Junior Lawyers Risk Management Conference 2022

Course Chairs
Su Forbes, KC — Chief Operating Officer, Lawyers Indemnity Fund, Vancouver
Maryanne Prohl — Director of Risk Management, Lawyers Indemnity Fund, Vancouver

About the Course Chairs
Su Forbes is the Chief Operating Officer with overall responsibility for the indemnity program that indemnifies lawyers for malpractice and dishonest appropriation. She has been a lawyer since 1982 and practised as civil litigation counsel in a broad range of areas before joining the Lawyers Indemnity Fund in 1987. She was appointed Director of the program in 1998 and received her Queen's Counsel designation in 2002. Su has made presentations to a variety of audiences including the CBA, CLEBC, UBC Faculty of Law, ABA, and LawASIA about the program and how to manage risks related to the practice of law.

Maryanne Prohl joined the Lawyers Indemnity Fund in 2015. She is the Director, Risk Management responsible for managing the program's risk management initiatives. This includes presenting risk management strategies to the legal profession through notices to the profession, risk management videos, E-Brief, articles, presentations, and other communications. In addition, she also acts as Claims Counsel, where she is responsible for handling and defending claims reported under the compulsory professional liability indemnity program. Before joining LIF, Maryanne spent close to a decade working as senior legal counsel to RIM (BlackBerry). Before RIM, she worked as a litigator in downtown Vancouver—primarily in the areas of construction, creditors' remedies, and commercial disputes.

Faculty
Gurprit Bains — Deputy Chief Legal Officer, Law Society of BC, Vancouver
Shelley Braun — Compliance Officer, Alexander Holburn Beaudin + Lang LLP, Vancouver
Barbara K. Buchanan, KC — Practice Advisor, Conduct and Ethics, Law Society of BC, Vancouver
Aidan Cameron — McCarthy Tétrault LLP, Vancouver
Ben Flanagan — Dolden Wallace Folick LLP, Vancouver
James C. MacInnis, KC — Nathanson Schachter & Thompson LLP, Vancouver
Claire L. Marchant — Manager, Practice Support and Equity Ombudsperson, Law Society of BC, Vancouver
Surindar S. Nijjar — Claims Counsel, Lawyers Indemnity Fund, Vancouver
Richard Panton — Claims Counsel, Lawyers Indemnity Fund, Vancouver
Bena Stock — Registered Clinical Counsellor, Bena Stock Counselling and Consulting, Vancouver
Leanne Wood — Claims Counsel, Lawyers Indemnity Fund, Vancouver

Click here for full faculty bios

Welcome and Land Acknowledgement (9:00 – 9:10)

Su Forbes, KC — Chief Operating Officer, Lawyers Indemnity Fund, Vancouver
Maryanne Prohl — Director of Risk Management, Lawyers Indemnity Fund, Vancouver

To Err is Human—How to Ensure You Have Indemnity Coverage (9:10 – 9:55)

• the basics of your indemnity coverage—what is covered, how much is covered, and when to report to us
• tips to ensure you don't lose coverage
• when your deductible is triggered 

Surindar S. Nijjar — Claims Counsel, Lawyers Indemnity Fund, Vancouver
Leanne Wood — Claims Counsel, Lawyers Indemnity Fund, Vancouver

BREAK (9:55 – 10:05)

Lessons Learned—Actual LIF Claims Revealed (10:05 – 10:55)

• the truth about mistakes
• don't shoot yourself in the foot—common mistakes made in your early years of practice
• tips to avoid claims 

Aidan Cameron — McCarthy Tétrault LLP, Vancouver
James C. MacInnis, KC — Nathanson Schachter & Thompson LLP, Vancouver
Maryanne Prohl — Director of Risk Management, Lawyers Indemnity Fund, Vancouver

BREAK (10:55 – 11:05)

Navigating Professional Responsibility in Your Early Years (11:05 – 11:40)

• how to establish and make use of your professional responsibility toolkit
• about practice advisors—when to contact, what to contact them about
• top three complaints against junior lawyers 

Gurprit Bains — Deptuy Chief Legal Officer, Law Society of BC, Vancouver
Claire L. Marchant — Manager, Practice Support and Equity Ombudsperson, Law Society of BC, Vancouver

LUNCH BREAK (11:40 – 12:25)

Don't Get Duped: Money Laundering and Fraud—Red Flags (12:25 – 1:10)

• red flags and suspicious transactions
• addressing money laundering and fraud in the BC Code and Law Society Rules
• making use of free resources

Barbara K. Buchanan, KC — Practice Advisor, Conduct and Ethics, Law Society of BC, Vancouver

BREAK (1:10 – 1:20)

Cyber-attacks on BC Law Firms—What Happened and How to Avoid Being Next (1:20 – 2:10)

• the ethics and professionalism behind cyber security
• inside BC law firm cyber claims
  • what was done wrong
  • what should have been done
  • could you be next?

Shelley Braun — Compliance Officer, Alexander Holburn Beaudin + Lang LLP, Vancouver
Ben Flanagan — Dolden Wallace Folick LLP, Vancouver
Claire L. Marchant — Manager, Practice Support and Equity Ombudsperson, Law Society of BC, Vancouver
Richard Panton — Claims Counsel, Lawyers Indemnity Fund, Vancouver

BREAK (2:10 – 2:20)

Lawyer Well-Being: Concrete Strategies for a Flourishing Career (2:20 – 3:10)

• how perfectionism fuels procrastination and undermines self-confidence
• strategies to shift your thinking so you can better manage stress and anxiety
• why setting boundaries can help you manage expectations

Bena Stock — Registered Clinical Counsellor, Bena Stock Counselling and Consulting, Vancouver (Note: Bena was a practising lawyer for 24 years before becoming a counsellor)

Concluding Remarks (3:10 – 3:20)

Su Forbes, KC — Chief Operating Officer, Lawyers Indemnity Fund, Vancouver
Maryanne Prohl — Director of Risk Management, Lawyers Indemnity Fund, Vancouver