SURREY BAR ASSOCIATION

Advancing the Practice of Law in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada

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  • Monday, February 12, 2024 2:16 PM | Anonymous

    LAST SITTING OF

    THE HONOURABLE JUDGE GARY COHEN

     

    THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2024

    COURTROOM 101 at 4:30 PM

    SURREY, BRITISH COLUMBIA

     

    ORDER OF CEREMONY

     

    1.    Call to Order

     2.    Remarks from:

     ·         The Honourable Chief Judge Melissa Gillespie (presiding)

    ·         The Honourable Regional Administrative Judge Rita Bowry

    ·         Douglas Robinson, KC, on behalf of the Canadian Bar Association

    ·         Sandy Thompson, Family Bar

    ·         Mike Fortino, BC Prosecution Services

    ·         Chris Johnson, KC, Defence Bar

    ·         Steven Point, UBC Chancellor, prior Lieutenant Governor of BC and judge of this court

     3.    Closing remarks by the Honourable Judge Gary Cohen

     

    Reception to follow at Occasions at the Pond Restaurant

     
  • Monday, January 29, 2024 2:06 PM | Anonymous

    The Surrey Bar Association would like to extend our congratulations to two SBA members who recently received the King's Counsel designation, Rubinder (Rob) Dhanu and Gurminder Sandhu!

    Rubinder Dhanu (2004) has vast expertise in criminal law, having worked both as a Crown prosecutor and defence attorney. His focus areas include drug, firearm and organized crime prosecutions, as well as representing victims of domestic and sexual violence. Dhanu has navigated all court levels, including the B.C. and Alberta Courts of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada. From initiating his own law group as a sole practitioner in Vancouver, he has expanded his practice with more than 20 legal professionals across Abbotsford and Surrey. He has also mentored numerous associates and students.

    Gurminder Sandhu (2000) is an experienced civil litigator practising throughout B.C. courts, focusing on general civil litigation, family law and insurance law. As a partner at his firm, Sandhu’s work covers various areas, including cases involving human rights issues, traumatic brain injuries and real estate disputes. He's a bencher of the Law Society of British Columbia since 2022 and served on the Federal Judicial Advisory Committee (B.C.) from 2021 to 2023.

    Read about all the KC appointees here.

  • Monday, January 29, 2024 1:55 PM | Anonymous

    Please welcome the new and returning SBA Executive for the 2024 year!

    • President: Joshua Krueger
    • Vice President: Chelsea Dubeau
    • Treasurer: Jatinder Singh Gill
    • Secretary: Gurleen Randhawa
    • Past President: Peter Buxton, KC
    • Directors at Large:
      • Gordon Kabanuk
      • Cheryl Stanley
      • Junki Hong
      • Zain Ali
      • Christie Gilmour
      • Spencer Hamade
      • Soleman Hashmi
      • Navdip Chhabra
      • Gurinder Cheema
      • Paul Kent
      • Joey Doyle
    Read the full profiles of our executive team here.


  • Friday, November 24, 2023 2:36 PM | Anonymous

    This has been a year of growth and engagement for the Surrey Bar Association.

    • We hosted “get togethers” in the spring, summer, and fall, including a very special event at one of the local wineries. These in-person events are particularly useful in increasing networking opportunities and providing informal interaction between members of the bench and practitioners.

      We entered year two of the Inns of Court Program with full enrolment and a wide variety of topics of discussion. We had dinners at the Morgan Creek Golf Course and wonderful presentations by experts in a wide variety of topics.  We thank the senior practitioners who volunteered their time and the judges that attended to provide a “view from the bench” on the subject matter. Many thanks to our committee members who made this a memorable experience.

      We decided to move our Bench and Bar Dinner back to its traditional time of year and we look forward to presenting it in the Spring of 2024.

      Our membership has remained constant, but we are working hard to expand it by providing innovative and relevant opportunities, including:

    • -       Lunch and learn opportunities,
    • -       Quarterly “get togethers”,
    • -       Expanded website interactions,
    • -       Providing a voice on the Surrey court Mental Health Committee, and
    • -       Managing the barristers’ lounge at the Surrey Provincial Court.

    I have enjoyed my time as your President, and I look forward to continued participation and work with the Surrey Bar Association.  I thank everyone who helped me in this task.

    Sincerely,

    Peter Buxton K.C.

    SBA President 2023.

  • Sunday, November 05, 2023 11:04 PM | Anonymous

    EMAIL AND DATES:

    This year’s direct deposit email is: 2023toyfund@gmail.com. The fundraiser runs from November 1, 2023 – December 4, 2023.

    PRACTICAL INFORMATION:

    A $30 deposit by e transfer to 2023toyfund@gmail.com gets an Indigenous child in care an age-appropriate Christmas gift. All funds go directly to purchasing, wrapping and delivering the toys for kids and gift cards for teens. Helps Law matches up to 100 gifts!

    INFORMATION:

    Thank you all for your participation in the past in the CBABC Aboriginal Lawyer’s Forum/Helps Law Corporation Christmas Toy Drive! I am immensely proud of, and grateful for, my astonishing community.

    I am so excited to announce that once again this year, I am asking for a $30 donation from individuals and organizations to buy a toy for an Indigenous child in care through the Vancouver Aboriginal Child and Family Services Society. This is the fourth year we’ve done this drive and every year, it is the highlight of my Christmas season.

    This year, I’m reaching out directly to you because much of our campaigning used to be done on social media, most notably twitter (now ‘X’). Unfortunately, despite more need than ever, social media engagement is at its lowest point since I started using the medium. I would be appreciative if you would pass on this information to your friends, family, colleagues and anyone who might be so moved to contribute.

    The world right now is very dark. People feel insignificant in the face of conflicts, slaughter, and war. I remember being very much in that same place in 2017 when Isabel Jackson, KC, then the head of ALF, spoke at a Canadian Bar Association BC Branch. When she said there were children in our community going without for Christmas, I felt better because I knew there was something I could do – you can’t do something about everything, but, as my best friend always says, you can do what is within your reach. Children not getting Christmas gifts in our community? We can do something about that!

    Vancouver Aboriginal Child and Family Services (VACFSS) is an Indigenous led organization that ensures the well-being of Indigenous children and youth who have come into a continuing care order. They are the sole provider of MCFD services to the Indigenous community in Vancouver. Their work is crucial to reducing the numbers of Indigenous youth in care through a commitment of developing child specific lifelong plans with an emphasis on returning to family, extended family and community and secondly to ensuring that those children that are leaving the system are doing so with a strong Indigenous identity and a leadership vision of their future.

    The toys supplied go straight to VACFSS on December 10 this year, and each of the children or teens under their ambit will receive a gift, as will the families for food luxury. I am so proud to support VACFSS, and we work hand in hand with them to ensure we are meeting their needs.

    Our toy sponsor, Granville Island Toy Company, has joined us again! Joanna, Tanyth and their team select the toys based on age group and popularity (they never give us their dead stock; last year, Barbies and Lego and Playmobil were all included!), give us a 10% discount and wrap and deliver the toys for us in time for the VACFSS banquet and distribution. They are our secret weapon and we’d be hard pressed to do it all without them. Granville Island Toy Company is a small, woman-owned local business so every penny we give them also comes back into our community. I encourage you to patronize them (I bought all my nephews toys from them last year!) as they are, truly, a beacon in our community.

    Last year, we raised $11,200, which paid for more than 200 toys, 50 HappyTeen gift cards of $50 each, 50 President’s Choice gift cards at $50 each for food luxury for the families and 30 Walmart gift cards of $50 each for special needs families who had household need. A small leftover amount was donated to the Native Education Centre.

    Helps Law collects the funds, deposits them into a separate account and then distributes the funds based on the direct feedback from VACFSS about their need. We keep accountable by posting tallies and receipts on twitter, facebook and sending those accountings to VACFSS and ALF. We do not give charitable receipts, but I can certainly send you an email acknowledging your donation should you need it, and Helps Law derives no benefit or taxation status from doing this fundraiser – we just cover the costs and match up to 100 gifts.

    Please do not hesitate to contact me for any information. You guys! It’s the most wonderful time of the year – let’s make sure everyone in need can say the same to their kids. Please pass this email on!!!

    With love and gratitude,

    Lisa

    HELPS LAW CORPORATION


  • Wednesday, October 25, 2023 5:01 PM | Anonymous

    The Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC), an interdisciplinary and international association of professionals dedicated to the resolution of family conflict, is establishing a BC Chapter.  An inaugural event will be held 12:30 pm on November 14, 2023 via Zoom, with Professor Nicholas Bala presenting the BC Parenting Plan Template with a following discussion with Prof. Bala and Judges Ferriss and Guild.  For information on this event and membership please click here.

  • Wednesday, June 07, 2023 1:13 PM | Anonymous

    Surrey Bench and Bar come together to form Inns of Court

    In late 2019/early 2020, a group of lawyers and judges in British Columbia’s fastest growing municipality, Surrey, recognized the need to connect the judiciary and senior counsel with the junior bar to provide mentorship and professional development opportunities.  From there the development of the Surrey Inns of Court program quickly took off through a partnership with the Surrey Bar Association and the local judiciary. However, when the COVID-19 pandemic struck and in person training events ceased, the formal Inns program went on hiatus. Not being deterred, the group quickly pivoted and successfully managed to deliver online advocacy training sessions to local lawyers with the help of some experienced presenters. These events were well attended and solidified the need for the Inns program in Surrey.

    When pandemic restrictions eased, the Inns program was revived with the inaugural meeting in September 2022.  From September 2022 to March 2023, a cohort comprised of lawyers under 6 years call from all practice areas met monthly with volunteer mentor Provincial Court judges and senior practitioners for evenings filled with conversation on topics related to legal ethics, practice management, expert witnesses, trial advocacy and professional responsibility.  With the support of the Office of the Chief Judge, participants were also given an opportunity to practice their direct and cross-examination skills in a courtroom setting, afterhours, with the benefit of feedback from a judge and senior lawyer.  Each monthly meeting was designed to stimulate conversation between the mentor judges, senior lawyers, and the participants over a meal in a relaxed and friendly environment. When the program’s 2022 session ended, it was clear that it was a resounding success and filled a need within the local bar. Feedback was provided by the participants:

    “I appreciated the opportunity to practice conducting a cross-examination and direct examination in front of several judges and senior members of the bar.  These mentors took the time to provide meaningful feedback tailored to each participant.  Although the cross-examination and direct examination were based on a criminal law fact pattern, the practical tips that I learned during this session are equally applicable to the civil context.”

    “What I enjoyed most of all was the informal table conversations, where we had opportunities to ask questions and hear from senior counsel and judges, and just get to know them on a more personal level.  A lot of the learning for me happened during those table conversations.”

    “I believe that the collegiality of the Inns of Court Program is a very useful thing for younger lawyers.  A relaxed and friendly environment, and the sharing of a meal with mentors and judges creates an atmosphere that fosters learning on a variety of topics relevant to the practice of law. The fact that a quest speaker/expert presents on a different topic at each dinner also gives insight into how that topic applies in practice.”

    “The Surrey Inns of Court program was a phenomenal opportunity to connect with other members of our profession, and to pick the brains of some of Surrey’s senior counsel and members of the Bench. While each session was full of practical information, having an opportunity to practice direct/cross examination (and receive feedback) in front of a Judge was an invaluable experience - we so rarely get a “test run” in our profession!”

    “Coming out of COVID, it was such a pleasure to be able to connect in person with colleagues around my year of call. It was also great to have guest judges and speakers attending both to share their knowledge and perspective, but also to make the courtroom a little less intimidating. It was a good and low-stakes environment to ask questions without being worried about being judged or messing something up mid-trial.”

    A group of people posing for a photo Description automatically generated

    Because of its success, the decision was made to carry on with the Inns program and a call for expressions of interest to the local bar has been made for the 2023-2024 season. Thank you to all who volunteered their time to enrich the learning of the participants and build the collegiality of the bench and bar in Surrey!

  • Monday, June 05, 2023 8:54 PM | Anonymous

    Another successful Battle of the Bar Bands raised over $168,000.00 for the CBC (BC) Benevolent Society that provides emergency funding to lawyers, students and their families in times of crisis when no other resources are available. 

    Congratulations to the Vancouver band "Still Living at Home" for winning the 2023 competition.

    But most importantly, A HUGE THANK YOU to our local bar and others for your support!


    As a result of your incredible generosity, our local band Crown Jewels was able to sell over 230 tickets and in combination raise over $40,000.00 for the Benevolent Fund!  Much of that support came from our local small firms and individual lawyers.  Well done!!  

    The SBA and Crown Jewels wishes to thank all who purchased tickets and acknowledge the following firms and individuals for their financial support:


        

    Joseph M. Prodor 

    Jack Hittrich

    Leo Fumano 

    David Ferguson 

    Dale Melville 

    Paul McMurray 

    David Milburn 

    Julie Grenier 

    Jordan Allingham

    Allen Goldin 

    Harbir Rehlan 

    Ranjit Randawa 

    David Karp 

    Kristy Neurauter 

    Kevin Westell 

    Mike Klein 

    Gail Barnes 

    Vince Michaels 

    Abdul Abdulmalik 

    Mark Swartz

    Aman Jaswal

    Diana Davidson 

    Nima Sahebi

    Hovan Patey 

    Zack Myers 

    Darrel Schultz 

    Guillaume Garih 

    Mark Berry 

    Casey St. Germain 

    Justin Dosanjh 

    Jeff Ray 

    Mark Gervin 

    Edison Heba

    The Muldoon Family 

    Brian Coleman

    Gordon Kabanuk

    Brian Shaw

    Vanessa Soon


  • Wednesday, January 18, 2023 11:38 PM | Anonymous

    We are looking forward to a great 2023 and have elected a new executive to serve the SBA!  

    In particular we are pleased to announce Peter Buxton KC as our new President.  Peter has a long history with the SBA going back to its earliest days and we are privileged to have him return to serve on our Executive. Check out Peter's profile and the rest of our crew here.

    If you have any suggestions for ways the SBA may engage with our local legal community, please do not hesitate to reach out to any one of our executive members.

  • Thursday, December 01, 2022 4:20 PM | Anonymous
    • What an interesting year it’s been! As we gradually re-emerged following the immense challenges of COVID, the SBA moved back from an online world to what we love the most: in person social gatherings, networking, friendships and mentoring.  In addition to “get togethers” in April, May, June, and October, 2022 saw the full official launch of our very own “Inns of Court for Surrey” – a sold out mentoring program established in the long- standing inherited tradition of fostering meaningful mentoring relationships between junior lawyers and experienced counsel and judges.  Thank you to all the judges and senior lawyers who have given of their time and expertise along the local law firms that came alongside in sponsorship! 

      This year also saw the return of our very own Annual Bench & Bar Dinner after a 3- year hiatus!  We were able to once again, enjoy an evening together reconnecting as friends and colleagues and welcoming additions to our local Bench.

      The SBA continues to:

    • inform and provide a voice regarding issues impacting our local legal community through our website and emails; 
    • offer CPDs;
    • participate in the Surrey Provincial Court Users Committee and the Surrey Court Mental Health Committee;
    • promote access to justice and sponsor initiatives (ie Access Pro Bono);
    • manage and support the Barrister’s Lounge at the Surrey Courthouse; and
    • look for ways to serve our local legal community.

    I have thoroughly enjoyed working with this wonderful organization as President (once again) this past year, and wish to thank our members, hard-working executive, and partners in the local bar and judiciary for another successful year.

    Gordon K. Kabanuk
    SBA President 2022

     

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