Articling Students
The legal services offered by our lawyers are further supported by our team of articling students. The firm’s articling students work with the lawyers to ensure we are addressing your needs effectively and efficiently, while providing an excellent learning environment for our students. The use of articling students also allows us to offer more competitive rates, with less complex tasks being completed by the students. All work completed by our articling students is reviewed by one of the firm’s lawyers.
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Mariana Braga
Mariana Braga holds a law degree from the Federal University of Bahia in Brazil, her home country, and a Master's degree from Osgoode Hall Law School in Canada. In Brazil, she represented individuals and large corporations, including banks, hotel chains, and construction companies, in civil and commercial disputes.
In Canada, Mariana gained experience at two boutique law firms as a law student. Most recently, she served as a law clerk at the Family Responsibility Office and Tribunals Ontario in the Ministry of the Attorney General. Her performance led to her appointment as the Case Manager for the Ontario Central Authority for the Hague Convention on International Child Abduction.
As a law student in Brazil, Mariana's team placed second in the Brazilian National Rounds of the International Criminal Court Moot Court Competition, representing her home country in the international rounds in The Hague, Netherlands.
In her free time, Mariana enjoys outdoor activities with her family, friends, and her dog, Aurora. She also loves watching TV series and movies while enjoying a delicious dessert.
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Benjamin M. Henley
Benjamin Henley obtained his Juris Doctor in law from the University of Western Ontario in 2024. During his time at law school, he competed in many moot court competitions, including the prestigious Harold G. Fox Moot Competition. He was also involved in Western’s Intellectual Property and Information Technology legal clinic where he had the opportunity to help small businesses as a caseworker.
Prior to law school, Benjamin completed his Bachelor of Science (Hons.) in Physics at Wilfrid Laurier University while double minoring in both mathematics and computer science. During his undergrad, Benjamin worked as a research assistant under several different professors researching fiber optic communications. He also worked as a teaching assistant for first- and second-year physics classes. After completing his undergraduate degree, Benjamin took some time to work at the Toronto office of an international geophysics company as a Project Scientist.
Outside of work, Benjamin is a fan of mixed martial arts competitions, tinkering with small electronics, camping in Ontario’s provincial parks, staying in shape, and spending time with his pet cat, Hansel.
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Samaa Kabbar
Samaa Kabbar is an articling student at SV Law with a passion for family law. She completed her Juris Doctor at Western Law in 2024. Prior to that, she received her Master of Arts degree in Applied Politics and her Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major in Political Science and Philosophy from Wilfrid Laurier University.
At Western Law, Samaa was the president of the Middle Eastern Law Student Association and was an advisor to the Law Society of Ontario’s Equity Advisory Group. She also held the role of team leader and caseworker at the Community Legal Services where she successfully argued an urgent motion before the Superior Court of Justice.
In her free time, Samaa seeks adventure in different countries, having backpacked to five continents. When Samaa is not spending time with her family and friends, she is either at the gym, spending time outdoors, or watching Survivor. She enjoys physical challenges and partaking in activities such as hiking, biking, archery, and camping. She also has a passion for animal photography and Talavera-inspired painting.
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Meghan Praught
Meghan Praught obtained her law degree from Dalhousie’s Schulich School of Law in the spring of 2024 and is very excited to return to SV Law to begin her legal career.
During law school, Meg served the Dalhousie Law Students’ Society as Vice President of Finance, and President of the Social Committee. She also was an active member of the Dalhousie Student Advocacy Service, where she helped Dalhousie students navigate university policies and advocated on their behalf when faced with various academic offences. In her final year of study, Meg worked at the Dalhousie Legal Aid Clinic, a community-based clinic designed to provide legal services for those who would otherwise not have access to the justice system. It was here, where she earned the opportunity to make submissions in the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia.
Before attending law school, Meg completed her Honours Bachelor of Applied Science in Justice Studies and concurrently earned her Diploma in Community and Justice Services at the University of Guelph-Humber. It was there that she discovered her passion for advocacy and the law.
Outside of the office, Meg spends her free time writing music, performing, and spending time with her friends, family and her puppy, Scout.
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Xander Winter
After completing his BA in Child and Family Studies at Nipissing University, Xander Winter obtained his Juris Doctor from Western Law in the spring of 2024. During law school, Xander competed in many moot competitions, including as a member of Western Law’s team at the Walsh Family Law Moot. Xander also served as co-president of both the Family Law Students Association and Western Law’s Run Club, as well as being an executive on the Gender and the Law Association, and the Western Human Rights Law Student Society.
Outside of law, Xander loves playing sports and is an enthusiastic Raptors fan. He will also take any opportunity to sit by a lake and enjoy the water.
After summering with SV Law in 2023, Xander is very excited to come back to the Firm as an Articling Student as well as to join the Guelph community.
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Hussam Kuroukchi
Hussam obtained his law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School in 2024 and is excited to continue his legal career as an articling student at SV Law.
During law school, Hussam was a student caseworker in the Osgoode Venture Capital Clinical Program, where he provided legal services to early-stage technology startups. He also participated in various legal competitions, including advocacy, negotiation, and arbitration, achieving recognition as a semi-finalist and receiving an award in a moot competition.
Before attending law school, Hussam earned a Bachelor of Applied Science in Electrical Engineering (Honours) with a Management Sciences Option, and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics with a Finance Specialization, both from the University of Waterloo. His prior career in finance, specializing in capital markets and risk management, provided him with a deep understanding of optimizing profits and managing risks, skills he brings to his legal practice.
Outside of the office, Hussam enjoys weightlifting, playing ping pong, and experimenting with new recipes. He is inspired by cooking shows and loves exploring different cuisines in his free time.