Branch President F. Kenneth Walton Ken Walton (Saskatchewan Bar 1973; B.C. 1975) has held numerous offices in many organizations including: past Chair of the Victoria Wills and Trusts Section (CBA); Rotary (President, Assistant District Governor; co-founder of a Rotary Club); President K-40; Chair, Cedar Hill Park Preservation Committee; Kinsmen President and National Convention Committee Secretary; boards of the Victoria Bar Association, Oak Bay Lodge Society, Goodwill Enterprises and the Victoria YM/YWCA (secretary). Years ago Ken was a non-com and later a junior officer in the Canadian Army reserve. Ken’s practice is chiefly personal injury plus wills and estates.

Past-President Frits E. Verhoeven Frits Verhoeven is a partner in the Vancouver law firm of Edwards, Kenny & Bray LLP, where he practises civil litigation. Born in Vlaardingen, the Netherlands, in 1956, and raised in B.C., Frits obtained degrees in commerce and law at UBC. After articling with Edwards, Kenny & Bray LLP, 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 has served on the Branch Executive Committee since August 2003.

Vice-President/Elected Member Vancouver Miriam Maisonville Miriam Maisonville (B.C. Bar 1986, Alberta 1991) practises with the Ministry of Attorney General, Appeals and Special Prosecutions. Miriam practised civil litigation and criminal defence prior to joining the Ministry. A member of the CBA National Council, she has chaired numerous CBA committees, the Vancouver Criminal Section, and the National Conference of French Speaking Common law members. Miriam has authored numerous papers and publications including chapters for the CLE’s Annual Review of Law and Practice, and Introducing Evidence at Trial.

Secretary-Treasurer/Elected Member Vancouver James M. Bond James is an Associate Counsel at Lang Michener LLP. His practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, franchising and distribution, privacy and technology. James is ranked as a “Leading Lawyer” by the legal publication LEXPERT, and was named one of the “Best Lawyers in Canada” for 2007. James has been a member of Provincial Council since 2004, and is a former member of the Executive of the Vancouver Bar Association. He was also Chair of the Continuing Legal Education courses on Franchising (2001) and Privacy (2004 and 2005).

Officer/Elected Member Vancouver Arlene H. Henry, QC Arlene H. Henry, QC, solicitor, mediator, arbitrator, instructor and coach was called to the Bar in 1986. Her solicitor’s career has evolved to focus extensively in the aboriginal law area, including recent participation in self-government implementation and treaty negotiations. She has been mediating since 1998 in civil and family law. Arlene was elected to the Provincial Council in 2005 and the Executive in 2006. She is the current Chair of the CBA Member Dispute Resolution Committee. She has been the Law Society appointment to the City of Vancouver Building Permit Appeal Board since 1999.

Officer/Elected Member Vancouver Michael R. Dunn Michael R. Dunn (B.C. Bar 1993; ON 2005) is an enthusiastic volunteer. From 2002 until 2006, Michael R. Dunn was the Chair of Membership, member of the National Membership Committee of the CBA, member of the CBABC Legislation and Law Reform Committee, and member of the CBABC Law Week Committee. He is a member of the Ontario Bar Association, and member of National Council. In 1993, he founded the Vancouver Law Firm of Dunn & Company where he specializes in complex civil litigation.

Equality & Diversity/Elected Member Prince Rupert Linda D. Locke, QC Linda D. Locke, QC, barrister & solicitor, was called to the B.C. Bar in 1989. Linda, member of the Sto:lo Nation, began working at the Upper Skeena and Legal Assistance Society (USCLAS) in 1994 as the managing lawyer. Despite losing all its funding in 2002, Linda’s dedication to providing access to justice enabled the USCLAS to carry on as a Law Centre. In 2003, Linda received the CBABC Community Service Award for the County of Prince Rupert and in 2007, she was appointed Queen’s Counsel.

Officer/Elected Member Nanaimo Stephen G. McPhee Stephen began his legal career in South Africa and was called there in 1997. His law degree was earned at the University of Stellenbosch, situated in the heart of the South African wine lands, which makes his successful academic performance there even more impressive. He immigrated to Canada in 1997, obtained his Canadian legal accreditation in 2000, and was called to the Bar in B.C. in 2002. Stephen is a partner with Ramsay Lampman Rhodes in Nanaimo and practises general, commercial and civil litigation, personal injury and family law. He has a special interest in ADR.

Young Lawyers Officer Marika Giles Marika Giles was called to the Bar in Ontario in 2002 and B.C. in 2003. She has a general civil litigation practice, working part-time with Conkie & Company while also maintaining a freelance practice easing the workloads of other leading litigators. Marika joined the Executive of the Young Lawyers-Lower Mainland Section in 2004 and became Co-Chair in 2005. In 2006 she was acclaimed as the Young Lawyers Officer. Marika serves as Executive Liaison to the B.C. Law Week and Membership Committees, and serves on the National Communications Committee. Born and raised in Montréal, Marika is fluently bilingual, and sits on the Board of the AJEFCB.

This article was published in the October 2007 issue of BarTalk and is subject to the copyright by the British Columbia Branch of the Canadian Bar Association, 2007, all rights reserved.