Civil Litigation Basics for Legal Support Staff


Course Date: June 5, 2003

Welcome and Introduction

John S. Logan — Jenkins Marzban Logan LLP, Vancouver
Douglas R. Sanders — Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, Vancouver

So You Think Your Documents are Perfect?: Rethinking Your Tendering Documents

  • The Perfect Plan – setting your goals
  • The Perfect Trap Door – exclusion and discretion clauses
  • The Imperfect Bidder – power to accept non-compliant bids
  • The Perfect Storm – different considerations for public owners?
  • The Perfect Words – shall vs. should
  • When Imperfection Strikes – post-closing negotiations

John S. Logan — Jenkins Marzban Logan LLP, Vancouver
Douglas R. Sanders — Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, Vancouver

Networking Break

Consultant Contracts: Standard Forms, Proposal Letters, and Napkin Agreements

  • defining the scope of professional services
  • contract administration and exposure for negligence
  • limitation of liability clauses
  • standard form contracts—CCAC Document 6 and ACEC Document 31
  • effect of revised standard form contracts on Document 6 and Document 31

John S. Haythorne — Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP, Vancouver
Robert A. Hodgins — Singleton Urquhart LLP, Vancouver

Lunch (on your own)

A Gourmet's Guide to Dispute Resolution in the Construction Industry

  • the whine list—selecting the process to match the beef
  • designing the menu—tips for tasteful drafting and rule selection
  • the multi-course meal—a tiered regime sampler
  • uninvited guests—multi-party problems
  • flies in the soup—builders’ liens
  • when service is slow—avoiding delay
  • the bill—keeping costs down

Gerald W.J. Ghikas, QC — Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, Vancouver
Karen Martin — Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP, Vancouver

Networking Break

Construction Mistakes: What They Are and How Not to Make Them

  • builders’ lien traps
  • misuse of experts
  • failure to properly make and maintain bond and insurance claims
  • failure to properly advise on contractual notice provisions
  • what to do if you may have made a mistake

Blair A. Rebane — Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, Vancouver 
Edna M. Ritchie — Lawyers Insurance Fund, Law Society of BC, Vancouver
Donald A. Thompson — Jenkins Marzban Logan LLP, Vancouver