Firm overview
Hunter Litigation Chambers has been consistently recognized as one of the premier firms in British Columbia practicing in the field of dispute resolution. The senior counsel have developed their reputations as leading litigation and arbitration counsel during their respective tenures at some of Canada’s leading corporate/commercial law firms. Randy Kaardal Q.C., Bill Smart, Q.C., Michael Stephens, Mark Oulton, Brent Olthuis and Claire Hunter, Q.C. have consistently been identified in peer-reviewed publications as leading counsel in various litigation-related categories. Bill Smart Q.C. is a Fellow of both the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Society of Barristers. Randy Kaardal, Q.C. and Claire Hunter, Q.C. are both Fellows of the Litigation Counsel of America.
The firm’s experience is enhanced by Associate Counsel Martin Taylor, Q.C., one of Canada’s leading counsel and adjudicators over the past 40 years.
Hunter Litigation Chambers has the depth and capability to handle the full range of commercial litigation, arbitration, product liability, aboriginal, administrative, labour and employment, public law litigation, and criminal and quasi-criminal matters. In addition to their trial level practice, counsel from the firm appear regularly in the British Columbia Court of Appeal, Supreme Court of Canada, and in the federal courts, including the Federal Court of Appeal and Tax Court of Canada. Our senior lawyers are experienced appellate counsel and often provide specialized appellate services to lawyers whose practices are primarily at the trial level.
The firm embraces a strong commitment to professional and academic excellence with many of its lawyers having clerked for justices of the superior courts of Canada, including the Supreme Court of Canada.
Commercial Litigation is a primary practice area for Hunter Litigation Chambers. All of the counsel in the firm practice in this area. In addition to the experience of our senior lawyers, our junior and intermediate counsel are developing strong reputations as competent and creative commercial counsel. The firm is able to assemble a team capable of handling commercial matters of any size and complexity.
Class Actions – Michael Stephens, Brent Olthuis and Claire Hunter, Q.C. have extensive experience in the field.
Products Liability – Counsel from Hunter Litigation Chambers have a history of handling a variety of complex products liability matters involving failed or allegedly dangerous products. Our cases have involved aircraft components, oil field equipment, machinery, roofing materials and motor vehicles. In addition, we have acted for
pharmaceutical companies and handled cases involving allegedly defective medical devices and other allegedly dangerous products including tobacco.
Arbitration – Randy Kaardal, Q.C. and Michael Stephens have acted as arbitration counsel in several commercial matters and also as litigation counsel in cases arising out of arbitration proceedings, including the leading case on judicial review of arbitral decisions.
Administrative and Public Law – The firm has a diverse public law practice, which includes acting for and against provincial and federal administrative tribunals and ministries in judicial review proceedings, administrative appeals, marketing board proceedings, constitutional challenges, and permit hearings.
Randy Kaardal Q.C. has broad experience in public law disputes, with an emphasis in human rights and employment disputes, and representing public bodies and professional regulatory tribunals. He has extensive experience in judicial review proceedings. Michael Stephens is an annual contributor to the Continuing Legal Education’s Annual Review of Law and Practice in the area of Administrative Law, and has experience before administrative tribunals and courts in judicial review proceedings. Claire Hunter, Q.C. has an active marketing board practice and has acted in a wide variety of legal challenges to administrative decisions. Randy Kaardal, Q.C., Bill Smart Q.C., and Brent Olthuis have experience practicing before professional regulatory tribunals, including representation of both professional associations and their members.
Aboriginal Law – Counsel from Hunter Litigation Chambers have been in the forefront of the development of a body of Aboriginal Law in British Columbia, representing industry and government in responding to claims of Aboriginal rights and title.
Forestry Law – Mark Oulton heads the forestry law practice at Hunter Litigation Chambers. Mr. Oulton regularly represents licensees and other companies and individuals in matters before the Forest Appeals Commission, the British Columbia Supreme Court, and the British Columbia Court of Appeal.
Labour and Employment Law – The firm’s labour and employment practice is headed by Randy Kaardal Q.C. who has over 25 years of experience handling labour and employment matters. The labour and employment practice is supported by Paul Heisler, who has over 10 years of experience handling all matters arising in the labour and employment field. Mr. Kaardal and Mr. Heisler, together with a talented group of associates, have been counsel on many of the leading decisions in British Columbia related to employment law, labour law, and human rights law. The firm’s labour and employment practice is broad-based, dealing with the full spectrum of issues arising out of the employment relationship in both union and non-union environments.
Criminal and Regulatory Law – Hunter Litigation Chambers has developed a broad-based criminal law and regulatory practice that includes prosecutions under the Criminal Code as well as various other federal and provincial statutes and regulations. The firm is also retained from time to time by the Crown to act on its behalf. Bill Smart, Q.C. has over 35 years of experience appearing in trial courts on criminal law and regulatory cases and has been a member of faculty of the Federation of Law Societies National Criminal Law Program for the last 30 years. Brent Olthuis also appears regularly in criminal cases in all levels of court in the province.
Last updated Jan 2020
