Losing your job is traumatic. The stress of worrying about your future can be compounded if your employer is pressuring you to sign a release or telling you what you can and cannot do about your situation. However, you should know that as an employee you do have rights and if you find yourself in the unfortunate situation of having your employment terminated it can help you cope and make plans if you have advice on your rights and options from an experienced employment law lawyer.
Nobody likes to go to court. However, if you have to take your case to court, the following results show that Harris & Brun Law Corporation has one of the finest lineups of courtroom lawyers in the province, perhaps even in the whole country. The following successes of Harris & Brun trial lawyers are documented in chronological order. As you will see from these results, our trial lawyers are equally adept at succeeding for defendants and plaintiffs. In Sherrell v. ICBC, 2019 BCSC 103, a case which was defended by Lyle Harris, the plaintiff sued ICBC for a declaration that…
Harris & Brun Law Corporation is proud to announce that Jennifer Brun was elected Secretary Treasurer of the Canadian Bar Association British Columbia Branch (“CBABC”) at the June 2018 CBABC Provincial Council meeting. Jennifer’s election speech from the June 2018 Provincial Council meeting was as follows: I would like to start by thanking Tina and Sarah for their support of my candidacy for Secretary Treasurer. I have very much enjoyed serving with each of them on the Executive over the past year and I will miss their contributions and companionship. Since 2005, I have served the CBA both provincially and…
July 10, 2018, was a very special day at Harris Brun Law Corporation. Robert C. Brun, Q.C. was called to the Bar 40 years earlier on July 10, 1978. July 10, 1978, was a Monday. The President of the USA was Jimmy Carter. The Prime Minister of Canada was Pierre Trudeau. In the UK, “You’re The One That I Want” by John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John was topping the charts. The #1 song in the US was “Shadow Dancing” by Andy Gibb. As a courageous five-year Call, Robert joined forces with Lyle G. Harris, Q.C. (who celebrated his 40 years…
The character of a law firm is the sum of the character of the individuals of the firm. A good yardstick to measure character is to ask: What do you do with your spare time? Do you pursue activities that result solely in your self-fulfillment? Or do you do something that “gives back” to your community? At HBLC, we have many people who spend a large portion of their time giving back to their community. Two of our paralegals are volunteers to a legal society called Amici Curiae. One of them, who speaks the Philippine language, works to assist Philippine…
As the CBABC Executive Liaison to the Automobile Insurance Committee, I am writing to highlight the issues arising from our provincial government’s introduction of Bills 20 and 22. By way of background, on April 23, 2018, the government introduced Bill 20 and Bill 22 to amend the Insurance (Vehicle) Act and the Civil Resolution Tribunal Act. Together these Bills aim to impose a cap on the pain and suffering head of damages in motor vehicle accident claims, as well as to significantly expand the monetary jurisdiction and scope of the current Civil Resolution Tribunal. Following that announcement, the CBABC began…
If your partner or confidant meets your lawyer along with you, you have waived privilege. Suppose you have started a lawsuit because someone has caused you harm or owes you money. You hire a lawyer who issues a Notice of Civil Claim on your behalf. The day approaches for your examination for discovery and your lawyer calls you in for an appointment to prepare you for your examination. Like most clients, you are a little bit nervous talking to your lawyer and you decide you want to bring your partner or best friend with you to sit in on…
February 28, 2018
Loose Lips Sink Cases: Confidentiality, Privilege, and the Implied Undertaking
Rebecca Buchanan
A lawyer has many duties to her client, one of which is to “…scrupulously guard, and not divulge or use for personal benefit, a client’s secrets or confidences” (Code of Professional Conduct for British Columbia). A lawyer does not talk about her client or his case outside the courtroom or her office. If she does, the consequences to the lawyer can be serious. Likewise, if a client discusses the facts of his case with someone other than his lawyer, even with his own family members, the consequences for the client can be serious. This blog post discusses the rules that…
February 13, 2018
Correspondence from the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Jennifer Brun
Ms. Brun’s letter of October 30, 2017, addressed to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and respecting the present judicial shortage in British Columbia, gained substantial traction. Ms. Brun was interviewed by Mr. Keith Fraser, reporter for the Vancouver Sun, and quoted in an article published online on December 22, 2017, and in print on December 23, 2017, which can be read here: http://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/b-c-s-supreme-shortage-of-judges-courts-public-concern. More recently, Ms. Brun received the following personal response from The Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould, P.C., Q.C., M.P., on February 9, 2018, which is very much appreciated: Dear Ms. Brun: Thank you for…
October 30, 2017 Department of Justice 284 Wellington Street Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0H8 Attention: The Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada Dear Minister Wilson-Raybould: Re: Appointment of Supreme Court Justices in British Columbia I am a barrister carrying on business at Harris & Brun Law Corporation on West Georgia Street in the City of Vancouver. Our firm is a well-established civil litigation boutique of a modest 12 lawyers. Over the past several weeks I have spent numerous hours preparing for a trial that was scheduled to commence today in the Supreme…