with an invaluable understanding of how judges think through and decide cases.

Connor deeply believes that every person charged with a criminal offence deserves a resolute defence. He is committed to understanding each client’s situation and strategically working to achieve their priorities with empathy, integrity, and as much ambition as needed. 

In his personal life, Connor enjoys playing many recreational sports mediocrely, occasionally hiking in the Rockies, and sometimes reading things other than legal decisions. 

Law Student

Amir has lived in Calgary since 2006. A graduate of the University of Calgary's Law and Society programme, he has always been passionate about legal work. 

Graduating with Distinction from the University of Calgary in 2019, he actively committed to professional development. By engaging in volunteering and starting his own business, his dedication to serving the community has been consistent. 

After starting law school at the University of Calgary's Faculty of Law in 2022, Amir was blessed with the opportunity to work and volunteer at Student Legal Assistance. For 22 months, Amir has served low-income and newcomers to Canada in matters pertaining to Criminal Law, Civil Law, Family Law, and landlord-tenant disputes. 

Amir is also fluent in Farsi/Persian.

Student-at-Law

CHS is excited to welcome this year's Articling Student, Isabelle Reynolds. 

Isabelle obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Contemporary Studies and Political Science from the University of King's College in 2020. Additionally, she obtained a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Calgary's Faculty of Law in 2023. 

Isabelle has extensive experience in legal research from previous professional roles and was honoured to serve as an Articling Student  at the Court of King's Bench of Alberta in Calgary. 

The combination of Isabelle's experiences and her calm demeanour in court allow for exceptional representation for clients from any background. 

Isabelle is also fluent in French.