CBABC 2nd Annual Conference
San Francisco, California - November 16-17, 2007
San Francisco Style is fast approaching – and now you can save your place with a $200 deposit.

The CBABC’s 2nd Annual Conference, held on November 16th and 17th in San Francisco, California will be here before you know it. Interest in this event has been very high and many of you have told us that you have been waiting to register and pay the entire registration fee, even though you are worried that you might lose the opportunity to attend this registration-capped event. Well, we have good news for you! With a $200 deposit, you can hold your registration (provided that the remaining amount of your registration fee is paid by the Early Bird Registration Deadline: September 21, 2007).

For details on how to register with a $200 deposit, call Jennifer Weber at 604-687-3404.

We’re looking forward to seeing you in San Francisco!


Vancouver Lawyers Rock Again for Charity
Nine Vancouver rock bands comprised mainly of lawyers competed again on June 8th this year in the Sixth Annual Battle of the Bar Bands to raise money for the CBA (B.C.) Benevolent Society. The event was held at the Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver’s premier rock venue, and the bands played to a sold out house. The fundraising was the best effort ever with ticket sales and firm and corporate donations approaching $80,000. Rick Cluff of CBC Radio One’s morning show, The Early Edition, served as emcee again and delighted the crowd with his witty introductions and between-acts patter.

The winning band this year was Mr. Fancy Education, comprised mostly of lawyers from Lawson Lundell. Their set included performances of “Honey Hush” by Paul McCartney, “Walkin’ on the Sun” by Smashmouth and “I’m the Man” by Joe Jackson. The real show-stopper however was Mr. Fancy’s performance of the Ben Folds Five version of “Common People” featuring Brian Wallace, QC performing the petulant, spoken word role played by William Shatner in the recording and on the YouTube video. For video clips of Mr. Fancy Education’s performance at the Battle and other information about the band, visit www.mrfancyeducation.ca.

The calibre of the music at the Battle of the Bar Bands reaches higher levels each year. All the bands put in outstanding performances. Second place in the competition this year went jointly to Twisted Solicitor (McCarthy Tétrault) and Novel Positions (with players from numerous firms). Honours for top law firm sponsor were taken again by McCarthy Tétrault and those for the top corporate sponsor went to NUVO Magazine. Acknowledgement is also due to the Battle’s organizing committee, Derek Brindle, QC (Singleton Urquhart), Roger Holland (Singleton Urquhart), Stephanie Hacksel (ZSA) and Tom Woods (Lawson Lundell).

Mr. Fancy Education musicians (left to right): Patrick Aldous, drums and vocals (Atkins & Company); Kevin Coles, lead guitar and vocals (cool guy who hangs out with lawyers); Brian Wallace, QC, William Shatner impersonator (Lawson Lundell); Michael Bain, bass and lead vocals (Hamilton Howell, ex-pat Lawson Lundell); Tom Woods, guitar (Lawson Lundell); and Melissa Yeung, keyboards (Lawson Lundell).


11th Annual CBA/VBA Golf Tournament Breaks Records
The 11th annual Canadian Bar Association/Vancouver Bar Association Golf Tournament held on June 21, 2007 was the most successful tournament to date raising more than $12,000 in support of the Law Student Awards fund.

After many bogies, pars and an eagle or two, golfers headed for the “19th Hole” for a fabulous buffet dinner and slide show featuring all the participants. Featured winning Teams are:

• First Place
  • Joe Doyle
  • Don Remenda
  • Alan Rose
  • Mike Tammen
• Second Place
  • David Dundee
  • Mark Home
  • Gordon MacRae
  • Katherine MacRae
• Third Place
  • John Grieve
  • Mike Kennedy
  • Lance MacGregor
  • John McEwon
• Men’s longest drive
  • Craig Ash (1st)
  • Jim Baily (2nd)
• Woman’s longest drive
  • Anna Fung, QC (1st)
  • Stacey Briggs (2nd)
• Men’s closest to the pin
  • Scott Urquhart (1st)
  • Clay Whiteman (2nd)
• Women’s closest to the pin
  • Gina Henley (1st)
  • Miha Accettura (2nd)

Four golfers sank a 35 foot putt in the annual putting contest! A silent auction was held during dinner with amazing prizes that included weekend getaways, drivers, and more. The 50/50 contest netted the winner $342.50.

Special thanks to all our sponsors and generous golfers who contributed to the success of the event.


International Women’s Week
A free public forum in recognition of International Women’s Week was held on March 10, 2007 at the Bell Centre for the Performing Arts in Surrey. A panel of five speakers, moderated by Renu Bakshi of CTV was based on “Hidden Victims a Forum on Family Violence.”

The Lawyer Referral Service of the Canadian Bar Association B.C. Branch provided a display on the Dial-A-Law/Lawyer Referral program and was represented by three staff members.

Left to right: Annie Chen, Bianca Bishop and Christine Zhang.


UBC Faculty of Law Mentorship Program and Reception
UBC Faculty of Law Career Services Office and the CBABC will be hosting their annual Mentor Reception in October. This reception is a chance for volunteer mentors to initially meet their assigned law student. The Mentorship program is an excellent opportunity for law students to gain an inside perspective on the legal profession.

Mentors and students are paired up based on the area of practice the student is interested in. Mentors are encouraged to interact with their student in whatever way works best for the pair, but could include discussing files, observing court appearances or talking about the life and work balance in the legal profession.

The Mentorship Program is run on a volunteer basis and lawyers interested in participating should contact the UBC CBA Student Representative Shane Hopkins-Utter at ubc_cba_mentorship_program@yahoo.ca. This is a great chance to help out budding lawyers and encourage CBA membership.


Top Firms Put HELM on the Map
The inaugural Legal Marketing Association – Vancouver Chapter HELM Awards (Honouring Excellence in Legal Marketing) was held on June 14, 2007. The HELM Awards recognize strategy, creativity, achievement and overall excellence in legal marketing initiatives undertaken by lawyers and their firms. A prestigious judging panel from the business community reviewed nominations and selected the following award recipients:

• Young Lawyer Award – Chris Bennett, Davis LLP
• Firm/Marketer of the Year – Alexander Holburn Beaudin & Lang LLP
• Lifetime Achievement Award – John W. Elwick, Partner, Alexander Holburn Beaudin & Lang LLP
• Managing Partner Award – William Westeringh, Managing Partner, Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
• Corporate Social Responsibility – Farris, Vaughan, Wills & Murphy LLP

These articles were published in the August 2007 issue of BarTalk. © 2007 The Canadian Bar Association. All rights reserved.