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 |
|---|---|
| Nancy Adams | Criminal Law Clinic (LAW 490) After receiving her LLB from Queen’s University at Kingston in 1985, Judge Adams worked at Harper, Grey, Easton as associate counsel for several years. Eager to pursue her interest in criminal law, she joined the Vancouver Crown Counsel in 1989, and then moved to private practice in 2006. After more than 30 years of trial work, almost exclusively in criminal law, Judge Adams was appointed to the BC Provincial Court in March 2017 and now sits regularly at 222 Main Street. A supervising lawyer in the clinic at the time of her appointment to the bench, she became clinic director when Judge Joseph Galati stepped down in 2022 after more than 18 years of leadership. Judge Adams enjoys working with the many senior counsel who are dedicated to the clinic and with the students who bring energy and fresh perspectives to the seminars. |
| 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. |
| Nigel Baker-Grenier | Indigenous Settler Legal Relations (LAW 200) |
| 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. |
| Clinton Bauman | Law Student Legal Advice Program (LAW 491) Clinton Bauman is the current civil supervising lawyer for the Law Students Legal Advice Program and has been in that role since fall 2023. Prior to becoming a full-time supervising lawyer for LSLAP he maintained a broad general litigation practice for 20 years and has represented clients in civil litigation, criminal law, family law and administrative tribunals at all levels of court. Mr. Bauman wound up his private practice in the fall of 2024 and is dedicated to ensuring the quality and longevity of the Law Students Legal Advice Program. |
| Michelle Booker | Advanced 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.. |
| Aubin Calvert | Conflict of Laws (LAW 325/LAW 592) Aubin Calvert is a partner at Hunter Litigation Chambers in Vancouver. Aubin’s practice is focused on administrative and constitutional law. She has appeared as counsel before administrative tribunals and all levels of court. Before joining Hunter Litigation Chambers, Aubin served as a law clerk to the Right Honourable Chief Justice Richard Wagner of the Supreme Court of Canada from 2016 to 2018. She received her J.D. in 2016 from the Peter A. Allard School of Law at the University of British Columbia and was called to the bar in 2017. Aubin holds a Ph.D. in political theory, also from the University of British Columbia. Aubin is a member of the Board of the British Columbia Law Institute and serves as the British Columbia session coordinator for the Supreme Court Advocacy Institute. She is the co-author of two chapters of the CLEBC Administrative Law Practice Manual. |
| 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. |
| Jessica Campbell | Civil Procedure (LAW 469/LAW 590) Jessica Campbell (B.Sc., Honours (University of Guelph), LL.B. with Distinction (University of Alberta)), is a Partner in Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP’s Litigation and Dispute Resolution group in Vancouver. Her practice focuses on product liability, insurance advice and litigation, and extends to a range of related practice areas including tort litigation, insurance coverage, construction litigation and class proceedings. Jessica is the co-author of the chapter “Objections at Trial” in the CLEBC Civil Trial Handbook. |
| 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 |
| 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. |
| Eric B. Clavier | Civil Procedure (LAW 469/LAW 590) Eric B. Clavier is a partner at Fasken in Vancouver, practising as a trust, estates and charities litigator. Following 12 years as a barrister at the Pretoria Bar in the Republic of South African, Eric was called to the Bar of British Columbia in 2014, where he appears regularly before the Supreme Court of British Columbia and the BC Court of Appeal. |
| Tracey Cohen | Advanced 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. |
| Andrew Crabtree | Advanced Corporate Law: Shareholder Litigation (LAW 460) Andrew Crabtree is founder and principal at Crabtree Law. He has more than a decade of experience resolving disputes for corporations and individuals through negotiated settlements, tribunal hearings, arbitration and litigation. He primarily focuses on shareholder and partnership disputes. Before launching his own firm, Andrew practised for several years with Blakes and Cooper Litigation (before it merged with McEwan Partners). After attending UVic Law School, Andrew clerked for five justices of the British Columbia Supreme Court. |
| David Curtis | Construction Law (LAW 439) David Curtis is a litigation and dispute resolution Partner in the Vancouver office of Fasken. His practice is focused on the construction industry. Clients seek David’s counsel primarily on his construction litigation expertise, as well as with mediations and commercial arbitrations. He also has experience in commercial litigation cases in the Supreme Court of British Columbia, the Court of Appeal for British Columbia. |
| Gautam Dhillon | Close Corporations - Corporations: From Beginning to End (LAW 462) |
| 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/LAW 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. |
| Michela Fiorido | Topics in Public Law: Access to Information and Privacy Law (LAW 345C) Michela Fiorido (BA (Kwantlen Polytechnic University), MA (University of the Fraser Valley), JD (UBC)) is a partner at Harris & Company LLP in Vancouver. Her practice focuses on access, data security and privacy law. She represents clients in complaint, review, inquiry and other matters before provincial and federal privacy commissioners. Michela is recognized as a Fellow of Information Privacy, is a Certified Information Privacy Professional (Canada) and is a Certified Information Privacy Manager. She is called to the bar in both B.C. and California. Michela is the Vice Chair of the CBABC Freedom of Information & Privacy Law Section and is an active member of the California Lawyers Association Privacy Publications Committee. As the Chair of Harris & Company LLP’s Student Committee, she is also involved in the recruitment and supervision of articling students. |
| 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. |
| Amir Ghahreman | Business Law Clinic (LAW 379B/LAW 380A) Amir started out his career as a Chartered Accountant (now known as “C.P.A.”) at Deloitte while completing the Chartered Accounting Co-Op Program through his undergraduate business degree studies at SFU. After five “busy seasons” in accounting, Amir attended Dalhousie University and obtained his LL.B. in 2006. Amir primarily practices in private company business matters covering a wide range of matters from business formation (incorporations, limited partnerships) to business acquisition/divestiture (share sales, asset sales), and just about everything in between (commercial agreements, leases, shareholder agreements, employment matters), and in each case across a wide variety of industries. When pressed for a quick answer, Amir summarizes his work simply as “contracts”. Prior to joining Richards Buell Sutton LLP, Amir articled and practiced with a large regional firm and later was a partner at a mid-size Vancouver firm. |
| Gary Gill | Topics in Corporate Law (LAW 456C) Gary S. Gill is a partner of Sangra Moller LLP. Gary's practice focuses on securities, corporate finance and commercial law. Gary has advised clients on a variety of transactions, including initial public offerings, reverse take-overs, mergers and acquisitions, statutory business combinations, reorganizations, complex commercial arrangements, joint ventures, acquisitions and dispositions and private and public equity and debt financings. Gary has been involved in significant domestic, cross-border and international transactions and has experience with clients listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange, CBOE Canada, TSX Venture Exchange, CSE, NASDAQ and NYSE. Gary has been called upon to assist clients on contested matters, including negotiated and hostile proxy contests and takeover bids, as well as complex governance issues, regulatory compliance, insider trading and continuous disclosure. Gary regularly provides advice to boards on fiduciary responsibilities and governance best practices. |
| 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”. |
| 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. |
| Sarah Hall | Rise Women's Legal Centre (LAW 429/LAW 431D) |
| 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. |
| David Harvey | Business Law Clinic (LAW379B/LAW 380A) David is a partner at Richards Buell Sutton LLP's Vancouver office. He obtained his J.D. from UVIC in 2010, after which he articled at a litigation firm before finding his true calling as a commercial solicitor. Following his articles, David practiced at a boutique business law firm in downtown Vancouver for a number of formative years before joining RBS in 2019. David is a member of the firm's Business Law Group, Employment and Human Rights Group, and Technology and IP Group. He regularly advises his clients on a range of legal matters including mergers and acquisitions, business structures, corporate reorganizations, shareholder and partnership agreements, employment agreements, license and service agreements, and commercial leases. David is regularly assisted in the office by his rescue legal support pup, Huxley (the Husky). |
| Tom Hawkins | Maritime Law (LAW 332/LAW 546C) 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. |
| Thea Hoogstraten | Topics in Public Law (LAW 343D) Thea Hoogstraten (JD, UBC, 2010) has a broad litigation practice at Allen/ McMillan LLP in Vancouver. She represents government and private sector clients with a focus on municipal law, appellate advocacy, defamation and administrative law. Thea clerked at the B.C. Court of Appeal. |
| Tamara Huculak | Business Law Clinic (LAW 379B/LAW 380A) Tamara obtained her LLB (now J.D.) from UBC Law (now Allard) and articled with Mawhinney & Kellough (now Dentons) being called to the bar in 1990. After being called to the bar of British Columbia, Tamara to work with her father at a downtown Vancouver boutique real estate law firm becoming a partner then moving her practice to Surrey to be closer to home and her family. Tamara is now a partner at Richards Buell Sutton LLP practicing out of their Surrey office focussing primarily on real estate development and corporate/ commercial law. Tamara is also a registered trademark agent. Tamara’s real estate practice focusses primarily on the needs of developers including advising on corporate structures, then assisting with the acquisition and financing of development property through to the leasing and/or sales of developed residential and/or commercial units. On the corporate side, Tamara assists clients in the start up of business, franchising, reorganizations and the sale and/or acquisition of businesses in a wide variety of industries. Early in her career, Tamara also started and ran a dog day care business in Whistler which taught her invaluable lessons in business! |
| 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. |
| Elizabeth Janzen | Topics in Public Law (LAW 343D) Elizabeth R. Janzen is an associate at Sugden, McFee & Roos LLP. She earned her B.A. in International Relations and her J.D. from the University of British Columbia. After law school, she clerked at the Supreme Court of British Columbia, the Court of Appeal for British Columbia, and for Justice Sheilah Martin at the Supreme Court of Canada. She maintains a general civil litigation practice with a focus on administrative law and professional regulatory matters. |
| Mark Jette | Trial Advocacy (LAW 474) The Honourable Judge Mark Jetté had a criminal defense practice in Vancouver from 1991 to 2017. He earned a bachelor of arts degree at Simon Fraser University with majors in political science and history before attending at the University of Victoria Law School. After graduating law school in 1990 he joined the law firm Oliver and Company where he completed his articles. He was called to the bar in British Columbia in 1991 and continued as an associate lawyer with Oliver and Company. Together with Ian Donaldson, Q.C. he established the law firm Donaldson Jetté in August 1999. He joined James Sutherland and formed the law firm Sutherland Jetté in January 2010. He has developed an extensive and varied criminal law and extradition practice, and has defended accused persons at all levels of court in British Columbia. He also prosecuted cases after being appointed as a special prosecutor, and acted as commission counsel for the Office of the Police Complaints Commission. He has written for and lectured at numerous CLE, CBA and TLABC seminars and at the British Columbia Institute of Technology on topics in criminal law. He participated as faculty at a National Judicial Institute Conference on domestic violence cases in the criminal and family courts and was appointed to the Provincial Court Bench in November 2017. |
| 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) 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. |
| Alexander Kirby | Topics in Public Law (LAW 343D) |
| 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/LAW 590) 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. |
| Sarah Leamon | Law Student Legal Advice Program (LAW 491) |
| 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) advises on 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 extensive experience in construction law and corporate and commercial matters related to the ownership and development of real property. 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 2023, 2024 and 2025: Ones to Watch (Real Estate Law). Prior to founding Westgrove Law Corporation, Tony articled and worked as an associate in the Vancouver office of Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP. |
| 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. |
| Tanya Martin | Topics in Tort Law - Personal Injury Law (LAW 433C) |
| 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. |
| Rebecca McConchie | Advanced Criminal Procedure (LAW 400) Rebecca McConchie (B.A. (UBC), J.D. (UofT)) is a criminal lawyer and sole practitioner at McConchie Criminal Law. She previously practiced as a criminal defence lawyer at Peck and Company Barristers in Vancouver and Addario Law Group in Toronto. Ms. McConchie represents clients at trial and on appeal, and has appeared before all levels of court in B.C. and the Supreme Court of Canada. She has particular experience in complex Charter litigation, constitutional challenges, and sexual offence proceedings. Ms. McConchie also acts as ad hoc Crown counsel and has prosecuted files in the B.C. Provincial Court and B.C. Supreme Court. |
| Ken McEwan | Advanced Trial Advocacy (LAW 472) Ken McEwan, Q.C. is senior trial, appellate and arbitration counsel, with a practice focusing on complex commercial, securities and competition matters, including class actions. He has also acts as an arbitrator and mediator of commercial disputes. Mr. McEwan was appointed Queen’s Counsel by the Attorney General of British Columbia in 2004. He is immediate past President of the International Society of Barristers, a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and a Fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers. He has been appointed by the Law Society of British Columbia to the Committee on Relations with the Judiciary and served on the Attorney General’s Rules Revision Committee for approximately 15 years, until April 2016. Mr. McEwan is author of the fourth edition of Sopinka on the Trial of an Action, and is co-author of Commercial Arbitration in Canada: A Guide to Domestic and International Arbitrations. He a frequent lecturer for The Advocates Society and Continuing Legal Education on topics related to litigation and arbitration. He also chairs a panel of the British Columbia Inns of Court project which was established to foster professionalism among young lawyers. |
| 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. |
| David Mckenzie | Construction Law (LAW 439) David Mckenzie is a leading construction lawyer in British Columbia. David has spent his career developing his knowledge of construction law while acting for developers, general contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers as legal counsel in all aspects of the construction industry. Both a litigator and solicitor, he advises clients at all stages of a project, from procurement to builders liens to dispute resolution. He has been involved in numerous negotiations, mediations, arbitrations and court proceedings. David is a frequent chair and lecturer at construction law conferences. He is an editor of the CLE BC Builders Lien Act Practice Manual, is a contributor to the CLE BC Real Estate Development Practice Manual, and he was the former chair of the BC Builders Lien Act Reform Committee. |
| Allison McMahon | Topics in Public Law (LAW 343D) Allison E.I. McMahon is an associate at Nathanson, Schachter & Thompson LLP. She obtained her B.A. in History & English Literature at McGill University (2011), M.A. in History at Queen’s University (2012), and J.D. at the University of British Columbia (2018). Following law school, Allison clerked at the Court of Appeal for British Columbia and for Justice Russell Brown at the Supreme Court of Canada, served as counsel to the Public Order Emergency Commission, and worked as an associate at a large regional firm. Her practice at NST focuses on complex commercial litigation and regulatory matters. |
| 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. |
| 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! |
| Joven Narwal | Topics in Corporate Law (LAW 467D) |
| Gloria Ng | Trial Advocacy (LAW 474) |
| 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). |
| Caitlin Ohama-Darcus | Topics in Private Law (LAW 432D) Caitlin Ohama-Darcus practises corporate commercial litigation with Nathanson, Schachter & Thompson LLP. Ms. Ohama-Darcus graduated with a J.D. from the University of British Columbia in 2015, graduating as a Wesbrook Scholar. Following graduation, Ms. Ohama-Darcus served as the judicial law clerk to Madam Justice Kirkpatrick and Mr. Justice Goepel of the Court of Appeal for British Columbia. Ms. Ohama-Darcus has acted as counsel in a number of high profile contractual disputes, particularly concerning the law of good faith in negotiations and contracts with municipalities. |
| 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. |
| James Parker | Topics in Private Law (LAW 432D) James Parker (B.A (University of Southern California), J.D. (University of Victoria)) is a partner at Nathanson, Schachter & Thompson LLP, where he practices civil litigation with a focus on commercial disputes. He has acted as trial and appellate counsel in a wide variety of contract cases and arbitrations, including a recent class action lawsuit involving allegations that an employer breached its duty of honest performance by misleading employees about their prospects of returning to work during the COVID-19 pandemic. Before entering private practice, Mr. Parker served as a judicial law clerk for two justices of the Court of Appeal for British Columbia. He is a frequent contributor to CLEBC and volunteer for Access Pro Bono. |
| Joel V. Payne | Advanced Corporate Law (LAW 460) Joel V. Payne is an appeals and civil litigation lawyer practicing in Vancouver, British Columbia. His mission is to deliver smart, strategic advocacy using the best modern tools to get the job done. Before he was called to the bar, Joel served a law clerk at the Court of Appeal for British Columbia. |
| 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. |
| Eric Purtzki | Topics in Criminal Justice (LAW 406D) Erik Purtzki graduated from with a law degree from the University of New Brunswick in 2008. He was called to the BC bar in 2009. He is currently employed as a Crown counsel with the Ministry of the Attorney, Criminal Appeals and Special Prosecutions in Vancouver. Prior to that, he was a defence lawyer for approximately 15 years. |
| 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. |
| Julia Riddle | Topics in Public Law (LAW 343D) |
| Aminollah Sabzevari | 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. |
| Amy Schwab | Topics in Public Law (LAW 343D) |
| Peter Senkpiel | Advanced Corporate Law Shareholder Litigation (LAW 460) |
| Mila Shah | Advanced Criminal Procedure (LAW 400) 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. |
| V. Victoria Shroff | Topics in Public Law (LAW 343D) V. Victoria Shroff, KC, (Bachelor of Arts in Sociology (Honours), (U.B.C.), LL.B. (U.B.C.), V. Victoria Shroff, K.C. is the first (and only) animal law lawyer in Canada to be appointed King’s Counsel/K.C. She is one of Canada’s first and longest serving animal law lawyers and the longest serving in Western Canada. Shroff has been Adjunct Professor of animal law at UBC’s Peter A. Allard School of Law since 2016 (Victoria Shroff | historyproject.allard.ubc.ca https://historyproject.allard.ubc.ca/law-history-project/profile/victor…) and she also teaches "Paws of Empathy," her animal law program for kids which she teaches with dogs. Shroff spearheaded Canada’s 1st Animal Law Pro Bono Clinic with the Law Students Legal Advice Program in 2020 and encourages students to participate. Author of a textbook referred to as a "capacious and compelling treatise about the state of animals today," entitled Canadian Animal Law (Lexis-Nexis), she is referred to as a trailblazer for her innovative practice and her teaching of animal law. Shroff chaired BC’s 1st Animal Law Conference for CLEBC in 2022 and chaired it again 2024. Shroff is founding-chair of the national Canadian Animal Law Study Group. She advocates for animals to be seen and respected as sentient beings and regularly liaises with various levels of government to bring animal law issues to the foreground. Shroff assisted with the formulation of groundbreaking new legislation involving companion animals and family law in BC. (BC Government Press release: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2024PREM0001-000036) and she has represented animals at all levels of court in Canada. Shroff was named one of Canada’s Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers in 2023, YWCA Women of Distinction award finalist several times, and was awarded a SEEDS award from the International Society of Animal Rights for her pioneering work in animal law and received a letter of congratulations for her work from the Premier of B.C.. Widely published, she lectures throughout universities in Canada and globally and is frequently before the media about animal matters, having given more than 300 interviews to mainstream media on issues relating to wildlife, farm animals and pets. In 2023, Shroff presented a TEDx Talk on animal sentience law https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Atb0SyUN3HA. Shroff is appointed to the Access to Justice Committee for the Canadian Bar Association. Shroff is an associate fellow of the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics, UK, an expert member of Global Animal Law, an expert member of a biodiversity group, France and member honoris causa of the Paisley Irregulars. Shroff lives in Vancouver where she enjoys spending time with her human and animal family members and is a year-round ocean swimmer. |
| Rod Sieg | Ethics and Professionalism (LAW 468/LAW 588) |
| Jon Sigurdson | Topics in Constitutional Law Charter Litigation (LAW 349D) Jon Sigurdson, K.C., B.A. (UBC) LL.B. (UBC) 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, O.C., K.C., 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. |
| Megan Street | Preventing Wrongful Convictions (LAW 471D) Megan Street (B.A. Honours (Windsor Law)), LL.B. (Windsor Law), LL.M. (Harvard University), is Crown counsel in the Criminal Appeals section of the BC Prosecution Service. She commenced with the BC Crown office as a trial lawyer in 2008, and transitioned to appellate practice in 2013. She has appeared at all levels of court, including the Supreme Court of Canada. She is currently a contributor to McWilliams, Canadian Criminal Evidence, and a member of the Prosecution Service’s Wellness Committee. |
| 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/LAW 546C) 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. |
| Rod Talaifar | Topics in Corporate Law (LAW 456C) Rod Talaifar is a partner at Sangra Moller LLP. Rod's practice is focused on securities, corporate finance, mergers & acquisitions, mining and corporate/commercial law. Rod has acted for companies listed on various stock exchanges internationally, including the New York Stock Exchange, Toronto Stock Exchange, TSX Venture Exchange, NASDAQ and Frankfurt Stock Exchange. Rod has advised clients in connection with mergers & acquisitions, hostile takeover bids and proxy contests, initial public offerings various, mining ventures, debt and equity financings, corporate governance, internal investigations and public company disclosure and compliance. |
| Alix Tolliday | Topics in Criminal Justice (LAW 406D) Alix Tolliday (University of Victoria B.A., 2008, J.D., 2013) has practiced both civil litigation and criminal defence at Ritchie Sandford McGowan in Vancouver since her call to the bar. She has appeared at all levels of court in British Columbia as well as at the Supreme Court of Canada. |
| Geoffrey Trotter | Topics in Philosophy of Law and Theoretical Perspectives (LAW 312D) Geoffrey Trotter is an alumnus of UBC Law. This will be his sixth time teaching this course. While a student, one of his term papers was published in the Saskatchewan Law Review on the topic of religious freedom rights of marriage commissioners. He clerked with the BC Supreme Court, articled at Bull Housser & Tupper LLP (now part of global firm Norton Rose Fulbright), and then practiced civil litigation and administrative law at the downtown Vancouver firm of Gudmundseth Mickelson LLP from 2009-2013. Since then, he has run his own civil litigation and Constitutional/Human Rights practice (www.gtlawcorp.com). Geoffrey has acted as lead or co-counsel in a number of cases dealing with freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, and other issues where he brings natural law perspectives to bear in courtroom-appropriate ways, including as counsel or co-counsel for both parties or interveners, such as: before both the BC Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada in Carter v. Canada and Trinity Western University v. Law Society of BC; in the Court of Appeal in A.B. v. C.D., 2020 BCCA 11; in the ‘bus dad case’ (Crook v Director of Child Protection, 2020 BCCA 192), and in challenges to PHO covid-19 orders respecting church closures (Beaudoin v. BC, 2021 BCSC 512 and 2022 BCCA 427) and allegedly overly restrictive medical exemptions to the BC vaccine passport program (Kassian v. British Columbia, 2025 BCCA 20). Prospective students are welcome to contact Mr. Trotter at 604-678-9190 with any questions they may have prior to registering. |
| Greg Umbach | Real Estate Transactions (LAW 455) Greg Umbach (B.A. (University of Waterloo 1992), LL.B. (UBC 1995)) practises with the Vancouver office of Blake Cassels & Graydon LLP in the area of commercial real estate, financial services and business law. He has been involved in transactions involving buying, selling, leasing, financing and development of commercial real estate specifically relating to shopping centres, hotels, apartment buildings, office buildings and industrial properties. He has also been involved with all aspects of the subdivision and municipal approval process relating to the development of land. Mr. Umbach has written on subjects relating to builders' liens, title insurance, real estate fraud and natural resource title issues that have been published in print and on the internet. |
| Marko Vojvodic | Topics in Criminal Law (LAW 405C) Marko Vojvodic is a Crown prosecutor practicing within the Organized and Major Crime Unit of the BC Prosecution Service. He received his B.Sc. in Computing Science from the University of Alberta and his LL.B. (’06) from UBC. Marko’s practice focuses primarily on complex prosecutions involving homicides and conspiracies within the context of criminal organizations, which frequently encompass extensive Charter challenges to admissibility of evidence. Marko has also appeared before the Court of Appeal of British Columbia on several conviction appeals. |
| Terry Vos | Trial Advocacy (LAW 474) Terry Vos (B.Com. (UBC), LL.B. (U Vic), LL.M. (LSE)) is an Associate Judge of the B.C. Supreme Court. Associate Judge Vos was appointed to the Supreme Court in March 2017. Prior to his appointment he practiced civil litigation and also acted as a mediator on civil litigation cases. |
| Nathan Wells | Civil Procedure (LAW 469/LAW 590) Nathan Wells (B.A., (Simon Fraser University), J.D. (University of British Columbia)), is a lawyer in the Litigation and Dispute Resolution Department of Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP in Vancouver. His practice is divided into two main areas. The first focuses on civil and commercial disputes, including shareholder remedies and claims in breach of contract and tort, and civil fraud claims. The other practice area involves acting for clients in regulatory, criminal and quasi-criminal matters. Prior to becoming a lawyer Nathan was an officer with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police spending most of his 21-year career on murder and gang investigations. |
| 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. |
| Paul Yeung | Real Estate Transactions (LAW 455) Paul Yeung (B.A. (UBC), LL.B. (UBC)) practices with Tenure Law, a boutique law firm practicing solely in the area of commercial leasing, and is a consultant with the commercial real estate group of Stikeman Elliott LLP. Prior to forming Tenure Law, Paul served as a law clerk to the British Columbia Supreme Court and practiced with the commercial real estate groups of Blake Cassels & Graydon LLP and Stikeman Elliott LLP. Paul is also a principal of the Yeung Group of companies which focus on investing in and managing commercial properties in Vancouver. Paul is a contributing author for the Continuing Legal Education publications of Commercial Leasing - Annotated Precedents and the Real Estate Practice Manual. |