Litigation Guide

MDD Forensic Accountants

With roots dating back to 1933, MDD Forensic Accountants is an internationally recognized forensic accounting firm that provides objective economic damage quantification assessments that stand up to the scrutiny of cross examination in court. Our highly trained experienced professionals provide expert, consulting and fact witness testimony. MDD professionals have qualified as experts in courts around the world and are dedicated to meeting and exceeding client expectations. To learn more about specific matters in which we have been involved, please contact Tony Volpe, Partner and Senior VP in Vancouver or Scott Schellenberg, Partner and Senior VP in Calgary.

• Vancouver BC
  1725 - 555 Burrard Street, Box 211, Two Bentall Centre V7X 1M9
  Contact: Tony Volpe  Tel 604-331-8787  Fax 604-331-8799
  email: tvolpe@mdd.com
• 
  Calgary AB
  1030 - 407 2nd Street SW T2P 2Y3
  Contact: Scott Schellenberg  Tel 403-218-4050  Fax 403-218-4051
  email: scotts@mdd.com
• 
  Winnipeg MB
  18th Floor - 201 Portage Ave R3B 3K6
  Contact: Martin Pavelic  Tel: 204-421-2800  Fax: 204-416-2839
  email: mpavelic@mdd.com
• 
  Website: www.mdd.com
  Other MDD office locations: Edmonton, London, Hamilton, Toronto, Kingston, Montreal, Halifax

Canadian Defence Lawyers

CDL is Canada's only national association representing the interests of civil defence lawyers. With 1200 members in all provinces we offer unparalleled opportunities to unite the defence bar over common issues. We provide access to high-quality, defence-oriented CLE and deliver programmes Canada-wide, with selected CLE also available via audio conference and webcast. The only one of its kind in Canada, our Annual Meeting attracts top defence counsel and industry representatives from across the country.

CDL is fully engaged in social networking – find our groups on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instouch or follow us on Twitter. The CDL website hosts a Members Only blog in which members can exchange views on a wide variety of subjects and experts in particular, with a keyword searchable archive. Search the member directory to get information on other CDL members, to locate a CDL defence lawyer in another province, or to find out whether your defence counsel is a part of CDL. Purchase papers online from every CDL programme, searchable by keyword, date or location. Online programme registration and member management.

The Young Lawyers Committee is extremely active at CDL and offers great leadership opportunities and career development.

CDL is a sister association to the Defence Research Institute, representing 20,000 defence lawyers in the United States. New members of CDL automatically qualify for a free one-year membership in DRL. CDL is also the recipient of the 2008 Janata Award for outstanding local defence organization.

• Toronto ON
  13425 - 130 Adelaide St W M5H 3P5
  Contact: Randi Glass, Executive Director  Tel: 416-340-9859  Fax: 416-640-7202
  email: randi@cdlawyers.org  website: www.cdlawyers.org

Jensen Hughes Consulting Canada Ltd.

JENSEN HUGHES is a dynamic team of professionals with backgrounds in fire, chemical, structural, mechanical, and electrical engineering. We manage large-loss investigations, collect, preserve and test evidence, liaise with authorities, develop computer simulations of fires to validate hypotheses, and coordinate with outside experts, laboratories, and consultants. We focus on delivering scientifically based analysis in a clear and timely manner.

Areas of Specialization:

• Fire and Explosion Investigations
• Electrical Failures
• Water Loss Analysis
• Accident Reconstruction
• Structural Failures
• Combustible Dust Hazard Assessments
• Industrial Process Safety
• Fire and Life Safety Code Analysis
• Litigation Support

• Vancouver: 604-732-3751
• Richmond: 604-295-4000
• Calgary: 403-984-5800
• Edmonton: 780-800-3399
• Toronto: 416-762-3808
• Ottawa: 343-700-3325
• Halifax: 902-701-3877
• www.jensenhughes.com/canada

MKA Canada, Inc.

MKA Canada, Inc., a multidisciplinary construction consulting firm, provides creative solutions to the Construction, Legal and Insurance industries.

Recognizing the unique needs of each client, our professionals utilize extensive industry experience and diverse skills to devise customized solutions. Our Cost Estimators, Construction Managers, Schedulers, Roofing Consultants, and Water Restoration Consultants form a highly skilled team delivering a broad spectrum of quality services and integrated solutions to our clients worldwide.

Our Service Solutions:

• Project Cost & Schedule Planning and Control
• Property Loss and Builder's Risk Insurance Claims
• Construction Defects and Liability Insurance Claims
• Construction Contract Disputes

• Calgary AB
  400-550 11 Ave SW T2R 1M7
  Contact: Barry Milliner  Tel 403-532-8662
  email: bmilliner@mkainc.com
• 
  Toronto ON
  102-1290 Central Parkway W, Mississauga L5C 4R3
  Contact: Derrick Worthington  Tel 289-521-8662
  email: dworthington@mkainc.com
• 
  Website: www.mkainc.ca

Envista Forensics

Envista Forensics is a global leader in forensic engineering & recovery solutions. We provide cause & origin, failure analysis, fire and explosion investigations, accident reconstruction, building consulting, damage evaluations and equipment restoration services following disasters of all kinds.

Envista Forensics has served the insurance, legal and risk management industries for over 30 years. Our experts travel globally from over 30 offices located across Canada, the U.S., Latin America, the U.K. and Singapore.

• Toronto ON
  4444 Eastgate Parkway, Unit 18, Mississauga L4W 4T6
  Contact: John Hicks  email: john.hicks@envistaforensics.com
• 
  Vancouver BC
  100-12031 Horseshoe Way, Richmond V7A 4V4
  Contact: Eric Lalli  email: eric.lalli@envistaforensics.com
• 
  Website: www.envistaforensics.com
  North America toll-free: 1-888-782-3473
  Account Executive: Yvonne Hird  email: Yvonne.Hird@envistaforensics.com

Richard van Leeuwen

Richard van Leeuwen, P.Eng. (electrical), is the principal of the electrical consulting firm van Leeuwen & Associates, specializing in forensic investigations. As a professional electrical engineer registered in British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec, Richard has a 30-year background in electrical and electronic engineering and design, as well as extensive industry and fire analysis experience. He has proven expertise in assisting with litigation involving electrical matters and, since 1994, has worked with over 100 legal firms, adjusting firms and insurance companies, as well as many cause and origin experts. He has amassed experience on over 1000 cases.

• West Vancouver BC
  1540 Lawson Ave. V7V 2C9
  Contact: Richard van Leeuwen  Tel 604-922-9386
  email: richard@electriceye.ca  Website: www.electriceye.ca

Alexander Holburn Beaudin & Lang LLP

We are proud to practise insurance law and this simple truth is demonstrated in the passion we consistently bring to our work. We act for insurance companies and self-insured corporations nationally and internationally. Broadly speaking, our work covers the categories of insurance coverage, defence of claims, subrogation and general risk management advice. Our collective experience and concentration in all areas encountered by our insurance clients have enabled us to become one of Canada’s largest insurance law practices. Many of our lawyers are recognized in peer-reviewed publications as leading Canadian practitioners in the areas of insurance law and related fields, including aviation, products’ liability, personal injury, defamation and appellate advocacy.

Delivering value is of paramount importance to us. We use a solutions-based approach to litigation management. In every case, we work with our clients to identify and define their goals and develop a litigation strategy that best meets those goals. We then draw upon our extensive resources to implement that strategy in a responsive and cost-effective manner.

Alexander Holburn is a leading full-service Vancouver based law firm. With 75+ lawyers advising across 25 practice areas, we are ranked by Canadian Lawyer magazine as one of the top ten firms in Western Canada.

Our knowledge and experience spans the full spectrum of insurance, commercial and dispute resolution matters. Our varied client base encompasses a variety of industries including aviation, banking and finance and retail, and includes Fortune 500 and Financial Times Global 500 companies. We represent governments and municipalities, regional, national and international companies, as well as individuals with business interests and legal needs in British Columbia and throughout Canada.

• Vancouver BC
  2700 - 700 West Georgia Street V7Y 1B8
  Contact: Bruno De Vita, Managing Partner  Direct 604-484-1709
  Email: bdevita@ahbl.ca
  Website: www.ahbl.ca

Carfra Lawton

We are an established insurance defence boutique law firm offering proactive and effective legal services. From our base in Victoria we represent domestic and international insurers, institutions and government agencies throughout British Columbia and the Yukon on claims ranging from the small and routine to the catastrophic and highly complex.

Our team is comprised of over 20 lawyers, paralegals and articling students, all of whom are focused on insurance defence, coverage and subrogation services. Practicing in one area of law provides our clients with the expertise and range of skills and experience needed to quickly assess files, identify defence strategies and progress a file towards resolution in a cost effective manner.

The firm was established by James S. Carfra, Q.C. (1940-2012) and Dean P.J. Lawton in 1985. Our reputation has been built on the high quality, meticulous work our lawyers have delivered ever since. Our junior lawyers benefit from that experience through a formal mentorship program, internal training seminars and internal file audits.

We work closely with insurers, brokers and institutional risk managers and have a strong appreciation for each client’s unique approach and process for resolving claims. We are also sensitive to the pressures and issues impacting the insurance sector and government run insurance programs. We know our clients do not take risks with their files, and neither do we.

Our business-like approach to insurance law claims is mirrored by how we run our own practice and we are constantly looking for more efficient ways to serve our clients. We invest significantly in the technology needed to deliver legal services in the efficient, modern manner demanded by our clients.

At Carfra Lawton LLP, we never lose sight of the fact that we are acting on behalf of both insurers and their insureds. We work hard to extend a high standard of practice to every insured. Our reputation, and our clients’ reputations, depends on it.

• Victoria BC
  6th Floor – 395 Waterfront Crescent V8T 5K7
  Contact: Dean Lawton or Neil Carfra  Tel 250-381-7188  Fax 250-381-7804
  Email: generalinfo@carlaw.ca
  Website: www.carlaw.ca

Harper Grey LLP

An insurer's reputation for fairness and competence may be its most valuable asset. Harper Grey lawyers have protected the reputations of insurers and their insured since the firm was founded in 1907.

Harper Grey works with clients to resolve claims with the best interests of their insureds and organizations in mind. We serve regional, national and multinational insurers and represent major self-insured businesses, working with their insurance partners to resolve claims. We also work with professional associations to develop and defend errors and omissions and risk-management programs.

We are conscious of an insurer's relationship with its insureds. We respect their budgets, service requirements and the accountability structures within their organization. Our clients benefit from value-added services such as in-house education, unbilled advice and departmental structure reviews.

Harper Grey is a Vancouver law firm with 58 lawyers who focus primarily on risk management, dispute resolution and litigation. Harper Grey has been a part of the local legal landscape for more than a century and isthe largest litigation focused firm in Western Canada. In 2014, Harper Grey was ranked 7th in Canadian Lawyer’s “Top 10 Western and Northern Regional Firms” list. Lexpert Canada has rated Harper Grey LLP as one of the top 3 recommended firms for insurance law in British Columbia and many of their lawyers are ranked as leading practitioners by a number of ranking agencies, including Best Lawyers and Benchmark.

For more information about our Insurance Law Group and the services we offer please contact Nigel Trevethan or Jennifer Woznesensky.

• Vancouver BC
  3200 - 650 West Georgia Street V6B 4P7
  Website: www.harpergrey.com
  
  Nigel Trevethan  604-895-2821  ntrevethan@harpergrey.com
  Jennifer Woznesensky  604-895-2875  jwoznesensky@harpergrey.com

Michael O'Meara & Company

Since 1999, O'Meara & Company has provided legal services to the insurance industry throughout British Columbia. Specializing in Insurance Defence representation, our firm has experience in catastrophic personal injury litigation, property loss, professional negligence, envelope failures, construction negligence and trespass. We have represented multi-party subscription policies in complex civil litigation as well as representing self-insured entities such as municipalities and utility companies. We have provided coverage opinions to insurers on issues as diverse as apportioning between policies and contract interpretations.

Additionally, our firm has many years of experience in alternate dispute resolution, arbitration and appearances before the General Insurance Ombudsman.

We look forward to continuing our years of service to the insurance industry by providing quality, timely and cost-effective legal services for the insurance industry.

• Victoria BC
  104 - 645 Fort St V8W 1G2
  Tel 250-475-6529  Toll free 877-246-6529  Fax 250-475-6528
  Contact: Michael F. O'Meara michael@omearalaw.net
  Mark W. Henderson, Associate mh.caseyomeara@shaw.ca
  Melissa Cielen, Paralegal melissa@omearalaw.net

Richards Buell Sutton

Our Insurance Law Group excels at providing advice, resolution strategies, trial and appeal advocacy in areas including property and casualty insurance, professional and environmental liability and employment practices insurance. We recognize insurance is a business that requires effective management of claims and costs. We also understand the value of predictability to insurance industry clients. We meet your goals by developing strategies that minimize the number and length of legal processes required to resolve a claim. When necessary, our extensive litigation experience will effectively see you through a dispute.

Richards Buell Sutton has been trusted by the insurance industry since 1871. To find out more or if we can assist with your legal needs, contact Alex Eged, Nicole Mangan or any other member of our Insurance Law team.

• Vancouver BC
  700 – 401 West Georgia St V6B 5A1
  Alex Eged  604-661-9203  aeged@rbs.ca
  Nicole Mangan  604-661-9257  nmangan@rbs.ca
  Main:  604-682-3664  www.rbs.ca

SHK Law Corporation

SHK’s lawyers have been recognized by Best Lawyers in Canada as Canada’s leading lawyers in the area of insurance law.

Our firm has been providing legal advice to the insurance industry for over 25 years. Our team has extensive experience in all aspects of insurance, including:

• Commercial general liability claims
• Subrogated claims
• Professional disciplinary claims
• Coverage claims
• Insurance litigation

To learn more about the services we offer, please contact:

• Craig Wallace, PEng  604-408-2037  caw@shk.ca
• Donald Smith,  604-408-2025  dsmith@shk.ca
• Vanessa Reakes  604-408-2044  vlr@shk.ca
• 
  Vancouver BC
  700 - 555 Burrard Street V7X 1M8
  Tel: 604-684-0727  Fax 604-684-7094
  Website: www.shk.ca

Singleton Urquhart LLP

Singleton Urquhart LLP brings comprehensive experience and proven expertise to all aspects of dispute resolution, including trial and appeal work, and mediation. The firm's lawyers have received national and international recognition as leaders in the fields of construction and insurance law, and professional and product liability.

• Vancouver BC
  1200 - 925 West Georgia St V6C 3L2
  Contact: John Singleton, Q.C.  Tel 604-682-7474  Fax 604-682-1283
  email: su@singleton.com  Website: www.singleton.com