Hunter Litigation Chambers

Hunter Litigation Chambers has been consistently recognised as one of the premier firms in British Columbia practising in the field of dispute resolution.  The senior counsel have all developed their reputations as leading litigation and arbitration counsel during their respective tenures as senior partners at some of Canada's leading corporate/commercial law firms.  Randy Kaardal Q.C., Mike Stephens, Brent Olthuis and Claire Hunter Q.C. have consistently been identified in peer review publications as leading counsel in various litigation-related categories.  Mark Oulton who leads the firm's forestry practice is recognized as a leading practitioner in Martindale Hubbell and Chambers Canada. Bill Smart Q.C., who returned to practice with the firm after six years as a judge of the Supreme Court of British Columbia adds expertise as one of British Columbia's leading criminal lawyers, including in corporate and regulatory matters.  Bill Smart is a Fellow of both the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Society of Barristers.  Randy Kaardal is a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America.

The firm experience is enhanced by Associate Counsel Martin Taylor, Q.C., one of Canada's leading counsel and adjudicators over the past 50 years.  

Hunter Litigation Chambers has the depth and capability to handle the full range of commercial litigation and arbitration, product liability, aboriginal, administrative, labour and employment, public law litigation, and criminal and quasi-criminal matters.  In addition to their trial level practice, counsel from the firm appear regularly in the British Columbia Court of Appeal and Supreme Court of Canada and in the Federal Courts, including the Federal Court of Appeal and Tax Court of Canada. 

The firm embraces a strong commitment to professional and academic excellence with many of its lawyers having clerked for justices of the superior courts of Canada, including the Supreme Court of Canada.

Commercial Litigation is a primary practice area for Hunter Litigation Chambers.  All of the counsel in the firm practice in this area.

In addition to the experience of our senior counsel, our junior and intermediate lawyers are developing strong reputations as competent and creative commercial counsel.  The firm is able to assemble a team capable of handling commercial matters of any size and complexity.

Class Actions - Randal Kaardal, Q.C., Michael Stephens, Brent Olthuis and Claire Hunter Q.C. and have extensive experience in the field.

Products Liability - Counsel from Hunter Litigation Chambers have a history of handling a variety of complex products liability matters involving failed or allegedly dangerous products.  Our cases have involved failed aircraft components, machinery, roofing materials and motor vehicles.  In addition, we have acted for pharmaceutical companies and handled cases involving allegedly defective medical devices and other allegedly dangerous products including tobacco.

Arbitration - Randy Kaardal, Q.C., and Michael Stephens have acted as arbitration counsel in several commercial matters and also as litigation counsel in cases arising out of arbitration proceedings, including the leading case on judicial review of arbitral decisions. 

Administrative and Public Law - The firm has a diverse public law practice, which includes acting for and against provincial and federal administrative tribunals and ministries in judicial review proceedings, administrative appeals, marketing board proceedings, constitutional challenges, and permit hearings.

Randal Kaardal Q.C. has broad experience in public law disputes, with an emphasis in human rights and employment disputes.  Michael Stephens is an annual contributor to the Continuing Legal Education's Annual Review of Law and Practice in the area of Administrative Law, and has experience before administrative tribunals and courts in judicial review proceedings.  Claire Hunter Q.C. has an active marketing board practice and has acted in a wide variety of legal challenges to administrative decisions.  Randy Kaardal, Q.C., Bill Smart Q.C., and Brent Olthuis have recent experience practising before professional regulatory tribunals, including representation of both the professional association and members.

Aboriginal Law - Counsel from Hunter Litigation Chambers have been in the forefront of the development of a body of Aboriginal Law in British Columbia, representing industry and government in responding to claims of Aboriginal rights and title.

Forestry Law - Mark Oulton from Hunter Litigation Chambers appears regularly before the Forest Appeals Commission, the British Columbia Supreme Court, and the British Columbia Court of Appeal on forestry related matters.

Labour and Employment Law - The firm's labour and employment practice is headed by Randal Kaardal Q.C. who has over 20 years of experience handling labour and employment matters.  Mr. Kaardal has been counsel on many of the leading decisions in British Columbia related to employment law, labour law, and human rights law.  The firm's labour and employment practice is broad based, dealing with the full spectrum of issues arising out of the employment relationship in both the union or non-union environment.

Criminal and Regulatory Law - The firm has more recently developed a broad based criminal law and regulatory practice that includes prosecutions under the Criminal Code as well as various other Federal and Provincial Statutes and Regulations.  The firm is also retained from time to time by the Crown to act on its behalf.  Bill Smart, Q.C. has over 35 years of experience appearing in trial courts on criminal law and regulatory cases and has been a member of faculty of the Federation of Law Societies National Criminal Law Program for the last 30 years.  Brent Olthuis also appears regularly in criminal cases in all levels of court in the province.