Psychological, Psychiatric & Neuropsychological Evidence in Civil Litigation 2023

Course Chairs
David Eleff — Sugden, McFee & Roos LLP, Vancouver
Dianna Hwang — Alexander Holburn Beaudin + Lang LLP, Vancouver
Michael D. Shirreff — Sugden, McFee & Roos LLP, Vancouver

About the Course Chairs
David Eleff is a partner at Sugden, McFee & Roos LLP. He was born and raised in Manitoba, where he was called to the bar in 2009, practicing at a leading boutique criminal defence firm before moving out west in 2011. He has practised litigation since landing in Vancouver primarily in personal injury (plaintiffs only), representing clients before all levels of court. David also regularly acts on matters involving professional regulation.

David has been nominated as a leading lawyer in Best Lawyers for 2023 in the areas of medical negligence and personal injury litigation.

Outside of the practice of law, David enjoys spending time with his young family, playing tennis, hockey, and running the trails of North Vancouver.

Dianna Hwang is a Partner at Alexander Holburn. Her practice is primarily litigation-based with an emphasis in the area of Health Law. She represents Health Authorities, hospitals, and nurses in medical negligence claims. She also advises Health Authorities on quality assurance matters. In addition to her Health Law practice, she also regularly provides representation to municipalities in local government claims and lawyers in solicitor's negligence claims.

She is a member of the Medical Legal Society of BC and Health Law CBA Subsection.  She is recognized by the Best Lawyers in Canada and the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory in the area of Medical Negligence.

Mike Shirreff is a partner at Sugden, McFee & Roos LLP. He has practised litigation in Vancouver for almost 20 years, appearing before all levels of court, as well as various administrative tribunals. 

Mike has been recognized as a leading lawyer in Best Lawyers and Benchmark Canada.  Although his practice is varied and broad, he regularly acts for plaintiffs in personal injury actions.

Featured Speaker
The Honourable Madam Justice Mary E. Saunders — BC Court of Appeal, Vancouver

Faculty
Peter Collins — Harris & Brun Law Corporation, Vancouver
Professor Jocelyn Downie — Faculty of Law, Dalhousie University, Halifax
Dr. Michael Eleff — Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg
Kimberly J. Jakeman, KC — Harper Grey LLP, Vancouver
Dr. Mel Kaushansky — Director, Kaushansky and Associates, Vancouver
Dr. Susan Lazar — Psychiatrist, Vancouver 
Dr. Judy Le Page — Psychologist, Vancouver
Dr. Larissa Mead-Wescott, PhD, ABPP, RPsych (she/hers) — North Shore Neuropsychology, West Vancouver 
Farzana Mohamed — Mackoff Mohamed, Vancouver
Dr. Sheila Patton — General and Forensic Psychiatrist, Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, UBC, Vancouver
Nicholas Peterson — Collins Peterson LLP, Vancouver
Dr. Derryck H. Smith — Clinical Professor Emeritus, Department of Psychiatry, UBC, Vancouver

Click here for full faculty bios

Course Introduction and Land Acknowledgement (9:00 – 9:05)

Raymond Lee — Program Lawyer, CLEBC, Vancouver
David Eleff — Sugden, McFee & Roos LLP, Vancouver
Dianna Hwang — Alexander Holburn Beaudin + Lang LLP, Vancouver
Michael D. Shirreff — Sugden, McFee & Roos LLP, Vancouver

Forensic Psychiatric Experts: Roles, Ethics, and Biases (9:05 – 9:45)

Dr. Sheila Patton — General and Forensic Psychiatrist, Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, UBC, Vancouver

Transition Break (9:45 – 9:50)

Neuropsychological Assessments (9:50 – 10:35)

Dr. Mel Kaushansky — Director, Kaushansky and Associates, Vancouver

Transition Break (10:35 – 10:40)

Cross-examination of Psychiatric and Neuropsychological Experts (10:40 – 11:25)

Peter Collins — Harris & Brun Law Corporation, Vancouver

Transition Break (11:25 – 11:30)

Therapeutic Modalities for Treatment of Chronic Pain (11:30 – 12:15)

Dr. Judy Le Page — Psychologist, Vancouver

LUNCH with Featured Speaker (12:15 – 1:30)

Expertise—The Moving Target (presentation and Q&A: appoximately 12:30 – 1:00) 

The Honourable Madam Justice Mary E. Saunders — BC Court of Appeal, Vancouver

Medical Assistance in Dying: The Legal and Medical Evolution of MAID Law in Canada (1:30 – 2:15)

Dr. Derryck H. Smith — Psychiatrist, Vancouver

Transition Break (2:15 – 2:20)

Medical Assistance in Dying: What's on the Horizon (2:20 – 3:20)

Moderator: David Eleff — Sugden, McFee & Roos LLP, Vancouver
Professor Jocelyn Downie — Faculty of Law, Dalhousie University, Halifax
Dr. Michael Eleff — Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg
Kimberly J. Jakeman, KC — Harper Grey LLP, Vancouver
Dr. Derryck H. Smith — Psychiatrist, Vancouver

Transition Break (3:20 – 3:30)

Psychiatric and Neuropsychological Evidence at Trial (3:30 – 4:25)

Moderator: Dianna Hwang — Alexander Holburn Beaudin + Lang LLP, Vancouver
Dr. Susan Lazar — Psychiatrist, Vancouver 
Dr. Larissa Mead-Wescott, PhD, ABPP, RPsych (she/hers) — North Shore Neuropsychology, West Vancouver
Farzana Mohamed — Mackoff Mohamed, Vancouver
Nicholas Peterson — Collins Peterson LLP, Vancouver

Concluding Remarks (4:25 – 4:30)

David Eleff — Sugden, McFee & Roos LLP, Vancouver
Dianna Hwang — Alexander Holburn Beaudin + Lang LLP, Vancouver
Michael D. Shirreff — Sugden, McFee & Roos LLP, Vancouver