Adjunct faculty are a significant and valuable part of the Peter A. Allard School of Law teaching community who bring a broad range of expertise and experience as practitioners in firms of all sizes, as in-house counsel, with government and community organizations. Their contributions and support make it possible for the law school to offer a rich and diverse program.
| Name | Biography |
|---|---|
| John Alsbergas | Business Law Clinic (LAW 379B) & Business Law Clinic - Reflection (LAW 380A) John Alsbergas has practiced as a member of McMillan LLP’s Capital Markets and M&A Group since being called to the bar of British Columbia in 2019. John maintains a broad securities law and corporate practice, advising on a wide range of matters including venture financings, public and private securities offerings, mergers and acquisitions, capital markets transactions and general startup, corporate and securities law matters. John acts for private and public companies, along with founders, agents and underwriters, with an emphasis on the technology and natural resource sectors. John obtained his J.D. from the University of Western Ontario in 2018, where he was a member of the Dean’s Honour List and received the David L. Johnston Prize in Securities Regulation. Prior to law school, John received a B.A. from Wilfrid Laurier University, where he graduated as the Gold Medalist for the faculty of Human & Social Sciences. Outside of work, John enjoys trail running and “competing” in races throughout British Columbia. In addition to John’s love of sports, he enjoys going to concerts and exploring Vancouver’s microbreweries. |
| Karim Amlani | Corporate Counsel Externship (379E) & Corporate Counsel Externship - Reflection (LAW 380A) Karim Amlani holds the position of Senior Director, Legal at Hootsuite. He loves being an in-house lawyer and is excited to help students get a glimpse into life as an in-house lawyer through the Externship. At Hootsuite, Karim leads a team supporting the corporate, product and procurement functions. In his eight years at Hootsuite, he has closed M&A/financing transactions, negotiated business critical agreements with social networks, developed company-wide processes and considered the use of artificial intelligence technologies. Before joining Hootsuite, Karim was a lawyer in the securities and information technology groups at Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP. He also sits on the Dean's Advisory Committee for the Centre for Business Law at the University of British Columbia, and frequently contributes to industry activities within the in-house legal community. |
| Gavyn Backus | Business Law Clinic (LAW 379B) & Business Law Clinic - Reflection (LAW 380A) Gavyn Backus is an Associate at DLA Piper’s Vancouver office. He is a corporate law generalist and a trusted advisor in the areas of commercial law, corporate governance, securities law, corporate finance, and mergers and acquisitions. He advises companies at all stages of their lifecycle in a range of industries, including information technology, fintech, biotech, ecommerce, entertainment, and emerging markets. He frequently advises clients on a variety of corporate commercial matters, including purchase and sale transactions, business combinations, corporate finance, licences and services agreements, and the negotiation of other complex strategic relationships. Outside of the legal profession, Gavyn has worked as a strategic advisor to startups. He has experience in marketing, community engagement, and project management for various non-for-profit organizations, and is currently on the Board of Directors of The Beaumont Studios in Vancouver. He also has a background in science. Using his diverse experience, Gavyn applies a methodical approach to provide clients with practical legal advice. |
| Jordan Bank | Insurance Law (LAW 440/LAW 540) Jordan Bank (B.A. Economics (SFU 2007), LL.B. (UBC 2011)) is a partner with the Vancouver firm of Guild Yule LLP. His practice is broad. He has defended clients in personal injury actions, medical malpractice claims, property loss claims, human rights complaints, contract disputes, class action lawsuits and professional negligence claims. He also regularly acts as counsel in insurance coverage disputes and often provides insurance coverage advice. |
| Ryan Beaton | Federalism (LAW 347B) Ryan Beaton is a lawyer at Juristes Power Law in Vancouver and a member of the Law Societies of British Columbia and Ontario. He practises primarily in areas of Aboriginal law, constitutional law, and administrative law. He clerked for Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin at the Supreme Court of Canada in 2014-2015, prior to which he clerked at the Court of Appeal for Ontario. In September 2023, Ryan completed a SSHRC postdoctoral fellowship in the Allard School of Law at the University of British Columbia. His research examines clashing positivist-pluralist notions of power and legitimation in the development of Aboriginal law in Canadian courts. In September 2021, he completed his PhD in Law at the University of Victoria, with a dissertation focused on judicial performances of sovereignty in Canadian Aboriginal law. Originally from Montreal, Ryan received his MSc in Mathematics from McGill in 2005, his PhD in Philosophy from the University of Toronto in 2011, and his JD from Harvard Law School in 2013. |
| Michelle Booker | The Allan McEachern Course in Trial Advocacy (LAW 472) Michelle Booker is Crown Counsel with Criminal Appeals and Special Prosecutions (CASP) in Vancouver, B.C.. Following graduation from law school, Ms. Booker clerked for the Supreme Court of British Columbia. After her call to the bar, Ms. Booker practiced as a commercial litigator with Fasken Martineau. In 2009, Ms. Booker joined B.C. Prosecution Services where she spent the next 10 years prosecuting serious crime and appearing at all levels of court. In 2018, Ms. Booker joined the Prosecution Support Unit within CASP. She now provides complex litigation and resource support in the areas of firearms, sexual offences, Charter and constitutional issues. Michelle is a frequent presenter at legal conferences, seminars and workshops. She is a faculty member with the National Criminal Law Program, Federation of Law Societies of Canada, a Supreme Court Advocacy Institute practice advisor and a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. Michelle also sits on the Board of Courthouse Libraries B.C.. |
| Elizabeth Cameron | Rise Women's Legal Centre - Clinic (LAW 429) & Rise Women's Legal Ctr-Sem:Justice Issues for Families in Legal System (LAW 431D) Elizabeth ('El') Cameron (they/them) completed their B.A. at McGill University, their M.Sc. in Social Studies of Gender at Lund University in Sweden, and their J.D. at the University of British Columbia. Since their call to the bar, El has practiced exclusively in family law. Alongside colleagues, El has published or presented on a variety of family law topics and has taught the family law course at the University of British Columbia as an adjunct professor. El works to create a supportive and engaging learning environment within Rise’s Student Legal Clinic program and to increase the availability of family law services in British Columbia that are informed, accessible, and responsive to each client’s unique circumstances. |
| James Cantwell | Close Corporations: From Beginning to End (LAW 462) James Cantwell (BCom (University of British Columbia 2010), J.D. (University of Alberta 2017)) is a senior associate in the Corporate and Capital Markets group of Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, dealing primarily with public company transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, equity financing and initial public offerings, as well as corporate governance and regulatory compliance matters. James has practiced at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP since articling in 2017. Prior to attending law school, James worked in helicopter leasing at a global aviation company |
| Deborah Carlson | Sustainable Development Law (LAW 386D) Deborah Carlson is Staff Lawyer at West Coast Environmental Law and has been responsible for the Green Communities Program since 2010. Prior to joining West Coast worked as part of the climate change team at the David Suzuki Foundation and as a litigator in Vancouver. |
| Catherine Chow | Corporate Solicitors’ Workshop (LAW 446) Catherine Chow (B.A. 1994 (University of Calgary), LL.B. 1997 (University of Calgary), LL.M. 2007 (UBC)) is the Chief Legal Officer for the Vancouver Canucks Sports & Entertainment. Taking up this role after 17 years as the VP Legal + General Counsel of Keg Restaurants Ltd., Catherine is an experienced legal executive handling a broad portfolios of legal matters across Canada and US for public and private companies. With experience in financing, real estate, business development, franchising, key partnership agreements, risk management, litigation, trademark protection, and compliance, she has been teaching her expertise at Allard since 2016 with the inception of the Business Law Clinic. Catherine has been appointed for a second term as a hearing panel adjudicator for the Law Society of British Columbia, and published numerous decisions. Her accolades include awards such as Top 25 Inhouse Counsel in Canada, Adam Albright Adjunct Teaching Award and Shauna Little Award for volunteerism. |
| Jessica Clogg | Sustainable Development Law (LAW 386D) Jessica Clogg is the Executive Director & Senior Counsel at West Coast Environmental Law where she has worked as environmental and Indigenous rights lawyer for the past 25 years. |
| Tracey Cohen | The Allan McEachern Course in Trial Advocacy (LAW 472) Tracey M. Cohen KC, FCIArb is a leading trial and arbitration counsel for complex commercial and corporate disputes. She is also defence counsel in some of the most high-profile technology, competition and privacy class actions. She is CoChair of Fasken’s Vancouver Commercial Litigation Group and is the Chair of the Firm’s Arbitration Practice Group. Tracey was recently recognized as one of Canada’s top 50 litigators and has repeatedly been recognized as one of Canada’s top female litigators. She was appointed as King’s Counsel in 2015 and is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, International Society of Barristers and International Association of Defense Counsel. She received her FCIArb designation in 2024. |
| Don Collie | Mining Law (LAW 394) Don Collie (B.A. (University of Calgary), LL.B. (University of Toronto), M.A. (University of Toronto)) is Counsel at DLA Piper (Canada) LLP, in the Vancouver office. He was called to the Ontario Bar in 1992 and the British Columbia Bar in 1993. He practices in the areas of securities law, corporate finance, mergers & acquisitions, mining and related general corporate and commercial transactions. His mining-related experience includes financing of mining ventures and companies, drafting and negotiating mining joint venture and option agreements, royalty agreements, acquisitions and dispositions of mining properties and companies, advising on mineral tenure, and advising on disclosure requirements for mineral projects |
| Jonathan Corbett | Trial Advocacy (LAW 474.L01) Jonathan Corbett is a graduate of U-Vic Law and has been practicing in Vancouver for 20 years. He is a partner at Quinlan Abrioux, and his practice focusses primarily on defending personal injury and professional negligence claims. |
| Robert Danay | Tort Law (Law 503E) Robert Danay is a litigator with British Columbia’s Ministry of Attorney General’s Litigation Group in Vancouver (formerly with the Department of Justice Canada). He has represented the provincial and federal governments in a wide variety of high profile civil, constitutional and administrative law cases at all levels of court in Canada. Mr. Danay earned a B.Sc. from the University of Toronto, an LL.B. from the Osgoode Hall Law School and a B.C.L from the University of Oxford. He also clerked for the Deputy Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court of South Africa. He has taught courses ranging from Law and Technology, Administrative Law, Public Law, Torts and the Law of Evidence at UBC’s Allard School of Law as well as at the University of New Brunswick Faculty of Law. Mr. Danay has published scholarly articles on topics ranging from internet defamation to the standard of review in administrative law in journals such as the McGill Law Journal, the University of Toronto Law Journal, the University of British Columbia Law Journal, the Yale Journal of Law and Technology, the Hong Kong Law Journal, and the South African Journal on Human Rights. |
| Samantha Davey | Canadian Public Law (Law 505) & Administrative Law (Law 509) & Canadian Criminal Law and Procedure (Law 525) Samantha graduated from UVIC in 1998 with a Bachelor of Commerce degree then went on to complete her Bachelor of Laws at UBC in 2002. She has practiced criminal law as a Federal Crown prosecutor for the entirety of her career and appears regularly in both B.C. Provincial and B.C. Supreme Court. Samantha has extensive experience assessing police reports for charge approval, litigating applications made under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and conducting trials. She also worked for several years as the assigned Crown in the Drug Treatment Court of Vancouver program. Outside of her role as Crown Counsel, Samantha is an active member of legal community having sat as Chair of the Canadian Bar Association's Vancouver Criminal Justice Sub-Section and as an elected member of Provincial Council. |
| Mike Donaldson | Topics in Philosophy of Law & Theoretical Perspectives (LAW 312D) Mike Donaldson, KC (LLB, UBC (1994) LLM, Columbia (2017)) has practiced complex commercial and energy arbitration and litigation in Calgary for over 25 years, for the last several years with Lawson Lundell LLP. He has been repeatedly recognized by Chambers, Best Lawyers, Lexpert, Benchmark Litigation, and others as a leading lawyer in Commercial Litigation, Arbitration, and Appellate Advocacy. Mike has also published several articles in US and Canadian Law Journals and is the author of book chapters on damages, arbitration, and statutory interpretation. Mike completed his LLM at Columbia University in 2016-2017, where he was a James Kent Scholar and published several articles. Mike has also taught effective writing, legal drafting, and written advocacy courses to lawyers and business people in law firms, industry, government, and regulators. |
| Simi Dosanjh | Succession (LAW 452/574) Simi Dosanjh, BA (UBC 2006), JD (University of Calgary 2009), TEP was called to the Bar in British Columbia in 2010. Ms. Dosanjh is a Will & Estate Consultant with RBC Family Office Services in Vancouver, British Columbia. She works with individuals and business owner-managers to assist them in developing succession plans that accommodate their unique needs and advises on all aspects of estate and incapacity planning, including wills, trusts, powers of attorney, representation agreements and other means of providing for beneficiaries while minimizing taxes on death. Ms. Dosanjh has completed the CPA Canada In-Depth Tax Course and previously worked as an associate in the Vancouver tax groups of two full-service law firms. She is a full member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) and holds the Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP) designation. |
| Lauren Dresselhuis | Topics in Philosophy of Law & Theoretical Perspectives (LAW 312D) Lauren Dresselhuis is an associate in the Vancouver office of Lawson Lundell LLP. She practices in the areas of commercial litigation and labour, employment and human rights. Lauren graduated from the Allard School of Law, where she received various awards including the David Roberts Prize in Legal Writing and the Guild Yule Prize in Ethics and Professionalism. She is excited to return to Allard as co-instructor for Law 312D and in her free time can be found petting dogs in her vicinity and reading legal books that no one else except her co-instructor thinks are interesting |
| Emmet Duncan | Trial Advocacy (LAW 474.L04) Emmet Duncan B.A. (Hons) 1994 (UBC) LL.B 1997 (McGill) LL.M 1998 (UBC) Davis & Company (now DLA Piper), articles and practice, 1998-2002 Crown Counsel 2002-2008 Private practice (mostly criminal defence) 2008-2021 Appointed to the Provincial Court January 11, 2021 |
| Maxime Faille | Topics in First Nations Law: First Nation Taxation, Assimilation and Reconciliation (LAW 357C) Max Faille is a partner in the Vancouver office of Cochrane Saxberg LLP, the largest Indigenous-led law firm in Canada, where he practices in Indigenous law and constitutional litigation. Max's clients principally consist of Indigenous governments, businesses and organizations across Canada, as well as private and public sector interests working with Indigenous communities. In addition to legal representation in the courts and in negotiations, Max regularly provides advice on matters of Aboriginal and treaty rights, First Nation taxation, self-government, and Indigenous governance and economic development. Max was named Benchmark Canada's Aboriginal Law Litigator of the Year for 2016, and is regularly recognized as a leading lawyer in the field of Aboriginal Law by Chambers Canada, Lexpert, Legal 500 and Best Lawyers in Canada. He represented the Assembly of First Nations in the seminal Bastien and Dube cases in the Supreme Court of Canada that breathed new life into the First Nation tax immunity. He previously served on the Board of the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business, and on the Taxpayers Ombudsman’s Advisory Board. In December 2020, Max received the Northwest Territories Premier's Award for Indigenous Partnership. |
| Deanna Fedio | Health Law (LAW 382) Deanna Fedio is currently a Legal Counsel at Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, where she has practiced since her call to the bar. Her practice includes advising on public health, professional regulation, adult guardianship, human rights, occupational health and safety, employment, health care consent, privacy, and providing representation before administrative tribunals and courts. She was one of the main advisors to public health and clinical leadership during the pandemic. Deanna regularly volunteers on international human rights projects relating to Indigenous and women’s rights in the mining sector and is an executive member of the CBA Health Law section. |
| Jon Festinger | Intellectual Property (LAW 422/570C) & Topics in Intellectual Property (LAW 423C/523C) & Business Organizations (LAW 459C/508D) Jon Festinger, K.C. is a long-serving Adjunct Professor at the Allard School of Law. He teaches the following courses at Allard: Intellectual Property Law; Topics in Intellectual Property: Copyright Law and Social Media; Video Game Law; Communications Law; Media & Entertainment Law; and Business Organizations. He also is an Adjunct Professor at the UBC Sauder School of Business. In March 2019 he received a Teaching Service Award from the Allard School of Law. He has also been at the UBC Graduate School of Journalism and the UBC Faculty of Arts, a Professor of Professional Practice at Simon Fraser University, a faculty member of the Centre for Digital Media, Faculty in Residence at the UBC Emerging Media Lab (UBC EML), and Honorary Industry Professor in the Centre for Commercial Studies, Queen Mary University of London School of Law, among other academic appointments. Jon is the author of the first edition of Video Game Law published by LexisNexis in 2005, and co-author of the second edition published in 2012. In 2018, Jon was one of the three founding editors of the Interactive Entertainment Law Journal (Edward Elgar Publishing) on whose Editorial Board he continues to serve. He was Guest Editor of the Volume 46, Number 3 of the UBC Law Review “Digital Media, Video Games, and the Law” (2013) and will be Guest Editor of an upcoming Special Issue of the UBC Law Review “A.I. & The Legal Profession”. At various times during his career, Jon was in house counsel at one of Canada’s largest broadcasting companies, a Senior Vice President of the CTV Television Network and the founding General Manager of VTV (now CTV BC) which was the first all-digital television station in North America, and Executive Vice President, Business & General Counsel of the Vancouver Canucks and GM Place. Jon also has significant experience working on pedagogic projects involving AI, in collaboration with UBC’s Center for Teaching, Learning, and Technology and UBC EML. These projects include (1) the Judicial Interrogatory Simulator (AKA “Moot Court or JIS) jointly with Nikos Harris, K.C. of Allard Law which simulates the law school moot court experience to assists first year students practice their arguments for their mandatory moot court experience; and (2) Socrates A.I., an application where students can engage in a private self-Socratic dialogue on their own computer with the parameters of engagement and source materials determined by their Professor. This application was originated in 2018 as part of Jon’s course websites. The Socrates application has been developed steadily since that time with a full A.I. version being implemented in September 2024. The base application is also being made available to UBC Professors generally through UBC CTLT in modifiable form that can be tailored to any course. To see a more complete version of Jon’s CV, please view his LinkedIn page. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonfestinger/ |
| Cassandra Florio | Close Corporations: From Beginning to End (LAW 462) Cassandra Florio (B.A., First Class Honours in Economics (McGill University 2006), J.D. (University of Toronto 2010)) is Senior Solicitor and Counsel in the Commercial Group of the Office of the General Counsel at British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority. Cassandra began her practice in New York at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, and prior to joining BC Hydro was Counsel in the Corporate Commercial Group of Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, dealing primarily with private company mergers and acquisitions, as well as general corporate and commercial matters. Cassandra has been a recurring guest lecturer with the Professional Legal Training Course since 2016, and was recognized in the 2022 -2024 editions of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in Canada for corporate law. |
| Clayton Gallant | Topics in Public Law - Crown Liability (LAW 343D) Clayton Gallant (JD, UBC, 2015) practices in the areas of civil litigation and administrative law at Gudmundseth Mickelson LLP, a litigation boutique in Vancouver. He represents government and private sector clients as well as professional regulatory authorities. Prior to being called to the bar, he acted as a judicial law clerk for five justices of the Supreme Court of British Columbia. |
| Billy Garton | Forest Law (LAW 395) Billy Garton (B.Sc.F. (U. of T. 1983), LL.B. (U. of T. 1989)) is a Vancouver lawyer with over 25 years of experience advising clients on forestry law topics, primarily focused on the commercial, first nations and environmental aspects of forestry law. He previously lead the forestry law practice at Bull, Housser & Tupper LLP (now Norton Rose Fulbright LLP) where his clients included large and small timber tenure holders, first nation governments, logging contractors, lenders to the forest sector and industry associations. He recently retired as General Counsel to Seaspan ULC, a large BC-based shipbuilder and marine services provider. Prior to attending law school Billy worked in the BC coastal forest industry as well as in Alberta and Ontario. |
| James Goulden | Civil Procedure (LAW 469/590) James Goulden K.C. (B.Comm. (University of Calgary 1989), LL.B. (UBC 1992)) is a partner in the dispute resolution and litigation department with Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP (formerly known in Vancouver as Bull Housser LLP). His practice is focused in the areas of commercial, real estate, administrative, securities, and government disputes and litigation. Mr. Goulden has conducted a broad range of matters before all levels of court in British Columbia, the Federal Court of Canada and various administrative tribunals. He has been an adjunct professor at the Allard School of Law at UBC for over 20 years. Mr. Goulden is also the co-author of the book “Procedural Strategies for Litigators in British Columbia”. |
| Tyson Gratton | Business Law Clinic (LAW 379B) & Business Law Clinic - Reflection (LAW 380A) Tyson Gratton is a senior associate at DLA Piper (Canada) LLP. Tyson has a business law practice which is focused on advising video game, virtual and augmented reality, information technology, and ecommerce businesses. In his video game practice, Tyson regularly advises clients at all seats of the table including independent developers, specialized service providers, AAA studios, publishers, and global distribution platforms. Tyson works alongside companies from across Canada, the United States, and abroad who are creators, developers, integrators, innovators, distributors, and service providers. As a former television executive, Tyson knows what it takes to bring a diverse team of creatives, trades, and professionals together to bring a product to market. Tyson regularly writes and speaks on a number of legal issues facing the video game industry including at TwitchCon, the Video Game Bar Association, DigiBC, CLE-BE, and the Canadian Bar Association. Tyson is committed to pro-bono and community service initiatives and has spoken at various entertainment community organizations such as Damage Labs, The Fashion Zone at Ryerson University, and Sisters in Crime. Tyson is also the co-founder of DLA Piper’s Black and Indigenous Business Law Clinic which provides pro-bono business advice to qualifying Black and Indigenous owned businesses in Canada. Tyson received both his Bachelor of Arts and Juris Doctor from the University of British Columbia where he now teaches at the Centre for Business Law at the Peter A. Allard School of Law as an adjunct professor. Lastly, as an avid curler, Tyson is great with a broom and never hesitates to hurry hard. |
| Aaron Gubeli | Insurance Law (LAW 440/540) Aaron Gubeli, B.B.A., B.A. Political Studies, J.D., is an associate with the Vancouver firm of Guild Yule LLP. He maintains a broad litigation practice with an emphasis on the defence of professional negligence and product liability claims, the prosecution of subrogated claims, and advising and acting for insurers with respect to coverage. Aaron also regularly defends businesses and municipalities in property damage and personal injury claims. |
| Kate Gunn | Topics in First Nations Law Historical and Contemporary Issues (LAW 358D) Kate Gunn is a partner at First Peoples Law LLP. Kate holds an LLM from the University of British Columbia, where her research focused on the interpretation of treaties between Indigenous Peoples and the Crown. She is also a founding member of the Justice and Corporate Accountability Project, a legal clinic which provides advocacy and support to communities affected by transnational corporate activities and resource extraction. |
| Darwin Hanna | First Nations & Economic Development (LAW 356) Darwin Hanna is a founding partner of Callison & Hanna www.chlaw.ca and is one of six Indigenous lawyers with the firm. This year the firm celebrated 25 years of service to Indigenous Nations. He has worked for Indigenous Nations throughout British Columbia and the Northwest Territories on a wide array of legal matters with a focus on reconciliation, land claims, specific claims, community governance and economic development, and employment law. He is a member of the Law Societies of British Columbia and the Northwest Territories. He was lead counsel for various precedent setting Specific Claims, including Siska Indian Band v. HMTQ, 2018 SCTC 2, Akisq'nuk First Nation v. Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada 2020 and Siska Indian Band v HMTQ, 2021 SCTC 2. Since 2001, he has been an Adjunct Professor at the Allard School of Law at UBC and has taught First Nations and Economic Development. He is the author of Legal Issues on Indigenous Economic Development published by LexisNexis. He is a member of the working group of officials to explore how UNDRIP will be implemented in the NWT. He was the recipient of the 2014 Premier’s Award (GNWT) for Collaboration on the Wildlife Act Working Group which developed the new Wildlife Act. And, Callison & Hanna were the inaugural recipients of the Special Contribution Award of the Aboriginal Lawyers Forum, Canadian Bar Association, for recognition of the firm’s contribution to addressing the various issues facing Aboriginal people in the law in 2013. Callison & Hanna was the recipient of the Aboriginal Business Award, BC Achievement Foundation in 2016. He is director with the piyeʔwiʔx kt Language Foundation Society. He is a member of the Nlaka’pmux Nation from the community of Lytton. |
| Tom Hawkins | Maritime Law (LAW 332) Thomas Hawkins is a founding partner of the Maritime and Insurance Law Firm of Bernard LLP in Vancouver, B.C. He practices in the area of Maritime and Insurance Law, advising clients on matters relating to Marine Insurance, Cargo Litigation, Tug and Tow, Collision, Oil Pollution and Marine Bodily Injury. Mr. Hawkins has conducted cases in the Trial and Appellant Courts of the Federal Court of Canada, the British Columbia Supreme Court and the Supreme Court of Canada.Mr. Hawkins has held many positions in the Maritime Legal Community including as past Westcoast Vice President of the Canadian Maritime Law Association, Past Chair of the B.C. Maritime Law Section of the CBA, Executive Member of the Marine Insurance Association of B.C. and currently serves on the Owner’s Committee of the Chamber of Shipping of BC. Mr. Hawkins taught Maritime Law at the UBC Faculty of Law from 1996 to 2008. He has been counsel on numerous maritime casualty cases and oil pollution occurrences. He conducted the investigation of the 2006 sinking of the “Queen of the North” and represented the families and survivors of the 2015 “Leviathan II” Tofino whale watching boat case. He is listed by “Best Lawyers in Canada” and “Who’s Who Legal Canada” as a leading Canadian lawyer in Maritime Law. He has sailed across the Atlantic Ocean, Tasman Sea and the in the South Pacific. |
| Chelsea Hermanson | Topics in Tort Law Mass Torts and Class Actions (LAW 435D) Chelsea Hermanson is a lawyer with CFM Lawyers LLP. She previously worked as legal counsel for the British Columbia Ministry of Attorney General. Chelsea practices primarily in class actions, working on cases involving price fixing, product liability, and institutional abuse. |
| James Hickling | Natural Resources Law (LAW 392) James Hickling, M.Sc., LL.B., B.C.L. has practiced natural resources law in British Columbia for twenty years. He was a UBC Law gold medalist, clerked at the Supreme Court of Canada, held a Commonwealth Scholarship at Balliol College, Oxford, and the WM Tapp Studentship in Law at Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge. He has led negotiations on significant natural resource issues and published articles on energy law, environmental law, and indigenous rights in leading academic journals. |
| Anthony Ho | Topics in Environmental Law Climate Litigation (LAW 391D) Anthony Ho practices at Ad Astra Law Corporation, a solo-practice firm that founded in July 2024 where he focusses on environmental, natural resources, and administrative law. He has experience in environmental assessments, regulatory hearings, judicial reviews, and civil trials and has appeared before the Federal Court and Federal Court of Appeal, the BC Supreme Court, and various tribunals including the National Energy Board and BC Environmental Appeal Board. He received his J.D. from the University of Victoria in 2014 and was called to the British Columbia bar in 2015. After his call, he was a staff lawyer at the UVic Environmental Law Centre before practising as an associate at Tollefson Law for 7 years, where he remains of counsel. From 2016 to 2024, he was also the Program Coordinator at the Pacific Centre for Environmental Law and Litigation (CELL). In that capacity, he helped deliver CELL’s educational program, which trains law students in litigation practice skills through exposure to real-life pieces of public interest environmental litigation. Aside from his J.D., Anthony also holds a Master of Public Administration (UVic ’14), a B.Sc. in environmental sciences (UBC ’10), and a B.A. in political science (UBC ’10). He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Law and Society at UVic |
| Rod Holloway | Appellate Advocacy (LAW 473) Rod Holloway is a lifetime Vancouverite. Born in St Paul’s Hospital in 1946, he was raised and schooled in North Vancouver and then attended UBC where he graduated in law in 1972. Following articles with Guild Yule and Co he became the Legal Aid Society’s first staff lawyer. He currently works as the Society’s managing lawyer in its Appeals Section. During his career he has taught in the UBC Law Faculty’s clinical law program, presided as a member of the Refugee Division of the Immigration and Refugee Board and initiated the Appellate Advocacy course which he continues to teach at UBC. His practice experience is wide ranging and includes administrative, criminal, family, immigration, prison and mental health law. He has appeared in trials and appeals at all court and tribunal levels, including the Supreme Court of Canada. Outside of work, he enjoys ski and cycle touring, and rugby. He coached Canada’s national rugby team from 1990-96 and took them to two World Cups; in France in 1991, and South Africa in 1995. |
| Krista James | Health Law (LAW 382) Krista James is a lawyer, writer, feminist, and community organizer. She is currently Policy Director and Senior Legal Counsel for Vancouver Coastal Health. She was a Staff Lawyer with the BC Law Institute for 15 years, including 11 years in the position of National Director of the Canadian Centre for Elder Law. Krista was called to the BC bar in 1998 after articling with the Legal Services Society of BC (now Legal Aid BC). She has practiced labour and human rights law, and written and presented extensively on health law topics. Over the years Krista has worked with various legal non-profits as staff, volunteer, and board member, including both more traditional lawyer positions and gigs as advocate and victim assistance worker. You can find Krista on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/krista-james-27431840/. |
| Lisa Kakoske | Business Law Capstone (LAW 466) Lisa Kakoske has a broad business law practice which includes acting for all manner of clients including underwriters/agents, public companies, private companies and firms registered as exempt market dealers, investment fund managers and portfolio managers. Lisa acts for firms seeking registration as exempt market dealers, investment fund managers and portfolio managers as well as advising clients on the regulatory requirements relating to registration matters under National Instrument 31-101 and other similar requirements. She is also involved in evolving areas of law including securities and registration matters relating to cryptocurrency and carbon credit trading and platforms Additionally, Lisa has experience in fund formation, including representing clients in the creation of fund-of-funds and various types of private equity and venture capital funds. Lisa acts for underwriters and agents for public and private capital raising through prospectus offerings and private placements as well as attends to general corporate and securities law matters for both public and private companies. Lisa obtained her Juris Doctor from the University of British Columbia in 2012 and her Bachelor of Arts from the University of British Columbia in 2009. |
| Shirin Kiamanesh | Labour Law (LAW 416.001) Shirin Kiamanesh practices labour, human rights, administrative, and privacy law at Koskie Glavin Gordon in Vancouver. She represents unions and workers in labour arbitrations, before provincial and federal labour boards and human rights tribunals, and before all levels of court. Shirin holds a J.D. from UBC. |
| Catherine Kim | Succession (LAW 452/574) Catherine Kim, BA (UBC 2007), JD (UBC 2012), was called to the Bar in British Columbia in 2013. Ms. Kim is a lawyer with Boughton Law and specializes in estates and trust planning, as well as estate administration. She focuses on personal estate and business succession planning and advises on matters such as: wealth preservation, probate minimization and incapacity planning. Ms. Kim’s background in tax also equips her to navigate various income tax and regional real estate tax issues relevant to estates and trusts. Ms. Kim completed the CPA Canada In-Depth Tax Course in 2019 and is recognized in the list of “Best Lawyers in Canada”, as voted by other experts in her field. She is a regular presenter with the Pacific Business & Law Institute and at conferences for lawyers, accountants and financial advisors. |
| John Kim | Introduction to Asian Legal Systems (LAW 334) Mr. John C.H. Kim is an Adjunct Professor at the Peter A. Allard School of Law and a partner at Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP / S.E.N.C.R.L., s.r.l. He practices corporate/commercial law with a focus on cross border M&A, inbound investments and technology sector transactions and projects, in particular those involving blockchain and cryptocurrencies. |
| Sandy Kovacs | Topics in Tort Law Personal Injury Law (LAW 433C) Sandy Kovacs (LL.B. (Alberta 2004)) is senior counsel at Kazlaw Trial Lawyers in Vancouver, British Columbia. She is a Past President of both the Vancouver Bar Association and the Lawyers’ Inn Society. Before joining the plaintiffs’ personal injury bar in October 2016, she worked to defend personal injury and wrongful death claims in motor vehicle, aviation, medical malpractice, sexual assault, and occupiers’ liability matters. Since joining the plaintiff’s bar, she has achieved the largest on record trial awards for plaintiffs in motor vehicle collision claims ($9.1M in Uy v. Dhillon, 2020 BCSC 1302) and in sexual abuse claims ($2.338M in H.N. v. Victoria School District, 2024 BCSC 128). |
| Paul Kressock | Civil Procedure (LAW 469/590) Paul Kressock is a partner with Lawson Lundell LLP in Vancouver, and is a member of the firm’s Commercial Litigation Group. Paul has a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) degree from the University of Manitoba, and a Juris Doctor from the Peter A. Allard School of Law at UBC. He was called to the Bar of British Columbia in 2015 and appears regularly before the Supreme Court of British Columbia and the BC Court of Appeal. Paul is also an Instructor in the Paralegal Program at the School of Legal Studies at Capilano University. |
| Ed Kroft | Tax Administration and Dispute Resolution (LAW 413D) Ed Kroft, K.C. (J.D. (Osgoode Hall 1978), LL.M. (UBC 1980), CPA (Hons)) is a partner with Bennett Jones LLP and is the leader of that firm’s Tax Controversy and Litigation Group. Ed has taught courses in tax law, tax policy and tax litigation as an adjunct professor in the Faculty of Law for over 30 years. Ed’s practice is exclusively dedicated to handling federal and provincial tax disputes, including those related to transfer pricing. He appears before all levels of court, including Supreme Court of Canada, and has published extensively on taxation issues. Ed is a former member of the editorial board of the Canadian Tax Journal and sat for 20 years on the Rules Committee of the Tax Court of Canada. He is a recipient of the Award for Excellence in Income Tax Practice and Education from the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants , the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and the Adam Albright Award for Excellence in teaching at the Faculty of Law. |
| Vicky Law | Rise Women's Legal Centre - Clinic (LAW 429) & Rise Women's Legal Ctr-Sem:Justice Issues for Families in Legal System (LAW 431D) Vicky Law (she/her) joined Rise in 2017 where she conceptualised and implemented the Virtual Legal Clinic. Vicky was the supervising lawyer for the Virtual Legal Clinic before becoming Rise’s executive director. Vicky has worked in the fields of immigration law and family law for women experiencing intimate partner violence. In her career as a legal advocate and a lawyer, she has supported many women and families in navigating their immigration status in Canada and the complexity of the family law system. Vicky obtained her Juris Doctor (Honours) from the University of Saskatchewan and has built a legal career in BC where she passionately advocates for women’s rights. |
| Emilie LeDuc | Advanced Legal Research (LAW 430) Emilie LeDuc (B.A., LL.B., MLIS) is a research lawyer at Harper Grey LLP. She graduated from Allard Hall in 2008 and practiced general litigation at a top-rated boutique for almost nine years prior to becoming a dedicated research lawyer. Emilie has drafted memoranda, opinions, pleadings, mediation briefs, arguments, leave applications, and factums on complex and high-profile cases. |
| Kwang Lim | Business Law Capstone (LAW 466) Kwang Lim’s business law practice includes corporate finance and M&A. He focuses on offering practical and strategic advice and facilitating opportunities for domestic and international clients, including entrepreneurs, start-ups, scale-ups, public companies, and broker-dealers across various industry sectors. Kwang also advises on securities law compliance and corporate governance issues. Kwang obtained his Master of Laws at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a specialization in business law. Kwang was named a Lexpert Rising Star for 2018, as one of Canada’s leading lawyers under 40, and was named a Leading Lawyer to Watch – Corporate Finance & Securities by the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory. |
| Emily MacKinnon | Law of Armed Conflict International Humanitarian Law (LAW 321D) Emily MacKinnon (BMus (University of Ottawa), MA (UBC), JD (UBC)) has served in the Canadian Armed Forces Reserves for 23 years, first with the Canadian Army and later in the Office of the Judge Advocate General. She deployed with the Office of the Judge Advocate General to Ukraine (2021). She has held instructor and leadership positions with the Communications recruit school in Shilo, Manitoba and with the Canadian Forces School of Communications and Electronics in Kingston, Ontario. Emily continues to practice military law on a part-time basis. She is also a partner with Osler, Hoskin, & Harcourt LLP, where she practices commercial and civil litigation. In her spare time, Emily flies planes and rides motorcycles. |
| Tony Magre | Real Estate Transactions (LAW 455) Tony Magre (B.A. (First Class, With Distinction, Simon Fraser University 2013), J.D. (University of Toronto 2017)) practices with the Vancouver office of Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP. His work encompasses a full range of commercial real estate transactions, including purchasing, selling, developing, financing and leasing of office, retail, industrial and multi-family properties. He also has experience acting on various construction related matters, including major infrastructure and publicprivate partnership projects across the Canadian market. Tony advises a wide variety of clients, including retailers, property managers and developers, major Canadian pension funds and their advisors, life insurance companies, institutional lenders and investors, and renewable energy companies. Tony has authored and co-authored publications for the Professional Legal Training Course (PLTC) and the Continuing Legal Education Society of British Columbia and was recognized in The Best Lawyers in Canada 2024: Ones to Watch (Real Estate Law). |
| Sukhbir Manhas | Municipal Law (LAW 374) Sukhbir Manhas (LL.B. (UBC 1996)) articled with Young, Anderson. After being called to the bar in May 1997, Mr. Manhas practiced with the firm as an associate lawyer until January 2005, when he joined the firm's partnership. Mr. Manhas' law practice involves advising clients on general local government law issues as well as representing them in civil and quasicriminal proceedings before arbitrators, administrative tribunals, and the courts of this province and the nation. Mr. Manhas is currently a member of the Municipal Law, Civil Litigation and Construction Law subsections of the B.C. Branch of the Canadian Bar Association and frequently speaks at seminars and courses on local government and civil litigation issues put on by the Continuing Legal Education Society, the Local Government Management Association, and the Justice Institute of British Columbia. |
| Kate Marples | Taxation of Trusts and Estates (LAW 412/564) Kate Marples is a partner at KPMG Law LLP in Vancouver with over 17 years of experience advising clients on tax, trust and estate planning issues. She is a frequent speaker and writer and is a contributing author for the estate and trust taxation chapters of the Continuing Legal Education publication of the BC Probate and Estate Administration Manual. |
| Sarah McCalla | Civil Procedure (LAW 469/590) Sarah McCalla (she/her) (B.Sc. (University of Alberta 2006), B.Ed. (UBC 2007), J.D. (UBC 2014)) is a partner in the dispute resolution and litigation department with Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP. Her practice is focused on commercial and administrative litigation, regional and local governance matters, expropriation proceedings, forestry issues, real estate disputes, and society-related litigation. She clerked at the Supreme Court of British Columbia and has appeared before all levels of court in British Columbia, as well as the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. |
| Lindsay McGivern | Medical Negligence Law (LAW 434) Lindsay McGivern represents plaintiffs in medical negligence and birth injury litigation. She is a lawyer at Pacific Medical Law, a unique firm that practices solely in the field of medical malpractice. Since joining Pacific Medical Law, the primary focus of Lindsay’s practice has been representing infants who were injured at birth or within the first month of life. Lindsay articled at a civil litigation defense firm before moving to Pacific Medical Law. Working on both sides of civil litigation has allowed her to have a broader perspective and given her a better understanding of the different approaches taken by plaintiff’s and defense counsel. Lindsay received her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of British Columbia and her Juris Doctor degree from the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University. Lindsay also serves as a member of the CBABC Health Law section Executive. |
| Bruce McIvor | Topics in First Nations (LAW 358D) Dr. Bruce McIvor is a partner at First Peoples Law LLP. His work includes both litigation and negotiation on behalf of Indigenous Peoples across Canada. Bruce is recognized nationally and internationally as a leading practitioner of Aboriginal law in Canada. His collection of essays entitled Standoff: Why Reconciliation Fails Indigenous People and How to Fix It was published in the fall of 2021 by Harbour Publishing. Bruce is a member of the Manitoba Métis Federation. |
| Paul McLean | Individual Employment Law (LAW 419C/519) Paul McLean (B.A. (St.F.X. University 1992), LL.B. (UNB 1995)). A partner with Mathews Dinsdale Clark LLP, Paul specializes in workplace law issues for employers and senior executives. He has significant experience in wrongful dismissal litigation, injunctions, CCAA proceedings, occupational health and safety, workplace class actions and executive compensation, including retention and incentive plans. He regularly appears before courts, administrative tribunals and commercial arbitrators in British Columbia and Alberta. |
| Rowan Meredith | Topics in Intellectual Property (LAW 423C/523C) & Advanced Legal Research (LAW 430) Rowan Meredith is a lawyer called to the bar in British Columbia and California. She has a JD in Entertainment, Media and Intellectual Property Law from UCLA (2018) and an LLM in Media Law from Queen Mary, University of London (2019). In her legal practice, she has regularly advised clients on copyright issues involving social media platforms. |
| Nazeer Mitha | Individual Employment Law (LAW 419C/519) Naz Mitha, KC is recognized as one of the leading counsel in British Columbia in the areas of labour and employment law and commercial litigation. Naz handles a wide range of workplace matters, including in the areas of employment, labour, human rights and administrative law. Naz’s clients include public and private sector employers and senior employees. He also maintains a general commercial litigation practice, frequently acting in shareholder and partnership disputes. Naz has conducted hearings before all levels of court in Canada, including the Supreme Court of British Columbia, the British Columbia Court of Appeal, the Federal Court of Canada, and the Supreme Court of Canada. In addition, he regularly appears before various tribunals such as commercial and labour arbitration boards, the BC Labour Relations Board, the BC Employment Standards Tribunal, the BC Human Rights Tribunal, and the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal. In addition to his counsel work, Naz conducts workplace investigations into complex matters, including with respect to allegations of serious employee misconduct, financial improprieties and bullying and harassment. Naz also acts as a mediator in workplace disputes and commercial matters. Naz is a sought-after speaker and presenter and is an Adjunct Professor teaching Employment Law at the Peter A. Allard School of Law, University of British Columbia. Prior to co-founding Mitha Law Group, Naz was a partner at Western Canada’s largest employer-side workplace law firm. |
| Alan Monk | Mining Law (LAW 394) Alan Monk (B.B.A. (Simon Fraser University), MBA (UBC), LL.B. (University of Alberta)) is Counsel at DLA Piper (Canada) LLP in Vancouver. He was called to the Alberta Bar in 1998 and the British Columbia Bar in 1999. Alan practices in the areas of securities law, mergers & acquisitions, mining and related general corporate and commercial matters. Alan's securities practice involves public and private financings of mineral exploration companies and advising on continuous disclosure, corporate governance and general regulatory compliance for public companies. His mining practice includes the negotiation and preparation of a variety of commercial agreements, including option and joint venture agreements, royalty agreements, and confidentiality agreements as well as mineral title matters. |
| Carl Monk | Law of Armed Conflict International Humanitarian Law (LAW 321D) The NGO currently running / growing is: https://transforminternational.ca/ Carl Monk (BA (Royal Military College of Canada), MA (Royal Roads) JD (UBC)) has served in the Royal Canadian Navy and later in the Office of the Judge Advocate General in the Canadian Armed Forces for 28 years. He deployed on a warship to the Gulf of Oman (2002), with the United Nations Mission in Sudan (2009), and domestically to the BC wildfire response (2017). He has previously held instructor positions at the Canadian Forces Leadership and Recruit School, the Royal Military College, and the Military Law Centre. Carl continues to practice military law on a part time basis and is the CEO of Transform International (Canada). He is happily married with two young daughters and continues to work hard at improving his surfing, tennis, and parenting skills, although not necessarily in that order! |
| Joel Morris | Ethics and Professionalism (LAW 468/588) Joel A. Morris (B.A., Hons. (Queen’s University 2007), LL.B. (UBC 2010)) is a Partner in Harper Grey’s Health Law, Commercial Litigation, Professional Regulation, and Insurance Law practice groups. Mr. Morris’ practice focuses on professional liability; commercial litigation, including multi-party cases and class actions; and administrative law. He has represented clients at all levels of court in British Columbia and before various administrative tribunals. Mr. Morris acts as pro bono counsel in civil and administrative law matters. He serves as Harper Grey’s LSLAP (Law Students’ Legal Advice Program) coordinator and volunteers as a supervising lawyer with LSLAP. Prior to joining Harper Grey, Mr. Morris clerked at the British Columbia Supreme Court. |
| Steven Ngo | LAW 446 Corporate Solicitors Workshop Steven Ngo (B.S. (UBC), J.D. (UBC)) works as Senior Counsel at Rivian, a California-based electric vehicle (EV) company where he supports consumer transactions and Rivian’s go-to-market initiatives, including its recent expansion to Canada. Prior to Rivian, Steven spent a number of years in private practice, working as a corporate M&A lawyer at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, and at Allens Linklaters in Ho Chi Minh City. Outside of work, Steven was named one of the Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers in Canada by Canadian Lawyer Magazine. Additionally, he is a recipient of the BC Medal of Good Citizenship for his advocacy work against hate crimes and was named an Alumni Changemaker by Peter A. Allard School of Law. He is on the board of governors for the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) and is the advisory director and past president of the Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers BC (FACL BC). |
| Greg Noble | Topics in International Taxation Transfer Pricing (LAW 569C) Greg Noble is a senior partner at EY and leader of the Transfer Pricing West Practice. With over 28 years of transfer pricing experience, Greg has led projects in a wide variety of industries including Private Equity & Pensions, Energy, Mining, Media & Technology, Retail and Agriculture & Food. |
| Erica Olmstead | Appellate Advocacy (LAW 473) Erica Olmstead is a Partner with Edelmann & Co. Law Offices, where she practices immigration, refugee, and criminal law. Her main area of focus is the intersection between these areas. She has extensive experience resolving particularly complex inadmissibility and refugee cases for persons who face legal hurdles in seeking to obtain or keep their status in Canada. She also acts on complex criminal files where there is an immigration nexus or an appealable issue. Erica regularly appears before all divisions of the Immigration and Refugee Board, the Federal Court, the BC Supreme Court, the BC Court of Appeal and the Federal Court of Appeal. She has appeared in a number of cases before the Supreme Court of Canada. Erica also works with Legal Aid BC as a case review lawyer with the Appeals Department, where she began working as a student in 2010. |
| Tony Paisana | Preventing Wrongful Convictions (LAW 471D) Tony Paisana (B.A. Honours (UBC), J.D. (UBC)) is a partner at Peck and Company Barristers. He has represented clients at all levels of court including the Supreme Court of Canada. He is currently the Chair of the Law Reform Committee for the National Criminal Justice Section of the Canadian Bar Association. He is a founding member of the Criminal Defence Advocacy Society, as well as a supervising lawyer with the UBC Innocence Project. |
| Cindy Phillips | Civil Procedure (LAW 469/590) Cindy Phillips (B.A., Honours (University of British Columbia), J.D. (University of British Columbia)), is a lawyer in the Litigation and Dispute Resolution Department of Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP in Vancouver. Her practice focuses on commercial disputes, including shareholder disputes and claims in breach of contract and tort, fraud claims, and personal injury appeals. Cindy also has experience with class actions and regulatory prosecutions. Prior to teaching Civil Procedure, Cindy was involved with running the Allan McEachern Course in Advanced Trial Advocacy, Law 472. |
| Tom Posyniak | Conflict of Laws (LAW 325/592) Tom Posyniak is a partner at Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP in Vancouver. His practice focuses on commercial litigation, administrative and constitutional law, class actions, and insurance litigation. Tom has an active appellate practice and regularly appears before the British Columbia Court of Appeal. Tom has also been counsel at the Supreme Court of Canada and regularly prepares written submissions in that court. Prior to joining Fasken, Tom clerked for the Court of Appeal for British Columbia and worked at another national law firm in Vancouver. He received his J.D. in 2012 from the University of Saskatchewan, College of Law, and was called to the bar in 2014. Tom is on the executive of the Appellate Advocacy section of the Canadian Bar Association – BC Branch. He also serves as a referral counsel for Access Pro Bono’s Court of Appeal Program. Tom is a co-author of the Civil Appeal Handbook published by the Continuing Legal Education Society of British Columbia and the CanLII BC Civil Litigation Manual. |
| Mike Preston | Construction Law (LAW 439) Mike Preston is a construction litigation specialist and has run trials in B.C., Alberta, Ontario and the Yukon. At the appellate level he has appeared as lead counsel at the B.C. and Alberta Courts of Appeal. At the Supreme Court of Canada he was lead counsel for the successful appellant in Valard v. Bird. Currently called to the bar in B.C. (and formerly of the Ontario and Yukon bars), Mike began his career in commercial litigation. To hone his trial skills, he later joined the crown attorney’s office where for 3 years he prosecuted several criminal trials a week. Prior to moving (back) to Vancouver, Mike practiced in Ottawa where his focus was drafting written arguments for cases in all areas of law going to the Supreme Court of Canada. |
| Susanne Raab | Medical Negligence Law (LAW 434) Susanne Raab (B.A. (U. Western Ontario), LL.B. (U. Victoria)) is a lawyer at Pacific Medical Law. Susanne's practice focuses on representing individuals who have suffered injuries as a result of medical malpractice, with a focus on birth injuries and catastrophic brain and spinal cord injuries. Prior to joining Pacific Medical Law, Susanne spent much of her legal career representing physicians in complex medical malpractice actions. Susanne has appeared before the Provincial Court, Supreme Court and Court of Appeal of British Columbia, as well as the Supreme Court of Canada. She has been selected for inclusion by her peers in Best Lawyers in Canada in the area of Medical Negligence and is recognized as a leading practitioner in the Canadian Lexpert Directory in medical malpractice. Susanne is also a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, an honorary trial lawyer society whose membership is limited to less than one-half of one percent of North American lawyers, judges and scholars. Susanne also serves on the Executive of the Board of the Trial Lawyers Association of British Columbia. Susanne has appeared before the Provincial Court ,Supreme Court and Court of Appeal of British Columbia, as well as the Supreme Court of Canada. Susanne also serves on the Board of Governors of the Trial Lawyers Association of British Columbia. Susanne is actively involved in advocating for individuals living with disabilities, and serves as the President of the Board of Directors as well as Chair of the Advisory Committee of the Cerebral Palsy Association of British Columbia. |
| Brian Rhodes | Trial Advocacy (LAW 474.L02) Brian Rhodes is a partner at Dolden Wallace Folick LLP in Vancouver. He has appeared as counsel at all levels of court in British Columbia and Alberta, as well as the Ontario Superior Court. Brian’s practice has a particular emphasis on construction law, professional liability and product liability. Brian holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of British Columbia and a Bachelor of Laws from Dalhousie University. In 2010 Brian completed the Program of Instruction for Lawyers – Mediation Workshop at Harvard University |
| Aminollah Sabzevari | Creditors' Remedies (LAW 443/599) & Insolvency Law (LAW 444) Aminollah Sabzevari, BSc (Honours), JD, LLM, is an experienced litigator with the Department of Justice Canada. He represents the Federal Crown in complex insolvency proceedings under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act and the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act. He has been a panelist and presenter for events hosted by the Centre for Business Law, the Continuing Legal Education Society of British Columbia, the Annual Review of Insolvency Law, and the Department of Justice’s Commercial Taxation Committee. Amin is a mentor for law students via the Canadian Bar Association and the Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers. He has volunteered as a science fair judge for nearly twenty years, with experience judging at the Greater Vancouver Regional Science Fair, the Edmonton Regional Science Fair, the Calgary Youth Science Fair, and the Canada-Wide Science Fair. He is a past recipient of Allard’s Outstanding Young Alumni Award and the British Columbia Community Achievement Award. |
| Mila Shah | Preventing Wrongful Convictions (LAW 471D) Mila Shah (B.A. (UBC), J.D. (Uvic)) is Crown Counsel with the B.C. Prosecution Service, specializing in criminal appeals in the B.C. Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada. Before joining the Crown, Ms. Shah practiced as a criminal defence lawyer with Peck and Company Barristers and was a supervising lawyer with the UBC Innocence Project. She is a former clerk to the previous Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin and she is currently the Vice-Chair of the Appellate Advocacy Section of the Canadian Bar Association, B.C. Branch. |
| Avichay Sharon | Topics in Tort Law Mass Torts and Class Actions (LAW 435D) Avichay Sharon is a partner with Branch MacMaster LLP. Avichay has a broad civil litigation practice acting on behalf of both plaintiffs and defendants, with particular focus in class actions, constitutional law and Charter litigation, administrative law and insurance defence. Avichay has worked on class actions involving Charter claims, price fixing and consumer protection laws, privacy rights, and environmental wrongs. |
| Jon Sigurdson | Topics in Constitutional Law Charter Litigation (LAW 349D) Jon Sigurdson, B.A. (U.B.C.) LL.B. (U.B.C.) was appointed to the Supreme Court of British Columbia in 1994. He served as a Justice of that Court until his retirement in November, 2017. He articled at Bull Housser and Tupper (now Norton Rose) and after working there for a year, practised with Fraser Kelleher Sigurdson Watts and Gudmundseth before rejoining Bull Housser and Tupper in 1981. He had a commercial/civil litigation practice and after 20 years as a lawyer was appointed to the Supreme Court of British Columbia. He was on the Court for 23 years before retiring. He is the former President of the UBC Law Alumni Association and was the co-chair of the New Federally Appointed Judges Program offered by the National Judicial Institute and the Canadian Institute for the Administration of Justice. Presently he is a contributing editor for the Advocate, the B.C. lawyers’ magazine, is a part time radio announcer on Crossroads, a blues program, and enjoys writing and taking care of his grandchildren who are ardent Montreal Canadiens fans as is he. |
| Lynn Smith | Topics in Constitutional Law Charter Litigation (LAW 349D) Lynn Smith B.A. (University of Calgary), LL.B. (University of British Columbia), LL.D. (Hon.) (Simon Fraser University) was appointed to the Supreme Court of British Columbia in 1998. She served as a Justice of that Court until September 2012. In 2005-06, Justice Smith was Executive Director of the National Judicial Institute, on secondment from the Court. She continues to serve on the faculty of the New Federally-Appointed Judges Program. She has been involved in international judicial education exchanges with China, Scotland, Ghana and Viet Nam. Prior to her appointment as a judge, she practised law, specializing in civil litigation, at Shrum Liddle and Hebenton (now McCarthy Tetrault). She taught law at the University of British Columbia 1981-97 in areas including Constitutional Law, Evidence, Civil Litigation, and Real Property. She was Dean of the U.B.C. Law Faculty 1991-97. She has published books and articles in the fields of Charter equality rights, civil litigation and evidence, human rights, and women's equality. She is a past Chair of the Law Foundation of British Columbia, the Board of B.C. Women’s Hospital, and the Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund. She currently serves on the Boards of Music in the Morning and of the Health Arts Society. |
| Daniel Song | Topics in Criminal Law Legal Rights Under the Charter (LAW 405C) Daniel J. Song, KC, is a criminal defence lawyer practicing in British Columbia and Alberta. He received both his B.A. in English Literature and his J.D. (’06) from UBC. He has conducted complex criminal trials involving homicides, criminal organizations, and conspiracies. He is also experienced appellate counsel, having argued notable Charter cases at the Supreme Court of Canada. He has frequently presented and lectured on Charter litigation in criminal cases for lawyers, police officers, and judges. He is an advocacy advisor for the Supreme Court Advocacy Institute, a board member for the B.C. Civil Liberties Association, and a supervising lawyer for the UBC Innocence Project. |
| James Sutherland | Trial Advocacy (LAW 474) The Honourable Judge James I.S. Sutherland (B.A. (Carleton University), LL.B. (Queen’s University)) was appointed a judge of the Provincial Court of British Columbia in 2013. He was called to the Bar of British Columbia in 1990 after which he practiced labour law for two years before joining the Crown Counsel Office from 1992-1997 prosecuting Judge alone and Judge and Jury trials. From 1997-2010 he worked at Gordon & Sutherland Barristers & Solicitors practicing Criminal Defence law and conducting ad hoc prosecutions. From 2010 until his appointment in 2013 he worked at Sutherland Jette, Barristers practicing criminal defence law. As counsel, Judge Sutherland appeared in the Supreme Court of Canada, all levels of court in British Columbia and Saskatchewan, as well as courts in Alberta and the Yukon. He is a frequent speaker at continuing legal education programs and is a previous recipient of the UBC Law Adjunct Professor Outstanding Achievement Award. |
| Peter Swanson | Maritime Law (LAW 332) Peter Swanson (B.A. (UBC 1984), L.L.B. (UVIC 1987)) is a senior litigation lawyer with over 30 years of experience and is a founding partner of Bernard LLP. His practice includes cases involving the enforcement of maritime liens, vessel arrest and security, carriage of goods by water, civil and regulatory liability for ship source pollution, collision, salvage, port state control, charterparty and other commercial disputes, and constitutional issues arising in a marine context. Peter has represented clients at all levels of court in Canada, including the Provincial Court of British Columbia, the British Columbia Supreme Court, the Federal Court, the British Columbia Court of Appeal, the Federal Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada. He was lead counsel in the successful defence in R. v. MV Marathassa, 2019 BCPC 13. Peter is very active in the marine community being a past president and current director of the Vancouver Maritime Arbitrators Association, past president and a current director of the International Sailors Society Canada, a director of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers (Canada) and a director of the Chamber of Shipping of British Columbia. Peter is recognized by his peers as a leader in the field of maritime law being listed in The Best Lawyers in Canada, the Canadian Legal L’expert Directory, Who’s Who Legal and Chambers and Partners. |
| Peter Tolensky | Real Estate Transactions (LAW 455) Peter Tolensky (B.A. (University of Western Ontario 1996), LL.B. (UBC 1999) chairs Lawson Lundell LLP's Real Estate Group. His clients include pension funds, asset managers, developers and other private entities to whom he provides advice on a variety of real estate and corporate structuring matters for all types of projects and transactions. Peter also leads Lawson Lundell’s commercial leasing team and negotiates a high volume of retail, office and industrial leases for landlords and tenants. |
| Karenna Williams | Indigenous Settler Legal Relations (LAW 200) Karenna is Turtle Clan Kanyen’kehá:ka (Mohawk) from Six Nations, Grand River Territory, Ontario. She has a B.A. in Art History and Political Science from McGill University, and a J.D. from the University of Toronto Faculty of Law. In her practice, Karenna is primarily a litigator advocating for Indigenous peoples’ rights, title, cultures, languages and ways of life. Although she acts within the Canadian legal system as a lawyer, Karenna does her best to live under the Kayanerenkó:wa, or Great Law of Peace of the Haudenosaunee. Her approach to her work is rooted in the Haudenosaunee legal principle ska’nikón:ra (a single or united good mind), having been taught that bringing good minds together begets clear and creative thinking, accountability, and sound decision making. Her commitment to her own ways of being permeates her work. A proud Onkwehónwe (original, or Indigenous, person), she believes that Indigenous peoples and laws are powerful and deserve respect. She has appeared at all levels of court in British Columbia, at the Federal Court, and the Supreme Court of Canada as well as the Manitoba Queen’s Bench, the Ontario Superior Court and Court of Appeal. |