CLE Online

Day 1: Thursday, February 22, 2018

Welcome and Introduction

File Opening

A.   Dealing with Your Client 

• matter selection and rejection — the most important step of any file
• cementing the relationship and creating achievable expectations
• fee arrangements that work for you and the client

Art Vertlieb, QC — Vertlieb & Co., Vancouver

B.   Creating and Managing a Litigation File 

• preliminary review and opinion
• accepting instructions and educating the client
• preparing an effective and useful chronology
• smoking out your opponent's case
• crafting a winning theory of the case and brief of law
• assembling an efficient and winning team—everyone has a place in the sun
• managing good and bad news

Art Vertlieb, QC — Vertlieb & Co., Vancouver

Drafting Pleadings and Affidavits

A.   Pleadings 

• overview of pleadings
• do's and don'ts of pleadings
• matters which must be specifically plead

Wendy A. Baker, QC — Miller Thomson LLP, Vancouver

B.   Affidavits 

• when to use an affidavit
• basic substantive and procedural requirements
• the do's and don'ts of affidavit drafting

John Douglas Shields — Shields Harney, Vancouver

Break

Chambers Applications 

• materials
• presentations
• authorities
• short form and special leave applications
• the do's and don'ts of chambers practice

Master Shelagh Scarth — Supreme Court of BC, Vancouver 

Discovery

A.   Discovery and e-Discovery 

• discovery of documents
• document production and the scope of production under Rule 7-1
• importance of the pleadings in document production
• practical steps and procedures for preparing lists and organizing documents

Graham J. Underwood — Legal Services Branch, Ministry of Attorney General, Victoria

B.   Examination for Discovery

• preparing your client for discovery
• preparing to examine the opposing side
• effective techniques on examination for discovery
• objections on discovery
• concluding and adjourning the discovery

Lyle G. Harris, QC — Harris & Brun Law Corporation, Vancouver 

Lunch (on your own)

Mediation 

• mediation strategy and advocacy
• drafting mediation briefs
• preparing your client for mediation

Mark L. Tweedy — Mark Tweedy Mediation+Arbitration, Vancouver

Privilege 

• how to recognize and protect documents protected by solicitor-client privilege and solicitor-brief privilege
• how to make or defend an application for disclosure of documents for which privilege have been claimed

Mark G. Underhill — Arvay Finlay LLP, Vancouver

Break

Professionalism and Practice Management 

A.   Dealing with Self-Represented Litigants 

• issues unique to self-represented litigants
• practical practice tips

Andrew P. Morrison — Shields Harney, Vancouver

B.   Under the Covers

• claims and activities that the LSBC insurance program compulsory policy covers
• risks the compulsory policy doesn't cover, such as trust shortages caused by fraudsters and thieves
• commercial liability insurance products that help protect you from those risks

Coran Cooper-Stephenson — Claims Counsel, Lawyers Insurance Fund, Vancouver
Maryanne Prohl — Claims Counsel, Lawyers Insurance Fund, Vancouver

C.   Code of Professional Conduct 

• duties to your client
  • duty of confidence
  • duty of loyalty
• duties to state and court
  • not to mislead (evidence and authorities)
  • preparation of affidavits
  • expert's reports
• duties to other lawyers
  • default proceedings
  • adjournment requests
  • communicating with the court
  • undertakings

Lisa Martz — Gudmundseth Mickelson LLP, Vancouver 

Day 2: Friday, February 23, 2018

Preparing For and Conducting Trial

A.   Organizing Your Evidence (Including Documents) 

• knowing your case, investigate, fact finding, chronology, and theory of the case
• relevance
• admissibility 
• persuasiveness
• order of witnesses
• discovery evidence
• books of documents
• document agreements

Shannon Ramsay — Hunter Litigation Chambers, Vancouver

Preparing for Direct and Cross Examination

   Direct Examination

• preparation: what evidence can this witness give that will help my case
• documentary review
• interview
• minutes of evidence
• preparing the witness to give evidence, the process, documents, and exhibits
• conducting direct examination; keep it simple
• checklists

   Cross Examination 

• is a cross-examination necessary?
• what can you get from the witness that will help your case?
  
• what evidence has the witness given that you want or need to challenge?
• exposing liars vs. blunting the sword
• courtesy
• the rule in Brown. v. Dunn

Luciana P. Brasil — Branch MacMaster LLP, Vancouver 

Break

Opening and Argument 

• the purposes of opening and closing statements
• the elements of an effective opening statement
• the elements of an effective closing submission
• what not to do and pitfalls to avoid

Kevin D. Loo — Nathanson, Schachter & Thompson LLP, Vancouver

Obtaining and Using Admissions (Including Discovery Evidence) 

• the notice to admit 
• reading in discovery evidence
• documentary proof — The Evidence Act
• using discovery evidence in cross examination

Christopher E. Hirst — Alexander Holburn Beaudin + Lang LLP, Vancouver

Finding and Instructing Expert Witnesses 

• how to find an expert witness
• ethical issues concerning preparation of reports and production of an expert's file
• maximing the utility of your experts
• cross examination of experts

Howard A. Mickelson, QC — Gudmundseth Mickelson LLP, Vancouver

Lunch (provided)

Litigation Practice: The View From the Bench 

The Honourable Mr. Justice G. Bruce Butler — Supreme Court of BC, Vancouver

Trial and Case Management: Rules and Strategies 

• what is trial and case management
• the role of the judge
• the role of counsel
• making trial and case management work for you

Hunter Parsons — Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, Vancouver

Summary Trials 

• what type of case is appropriate for a summary trial
• organizing the evidence
• tactical considerations

Leslie J. Mackoff — Mackoff Mohamed, Vancouver

Wrapping It Up 

• preparing orders, judgements, and costs
• releases and covenants not to sue
• releasing only some of a group of defendants
• settlement documentation and procedure
• the Health Care Costs Recovery Act
• revisiting matters with the trial judge
• The Public and Guardian and Trustee and infant settlements
• enforcement of judgments
• conducting an examination in aid of execution

David W. Pilley — Harper Grey LLP, Vancouver

Advocacy Practice Panel

The Honourable Mr. Justice G. Bruce Butler — Supreme Court of BC, Vancouver 
Howard A. Mickelson, QC — Gudmundseth Mickelson LLP, Vancouver
K. Michael Stephens — Hunter Litigation Chambers, Vancouver

Concluding Remarks