BarTalk August 2003
Volume 15, Number 4

Robert Brun, President
Robert was born in Whitehorse, Yukon Territories, in 1952 and attended elementary and secondary school in Vancouver. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from UBC in 1974 and a Bachelor of Laws degree from UBC in 1977. He was called to the B.C. Bar in 1978. Robert entered private practice in Vancouver in July of 1978, going to the Legal Services Department of the WCB in May of 1979. He remained there until July of 1984 when he entered into a partnership with Lyle Harris in Vancouver. The firm of Harris & Brun now consists of 19 staff and lawyers.

Since 1984, he has practised continuously in Vancouver, appearing frequently in the Supreme Court of B.C. and the B.C. Court of Appeal. On several occasions he has ventured before the Supreme Court of Canada.

Robert is a frequent guest speaker at seminars put on by CLE and the Trial Lawyers Association of B.C. He has been an active member of the Trial Lawyers Association of B.C. since 1991. He has been a member of the CBA since 1977 and was an Executive Member of the Insurance Law Section from 1991 to 1995. In 1997, he became an Elected Member of the Provincial Council and is now in his second term. He was first elected to the Executive of the Provincial Council in 2000, serving as Secretary-Treasurer (2001/2002) and Vice-President (2002/2003).

Michael C Woodward, Vice-President
Michael Woodward is a graduate in mathematics, and in law at UBC, and was called to the B.C. Bar in 1986. He is a founding partner in the law firm Woodward Walker, which acts for local government throughout B.C.

An elected member of CBA Council since 1997, Michael was first elected to the Executive in 2001, and in 2003 was elected as Vice-President of the Branch. He chairs the Government Relations Committee.

He is Past-Chair of the Municipal Law Section, and a member of the Labour and Environmental Sections. He has presented papers at several CLE courses, has authored the Municipal Law chapter for CLE’s Annual Review of Law and Practice for the past five years, and was course coordinator for the most recent Municipal Law CLE program. He frequently lectures for the Local Government Management Association, the Union of B.C. Municipalities, the Municipal Administration Training Institute, and the Capilano P. Administration Program.

Following articles and three years as a labour/school law associate at Campney & Murphy, Michael spent two years with the municipal law firm Lidstone, Young, Anderson, followed by 11 years as a partner in the municipal law firm Thompson & McConnell. He and his law partner Robert Walker founded Woodward Walker in mid-2002.

Michael is 46 years old, and resides in White Rock with his spouse and three children. Summer Saturdays he rows boats and is a founding Director of the Nicomekl Rowing Club. In the winter, he skis, after a fashion.

Meg (Marguerite) E Shaw, Secretary-Treasurer
A native of Lethbridge, Alberta, Meg has lived in B.C. since 1969. She graduated from UVic in 1983 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and from UBC in 1988 with her law degree. Articles in Kelowna were with the then firm of McAfee Harder, and she now practises with Hattori & Shaw, where her areas of specialization are family law, mediation, and wills and estates. As well, Meg practises as a family protection mediator, child advocate, and ad hoc counsel for the Coroner’s Service of B.C. She was an invited participant in discussion groups hosted by the Law Society on the regulation of mediation, and also an invited participant in discussion groups hosted by the Federal and Provincial Governments on proposed changes to custody and access in the Divorce Act.

Meg first served the CBABC as Chair of the Okanagan Family Law Section for three years, and was Co-Chair of the Okanagan ADR Section. She served as an Officer on the Executive Committee for CBABC for two years, and on various committees, including Co-Chair of the President’s Forums held in Kelowna in April, 2000 and in Vancouver in June, 2003. As one of the representatives for Yale County since 1997, she is now in her second term.

Other community involvement includes serving as a Director on the board of the Registered Nurses Association of B.C. and the board of the Kelowna-Westbank YM-YWCA. Meg has also been a guest lecturer at Okanagan University College, Cariboo College, and the Continuing Legal Education Society of B.C. She has provided pro bono services for the Central Okanagan Hospice Association and the Elizabeth Fry Society.

David A Paul, Past President
David graduated from UVic Law School in 1986. Since his call to the bar in 1987, David has spent his professional career in Kamloops, where he was born and raised. His practice areas include criminal law, family law, personal injury law, mediation, and real estate sales. In 1997 he established the law firm of Paul & Company where he practises with his sister, Lorianna Bennett and David Dundee. David is a member of the Trial Lawyers Association, the B.C. Arbitration & Mediation Institute, and the B.C. Mediator Roster Society (Civil and Family).

Prior to his election to Provincial Council, David served on the Kamloops Bar Association Executive from 1990-1994 where he held various roles, including president in 1993-94. As well, David participated on the Law Day committee and the Advisory Committee for the University College of the Cariboo.

David was first elected to Provincial Council in 1995. Between 1998 and 2001 he served as an Executive Committee member. He was elected to the position of CBABC Vice-President in June 2001 and in June 2002 he was elected to the position of President. David previously served as a member of the CBABC’s Supreme Court ADR Committee and the Communications Committee. He is a Past Chair of the following committees: Planning & Priorities; Nominating; Awards & Recognition; and BarTalk Editorial Board. David belongs to the Kamloops Criminal and Family Sections and served as Section Coordinator between 1998 and 2000. During this period David also chaired the Sections Task Force. As President, David also was a member of the CBA Board of Directors.

Currently, David is the CBABC appointee to the Judicial Council of B.C., the Executive Liaison to the Advisory Committee of the Judicial Council of B.C, a member of the 2005 National Annual Meeting Organization Committee, Chair of CBABC QC Appointments Committee and a member of the Board of Directors of the national Legal Profession Assistance Conference.

Sabrina A S Ali, Officer
Sabrina was born in Guyana, South America in 1967. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Administrative and Commercial Studies from the University of Western Ontario in 1989 and her Diploma in Honors Standing in Political Science from UWO in 1990. Sabrina received her Bachelor of Laws from the University of Saskatchewan in 1993. She embarked upon a backpacking adventure around Asia and was called to the B.C. Bar in 1997.

Sabrina is a member of the Executive, an elected member of Provincial Council and acts as Executive Liaison for certain CBABC Committees. Sabrina is also a member of the Futures Committee of the Law Society of B.C.

Sabrina is also a Director of West Coast LEAF.

She runs her own civil litigation practice.

Tracey Brice-Nicolson, Young Lawyers Representative
Tracey Brice-Nicolson was born and raised in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Tracey attended the University of Saskatchewan where she received a B.A. (Honours) International Studies in 1998 and a L.L.B. in 2000. After graduation, Tracey accepted an articling position with a law firm in the Fraser Valley. At the completion of her articles, Tracey joined the Kelowna law firm of Berge Horn as an Associate in 2001. Tracey enjoys a diverse litigation practice at Berge Horn with an emphasis on family law, including CFCSA, personal injury, collections, general litigation and criminal law. Tracey is Co-Chair of the CBA Okanagan Young Lawyers Section for a second consecutive year commencing June 2003, in addition to being the Young Lawyer Representative on the CBABC Executive. Tracey also participates and acts as the Executive Liaison for a number of CBABC committees, including the Articling Committee. Tracey resides in the hot and sunny Okanagan with her husband Derek, who is a golf professional. As a member of the CBABC Executive, Tracey is eager to learn and contribute to the interests of young lawyers, who make up nearly 50 per cent of the population of practising lawyers in B.C.

Diana L Dorey, Officer
Diana was born and raised in North Vancouver. She is married to Geoff Baragar, a Crown Prosecutor, and they have two daughters.

Diana received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in criminology with First Class Honours from Simon Fraser University in 1986. Diana received the British Commonwealth Scholarship for post-graduate studies at the University of Cambridge where she obtained a Masters of Philosophy Degree in criminology (specializing in young offender research) in 1987. She studied law at UBC and obtained her law degree in 1990. Diana articled with Davis & Company and during her articles, she was a Law Clerk at the Supreme Court of B.C. Diana joined Davis & Company following her call to the bar on November 15, 1991. Diana enjoys a diverse general litigation practice at Davis & Company.

Diana was elected to Provincial Council representing Vancouver County in May, 2000. She was re-elected to Provincial Council in May, 2003. This is Diana’s third year on the Executive.

Sharon D Matthews, Officer
Sharon Matthews obtained a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) and a Bachelor of Laws from UBC in 1992. She was called to the bar in 1993 and has been a member of the Law Society of B.C. and the CBA since then.

From 1993 to 1999, Ms. Matthews was an Associate of the law firm Camp Church & Associates. In 2000 she became a partner, and in January 2001, J.J. Camp, QC, Joe Fiorante and Sharon Matthews formed the law firm Camp Fiorante Matthews. Ms. Matthews co-manages the firm.

Ms. Matthews confines her practice to civil litigation and has appeared before all levels of court in B.C. She concentrates her practice on product liability, aviation litigation, class proceedings and professional negligence cases.

Ms. Matthews has been an elected member from Vancouver County since 2001. In June 2003 she was elected to the position of Member-At-Large of the CBABC Executive Committee commencing in August 2003. She was also honoured with the CBABC President’s Medal for 2003. In addition, she has sat on the CBABC Audit Committee and Chairs the CBABC Resolutions & Bylaws Committee.

Ms. Matthews was the co-founder of the CBABC Class Actions Section and has acted as Secretary and Co-Chair of the Section.

Ms. Matthews has recently completed a term as President of the Advocates Club, of which she was previously the Secretary. She has written numerous papers and lectured for the Continuing Legal Education Society of B.C., the CBA, and the Trial Lawyers Association.

Frits Verhoeven, Officer
Frits Verhoeven is a partner in the Vancouver law firm of Edwards, Kenny and Bray, and practises in the field of civil litigation.

Born in Vlaardingen, the Netherlands, in 1956, and raised in British Columbia, Frits obtained degrees in Commerce and in Law at UBC. After articling with Edwards, Kenny & Bray, he was called to the bar in 1983. He was managing partner of the firm from 1997 to 1999.

Frits was elected to the CBABC Provincial Council in 1999, and re-elected in 2002. He served on the CBA’s Member Services Committee for four years, from 1999 to 2003. He was a member of the national CBA Special Committee on Financial Services, 2001/2002. During 2002/2003, he served as the Chair of CBABC’s Business of Law Committee.

This article was published in the August 2003 issue of BarTalk and is subject to the copyright by the British Columbia Branch of the Canadian Bar Association, 2005, all rights reserved.