July 2008

The 2007-2008 edition of the publication Best Lawyers in Canada has been released and once again counsel from Hunter Litigation Chambers are well represented. Our counsel have been recognized in ten separate categories, Corporate and Commercial Litigation (Bill Berardino, John Hunter, David Harris and Ken McEwan), Bet-the Company Litigation (Bill Berardino), Natural Resources Law (Peter Voith and John Hunter), Director and Officer Liability (Bill Berardino), Administrative and Public Law (John Hunter), Product Liability (Bill Berardino), Class Action Litigation (Bill Berardino and Ken McEwan), Securities Law (Bill Berardino), Insurance law (Bill Berardino) and Legal Malpractice Law (Bill Berardino).

May 2008

Gib van Ert participated in a Continuing Legal Education conference on Using International Law in Canada on May 7th. Gib has written extensively in this field and gave a presentation on "Rules of Public International Law and How Counsel May Make Use of Them in Domestic Litigation". He has also written a chapter for the forthcoming publication of the book, "The Role of Domestic Courts in Treaty Enforcement: A Comparative Study".

April 2008 

We are very pleased to announce that at their annual awards breakfast, Pro Bono Law B.C. named Brent Olthuis its 2008 Lawyer of the Year for his contribution to their pro bono judicial review program. Brent has conducted a number of matters through the pro bono program, both at the trial and appellate levels. Our congratulations to Brent for contributing to the community in the finest traditions of the bar.

On a somewhat lighter note, Hunter Litigation Chambers fielded its first team in the Canadian Bar Association’s Law Week "Fun Run" on April 6th and won the trophy for fastest team time for a firm of fewer than 49 lawyers. Congratulations to our team leader Micah Rankin and to team members Sean George, Melissa Wills, Andi Mackay, Mike Stephens, Raeanne Pruden and John Hunter.

In photo from left to right are: Sean George, Melissa Wills, Andi Mackay, Micah Rankin, John Hunter, Caroline Nevin (Executive Director, CBA, BC Branch), Mike Stephens and Raeanne Pruden.

March 2008 

David Harris was inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers on March 8th. The College is the leading organization of litigation counsel in North America. Fellowship is by invitation only. David is the fourth member of Hunter Litigation Chambers to be elected to fellowship in the College.

We are pleased to announce that Jacqueline Hughes has joined the firm to continue her general civil litigation and advocacy practice. Jacqueline was called to the bar in 2005 and has practiced for two and a half years at a national firm.

January 2008 

In the 2008 Lexpert/American Lawyer Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada, Hunter Litigation Chambers was identified as the top litigation firm in Vancouver. Ken McEwan was recognized as one of the leading corporate-commercial litigators in Vancouver in the same Guide. Of the six barristers identified for corporate-commercial litigation, three are at Hunter Litigation Chambers. 

On January 1st, John Hunter began his term as President of the Law Society of British Columbia. The Law Society is the statutory body authorized by the Legal Profession Act to regulate the legal profession in the public interest.

December 2007 

The Vancouver Bar Association presented the first Peter S. Hyndman Mentorship Award to Bill Berardino. This award has been created to recognize the qualities of effective mentoring to the profession and the public and specifically the qualities of good judgment, civility, decorum, wisdom, idealism and ethical behaviour. Bill received the award at the Annual General Meeting of the Vancouver Bar Association.

We are pleased to welcome two new associates to our growing firm. Micah Rankin joined the firm on December 1st after completing his articles with us. Micah is a graduate of the University of Victoria Law School and clerked with the British Columbia Court of Appeal in 2006-2007. Two weeks later Angela Baxter joined the firm. Angela has been practising a year with a national firm after graduating from the University of British Columbia Law School. Both Micah and Angela will be joining our litigation and administrative law practice as junior barristers.

November 2007

We are very pleased to announce that Ken McEwan Q.C. has joined the firm. Ken is a senior commercial litigator who has been a partner at Farris & Co. since 1995. He practices as counsel in both civil and criminal litigation, with a particular focus on complex securities and corporate-commercial litigation, commercial arbitration and administrative law. Ken is the author of “Commercial Arbitration in Canada: A Guide to Domestic and International Arbitrations” (Canada Law Book pub.). He has been recognized as one of British Columbia’s leading commercial litigators in both the Lexpert Canadian Legal Directory and the Chambers Global Directory. Ken is a Fellow of the International Society of Barristers and the President of the Sopinka Cup Society which hosts the national finals of the Canadian law school trial moot competition. 

October 2007

Peter Voith has been elected a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. The College is an organization of trial counsel in the United States and Canada to which fellowship is by invitation only. Its mission is “to improve and elevate the standards of trial practice, the administration of justice and the ethics of the profession.” Peter is the third member of Hunter Litigation Chambers to become a Fellow of the College. 

August 2007

The Federation of Law Societies of Canada has appointed John Hunter as Chair of its Task Force on the Accreditation of Canadian Common Law Degrees. The Task Force will examine the criteria for recognition of common law degrees in Canada for bar admission programs and will make recommendations to the Federation of a national standard to be adopted by provincial law societies.

July 2007

Hunter Litigation Chambers is pleased to announce that Mike Stephens has joined Bill Berardino, John Hunter, David Harris and Peter Voith as full members of the firm. Mike was called to the bar in 1998 and has practised as an associate with Davis & Company, Hunter Voith and, since July 2006, Hunter Litigation Chambers.

June 2007

The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory for 2007 has now been published and once again the lawyers of Hunter Litigation Chambers have been recognized as leading practitioners in their fields of litigation practice. All four senior counsel have designated as leading counsel in the area of Corporate-Commercial Litigation. In addition, Bill and John have been recognized in the field of Directors-Officers Liability, Peter and John in the area of Forestry Law, John in Aboriginal Law and Bill in the additional areas of Class Action Litigation, Commercial Insurance Litigation, Securities Litigation, Products Liability and Professional Liability.

April 2007

Once again, we have the pleasure of welcoming a new addition to our growing firm. Brent Olthuis has joined the firm to work as a litigation associate. Brent graduated first in his class at McGill Law School in 2000 and then clerked with first the Ontario Court of Appeal and then Justice Iacobucci in the Supreme Court of Canada. He was called to the bar in Ontario in 2001 and practised commercial litigation with a national firm in Ottawa for two years before returning to British Columbia in 2005, when he was called to the British Columbia bar. After receiving a Master’s degree from the University of Victoria in 2006, Brent practiced with a litigation boutique before joining Hunter Litigation Chambers. We are pleased to have him with us to continue his practice in civil litigation and administrative law. 

March 2007

We are pleased to welcome Brent Johnston, who has joined the firm as a litigation associate. Brent is a graduate of Dalhousie Law School. He clerked with the British Columbia Supreme Court and was called to the bar in 2000. He has practised commercial litigation in a national practice since that time. Brent will be working on a wide range of commercial litigation matters with Hunter Litigation Chambers.

John Hunter was inducted as a Fellow of the International Society of Barristers on March 5. The International Society of Barristers is, along with the American College of Trial Lawyers, one of the two major American organizations of litigation lawyers to which membership is by invitation only.

February 2007

We are pleased to report that in our first year of operation Hunter Litigation Chambers has been recognized as the leading litigation firm in British Columbia in The 2007 Who's Who in Canadian Law Firms published by the LEXPERT rating service. The firm was also ranked in the top three firms in the more specific area of commercial litigation.

November 2006

October 2006

Lexpert Magazine published its Guide to the Top 100 Industry Specialists in Canada, and both Peter Voith and John Hunter were recognized for their expertise in Forestry and Forest Products. Peter and John were the only two litigation counsel in Canada to achieve this industry recognition in the forest sector.

September 2006

We are pleased to welcome Sarah Bevan as our first professional hire in the new firm. Sarah graduated from the University of British Columbia Law School after a distinguished academic career. She spent a year clerking with the British Columbia Court of Appeal and was called to the bar in 2004. She will be providing litigation support to the firm with legal research and analysis.

August 2006

The editors of the U.S. publication Best Lawyers have issued their first edition of The Best Lawyers in Canada and counsel from Hunter Litigation Chambers have been recognized in nine separate categories, Corporate and Commercial Litigation (Bill Berardino, John Hunter and David Harris), Administrative and Public Law (John and Peter Voith), Class Action Litigation (Bill), Director and Officer Liability (Bill) , Natural Resources Law (Peter and John), Securities Law (Bill), Personal Injury Litigation -- Product Liability (Bill) , Aboriginal Law (John) and Legal Malpractice Law (Bill).

July 2006

Hunter Litigation Chambers officially opened its doors on July 1, 2006 with the merger of the litigation boutiques Berardino & Harris and Hunter Voith. At start-up Hunter Litigation Chambers will have thirteen lawyers and will restrict its practice to litigation, arbitration and administrative law.