My Immigrant Story Ep. 11: Meet Natalia Bialkowska, Owner of NB Law Firm
Welcome to the My Immigrant Story podcast! Every 1-2 weeks we bring in a new guest who is a first generation Canadian immigrant skilled professional or entrepreneur and learn about how they first discovered Canada, immigrated to the country, and set themselves up for success professionally.
Our latest guest on the podcast is Natalia Bialkowska - a lawyer and owner of NB Law Firm. NB Law Firm specializes in Canadian immigration and personal injury law. The firm also offers services of Notary Public and Commissioner of Oaths. Natalia completed her undergraduate studies, law degree and doctorate in the US. After moving to Canada, she got licensed to practice law in Ontario. She is also licensed to practice law in California, the District of Columbia and Michigan.
Originally from Poland, Natalia lived, worked, and studied in the US for many years. She moved to Toronto prior to the start of the pandemic and went through the difficult process of recertifying herself to practice law in Ontario. During the episode she mentions the over eight tests and bar exam she had to take before she was eligible to take the oath and practice law in Ontario.
During the episode, Natalia touches upon the importance of building connections and how that’s one of the toughest aspects of moving and settling into a new place. In her example, she already had many connections and clients in the state of California which she fully had to let go of to start practicing law in a new country. However, that didn’t stop her from going ahead and opening her own business upon arrival!
To hear Natalia’s full story and takeaways, check us out on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts! You can find all of the My Immigrant Story episodes at the following link.
