Commercial Litigation 2023

Course Chairs
Brent Olthuis, KC — Olthuis van Ert, Vancouver
Taylor-Marie Young — Rush Ihas Hardwick LLP, Kelowna

About the Course Chairs
Brent Olthuis is a principal at Olthuis van Ert in Vancouver, practising in the areas of civil, commercial, administrative, and constitutional law. Brent is a fellow of the International Society of Barristers and is identified in a number of independent guides as a leading counsel. He was part of the 2022 cohort of King's Counsel, announced in early May 2023.

Brent serves on the CLEBC board of directors and is a frequent contributor at CPD events. He has published peer-reviewed articles in the fields of Aboriginal law, tort law, administrative law and criminal practice, and is the author of the professional conduct chapter in a leading text on the practice of law in Canada.

Taylor-Marie Young is a litigator with a broad civil practice at the trial and appellate level, focused namely on corporate and commercial litigation. She routinely represents clients on a wide range of issues, including shareholder remedies, property, contract, and other business-related disputes. She is also experienced in litigating trust issues at the intersection of commercial and estate law, as well as estate litigation more broadly.

Taylor-Marie is a partner with Rush Ihas Hardwick LLP, a boutique commercial litigation firm, which she joined in 2016 after practicing with a leading insurance defence firm in Vancouver. She is a graduate of Thompson Rivers University and the University of Victoria, holding degrees in journalism, a Master of Arts in linguistics, and a Juris Doctor in law. As a member of the inaugural class of Thompson Rivers University's Faculty of Law, Taylor-Marie has the distinct honour of being the recipient of the Law Society of British Columbia Gold Medal.

Taylor-Marie regularly contributes to CLE publications and presentations because she is committed to her own practice development and sees mentorship as a cornerstone to the practice of law.

Faculty
The Honourable Mr. Justice David A. Crerar — Supreme Court of BC, Vancouver
Greg Allen — Allen/McMillan Litigation Counsel, Vancouver
Chilwin Cheng — Ascendion Law, Vancouver 
Andrew Crabtree — Crabtree Law, West Vancouver
Michael Feder, KC — McCarthy Tétrault LLP, Vancouver
Malcolm B. Funt — Bojm, Funt & Gibbons LLP, Vancouver
Claire E. Hunter, KC — Hunter Litigation Chambers, Vancouver 
Devin Lucas — Kornfeld LLP, Vancouver
Jeff Robinson — Rush Ihas Hardwick LLP, Kelowna
Peter R. Senkpiel, KC — Nathanson, Schacter & Thompson LLP, Vancouver
Laésha J. Smith — Poulus Ensom Smith LLP, Vancouver
Kayla K. Strong — Nathanson, Schacter & Thompson LLP, Vancouver
Scott A. Turner — Turner & Co., Vancouver

Course Materials Contributors
Jordan Kreml — Rush Ihas Hardwick LLP, Kelowna
Faith Liedl Pierce — Bojm, Funt & Gibbons LLP, Vancouver
Simone Penney — Hunter Litigation Chambers, Vancouver 

Click here for full faculty bios

Course Introduction and Land Acknowledgement (9:00 – 9:10)

Raymond Lee — Program Lawyer, CLEBC, Vancouver
Brent Olthuis, KC — Olthuis van Ert, Vancouver
Taylor-Marie Young — Rush Ihas Hardwick LLP, Kelowna

Special Topics in Ethics and Practice Management (9:10 – 9:45)

The Honourable Mr. Justice David A. Crerar — Supreme Court of BC, Vancouver
Michael Feder, KC — McCarthy Tétrault LLP, Vancouver
Brent Olthuis, KC — Olthuis van Ert, Vancouver

BREAK (9:45 – 9:50)

Pleading Fraud, Breach of Fiduciary Duties, and Other Common Claims (9:50 – 10:50)

Claire E. Hunter, KC — Hunter Litigation Chambers, Vancouver 
Devin Lucas — Kornfeld LLP, Vancouver
Laésha J. Smith — Poulus Ensom Smith LLP, Vancouver

BREAK (10:50 – 11:00)

Damages and Equitable Relief (11:00 – 11:55)

Chilwin Cheng — Ascendion Law, Vancouver 
Scott A. Turner — Turner & Co., Vancouver

LUNCH (11:55 – 1:00)

Summary Trials (1:00 – 2:00)

Greg Allen — Allen/McMillan Litigation Counsel, Vancouver

BREAK (2:00 – 2:05)

Shareholder Remedies (2:05 – 3:05)

Andrew Crabtree — Crabtree Law, West Vancouver
Peter R. Senkpiel, KC — Nathanson, Schacter & Thompson LLP, Vancouver
Kayla K. Strong — Nathanson, Schacter & Thompson LLP, Vancouver
Taylor-Marie Young — Rush Ihas Hardwick LLP, Kelowna

BREAK (3:05 – 3:15)

Urgent Relief: Injunctions and Certificates of Pending Litigation (3:15 – 3:55)

Malcolm B. Funt — Bojm, Funt & Gibbons LLP, Vancouver
Jeff Robinson — Rush Ihas Hardwick LLP, Kelowna

Closing Questions and Comments (3:55 – 4:00)

Brent Olthuis, KC — Olthuis van Ert, Vancouver
Taylor-Marie Young — Rush Ihas Hardwick LLP, Kelowna