White Collar Crime 2026

Course Chairs
David Hainey — Crown Counsel, BC Ministry of Attorney General, Vancouver
Nils C.M. Preshaw — Kornfeld LLP, Vancouver

About the Course Chairs
David Hainey is Crown Counsel with the BC Prosecution Service, where he prosecutes complex criminal matters with a particular focus on financial crime, securities offences, and police oversight. His securities enforcement experience spans criminal, quasi-criminal and administrative proceedings, including insider trading and market manipulation. He also handles cases involving cryptocurrency and digital assets.

Before joining the Crown, David practised at McCarthy Tétrault in Toronto and Vancouver, where his work included civil and commercial litigation, administrative law, and criminal defence. He subsequently served as enforcement counsel with the BC Securities Commission.

David is chair of the Criminal Justice Section of the CBA, BC Branch, and past co-chair of its Securities Law and Administrative Law Sections.

Nils Preshaw is an experienced litigator who spent the first 12 years of his career as a Crown prosecutor. During those years, he had a heavy trial schedule that included general criminal, conspiracy, drug trafficking, and large wiretap project trials.

Nils has conducted numerous provincial and superior court trials in both BC and Alberta as well as appeals before the Courts of Appeal in both provinces. During his time as a Crown prosecutor, Nils worked on matters involving CSIS, the RCMP, CBSA, CRA, IRS, and Interpol.

In 2008, Nils began focusing on complex fraud litigation. In 2014, he started his own practice representing clients throughout Western Canada in diverse trial matters ranging from charges of murder and dangerous offender designations to complex civil fraud. While out on his own Nils continued to represent the Crown as an agent in both complex tax prosecutions and the defense of RCMP officers in civil litigation. In 2018, Nils joined Kornfeld's litigation department where he continues trial work with a particular focus on cases involving large commercial fraud. Nils has taught prospective law students an LSAT prep course, lectured to CRA Investigators about Cross Examination; to commercial fraud specialists about Corporate Witnesses and has been a guest lecturer for the Law Society of BC's Bar Admission Course.

Nils is an avid cyclist, rock climber, and skier.

Full Agenda to follow!