Course Chairs
Andrea R. Abbinante — Designated Paralegal, Virgin Hickman, Vancouver
Russell J. Bailey — Guild Yule LLP, Vancouver
About the Course Chairs
Andrea Abbinante obtained her paralegal certificate in 1992 and is currently a Designated Paralegal and Manager with the firm of Virgin Hickman Litigation Counsel. Her litigation experience has spanned a wide range of practice areas including plaintiff personal injury, ICBC defence, other insurance defence including aviation, construction, commercial, dental, and medical malpractice. She also has experience with product liability class action suits and tribunal work including complex Environmental Appeal Board cases.
Andrea believes that client satisfaction and high ethical standards are paramount in managing litigation matters. Throughout her career, Andrea has dedicated many hours to mentoring and training others in the litigation field, and to developing firm procedures, precedents, and resources. Andrea approaches her law firm management role with a team-oriented, empathetic approach, always seeking excellence and infusing a dose of humour, whenever possible. She is a long-standing member of the BC Paralegal Association and, as well, was a presenter at the March 2017 TLABC Paralegal Seminar.
After undergrad at McGill, Russell Bailey lived in Japan for three years teaching English. He came back to Canada, lived in Whistler for a season and tried the LSAT. That worked out to an LLB at UBC. His articles and first years of practice were at a plaintiff-oriented firm in Kamloops, Mair Jensen Blair. In 2007, Mr. Bailey moved back to Vancouver and joined the ranks of Guild Yule LLP. He has been with the firm since then. He joined the partnership in January 2014.
Mr. Bailey's practice is focused on insurance defence, particularly hospitals and schools, but he has a small number of plaintiff personal injury clients. Another of his clients is a Seattle-based insurer for those drivers from Washington State who may have become confused by one-way streets and kilometres versus miles per hour.
Mr. Bailey has appeared at all levels of court in BC, and multiple administrative hearings and has also been a regular volunteer with Access Justice Pro Bono for many years.
Faculty
The Honourable Madam Justice Carla L. Forth — Supreme Court of BC, Vancouver
Brenda D. Fleming — Paralegal, Guild Yule LLP, Vancouver
Angela Folino — Kahn Zack Ehrlich Lithwick LLP, Richmond
Scott Kinloch — Manager, Registry Operations, Vancouver Law Courts, Vancouver
Derek C. LaCroix, QC — Executive Director, Lawyers Assistance Program of BC, Vancouver
Vernon J. Pahl — Guild Yule LLP, Vancouver
Michele Ross — Designated Paralegal, Virgin Hickman, Vancouver
Carrie Sylvestre — Paralegal, Brain & Injury Law - Collette Parsons Corrin LLP, Vancouver
Jennifer Unwin — Manager, Registry Operations, Kamloops Law Courts, Kamloops
Click here for full faculty bios