Welcome and Introduction
David A. Crerar — Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, Vancouver
Michael A. Skene — Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, Vancouver
Practical Tips for Representing a Plaintiff
- initial evaluation and investigation: seven helpful habits
- discovery of the defendant: excavating falsehoods, half-truths, omissions, distortion, and calculated ambiguities
- trial: top ten techniques to vindicate reputation
Peter A. Downard — Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, Toronto
Practical Tips for Representing a Defendant
- immediate considerations when retained
- mapping out the case: why the first 30 days of a brief may be as important as the time spent at trial
- obtaining useful discovery from the plaintiff
Scott Dawson — Farris, Vaughan, Wills & Murphy LLP, Vancouver
Shareholders and Defamation
- takeover bid press releases
- disclosure statements
- special damages considerations for corporations
Debbie Asirvatham — Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, Vancouver
David A. Crerar — Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, Vancouver
Networking Break
Overview of Defamation Defences
- new developments from appellate courts
- avoiding technical pitfalls
- emerging defences
Marko Vesely — Lawson Lundell LLP, Vancouver
Cutting Edge Developments in Cyber Internet Defamation
- jurisdictional issues
- obtaining information on anonymous Internet defamers
- practical advice for responding to cyber-attacks
Mark E. Fancourt-Smith — Lawson Lundell LLP, Vancouver
Insurance Coverage for Defamation Claims
- how broad is coverage for defamation and related claims?
- can an insured defendant retail control of the defence?
- strategic considerations for plaintiffs
Richard J. Berrow — Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, Vancouver
Networking Lunch
What Can You Say? Media and Defamation Issues in Reporting on Major News Stories
Michael A. Skene — Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, Vancouver
The Defence of Fair Comment: Mainstream Canada v. Staniford, 2013 BCCA 341
- fair comment requirements of the BCCA decision
- need there be more than an indication of the subject matter on which the comment is based?
- recent expansion of the defence does not mean there are no limits
Gavin Cameron — Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, Vancouver
David F. Sutherland — David F. Sutherland & Associates, Vancouver
David Wotherspoon — Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, Vancouver
Networking Break
Pleadings, Peculiarities, and Particulars in a Defamation Claim
- necessary particulars
- avoiding pitfalls
- strategic drafting
Ludmila B. Herbst — Farris, Vaughan, Wills & Murphy LLP, Vancouver
Shop Talk: Communications Issues in the Workplace
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attacks on the employer and co-workers
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freedom of expression, whistle-Blowing, and jurisdictional issues
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strategies for effective responses
Geoffrey J. Litherland — Harris & Company LLP, Vancouver
Crystal Ball Gazing—Future Developments in Defamation Law: Panel
- how will the law of defamation develop in the Internet age?
- litigation crises and opportunities
- general questions, answers, and comments from the day
Chair:
Robert S. Anderson, QC — Farris, Vaughan, Wills & Murphy LLP, Vancouver
Faculty:
David A. Crerar — Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, Vancouver
Peter A. Downard — Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, Toronto
Michael A. Skene — Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, Vancouver
Concluding Remarks
David A. Crerar — Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, Vancouver
Michael A. Skene — Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, Vancouver