F.C.I.Arb.
Telephone: 604-681-1310 Ext. 102
Email: rdholmes@hbvanlaw.com
Legal Assistant: Marlise Buchi – counsel@hbvanlaw.com
Robert has extensive experience in complex legal disputes, including business disputes, real estate, construction, claims involving the government and its agencies, securities litigation, shareholder actions, insolvency and reorganization, commercial tenancies, partnerships, professional liability, and wills and estate disputes.
He has appeared at all levels of court in British Columbia as well as several appearances at the Supreme Court of Canada, the Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench, the Federal Court, Federal Court of Appeal, Tax Court of Canada, the Securities Commission, the Vancouver Stock Exchange, the TSX Venture Exchange, the IDA, IIROC, municipal councils, and various tribunals and professional organizations. He has conducted numerous Arbitration and Mediation proceedings and has acted as counsel for clients at same.
Robert previously taught as an Adjunct Professor of Law at UBC (Creditors’ Remedies) and has lectured and published articles on Shareholder’s Disputes, Commercial Law, Commercial Tenancy Disputes, Professional Liability, Alternative Dispute Resolution Practice and Procedure, Constitutional Law and Civil Liberties.
Practice Areas
Civil Litigation; Commercial Litigation; Arbitration
Admitted: 1983, British Columbia
Law School: University of British Columbia, LL.B. 1981; Yale Law School, LL.M., 1984
Memberships / Professional Associations
- Law Society of British Columbia
- Trial Lawyers Association of British Columbia (President, 2008-2010)
- Vancouver and Canadian Bar Associations (Past Chair, Vancouver Civil Litigation Section and Member of Provincial Council)
- American Association for Justice Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (Associate)
- C. Mediation and Arbitration Institute Member
- BC International Commercial Arbitration Centre
- BC Domestic Panel of Arbitrators
- Appointed Queen’s Counsel, 2010
Volunteer Activities – Pro bono legal counsel for the B.C. Civil Liberties Association in:
- Reference re Prov. Electoral Boundaries (Sask.),[1991] 2 SCR 158
- WIC Radio Ltd. v. Simpson, 2008 SCC 40
- British Columbia Teachers’ Federation v. British Columbia (Attorney General), 2009 BCSC 436, aff’d 2011 BCCA 408
- Breeden v. Black, 2012 SCC 19
- Éditions Écosociété Inc. v. Banro Corp., 2012 SCC 18 (CanLII), 2012 SCC 18
- Reference re Election Act (BC), 2012 BCCA 394
- Penner v. Niagara (Regional Police Services Board), 2013 SCC 19
Articles Written
- 2012 – “To everything there is a Seisin, A time to be Seised and a time to be Disseised”, addressing the law and procedures of expropriation– TLABC “Throwing Dirt Around” Conference 2012
- 2011 – Doust’s Trumpet Reveille – Funding Legal Aid as an Essential Public Service”, The Verdict, Issue 129, Summer 2011
- 2011 – “Civil Jury Rules – Report and Recommendations”, Trial Lawyers Association of British Columbia report, June 2011
- 2011 – “Standards of Review on Appeals”, The Verdict, Issue 127, Winter 2011
- 2010 – Trial Lawyers Association of B.C. Submission to the Public Commission on Legal Aid, October 2010
- 2010 – Trial Lawyers Association of B.C. Submission to the Judicial Justices of the Peace Compensation Commission, May 2010
- 2010 – “Misfeasance”, on holding government officials accountable in civil damage claims — CLEBC Suing the Government Seminar April 8, 2010
- 2010 – “The Purpose of the Rules”, The Verdict, Issue 124, Spring 2010
- 2009-2010 – TLABC President’s Message, The Verdict, various issues
- 2008 – BC Civil Liberties Association President’s Message, Democratic Commitment, various issues
- 2004 – “Recent Developments in Costs”, Courtroom Advocacy Skills conference of the Trial Lawyers Association of B.C., March 26, 2004”
- 2002 – “Getting the New Litigation Tools into the Courtroom” to the Pacific Legal Technology Conference, presented by the Law Society of British Columbia, Canadian Bar Association (B.C. Branch), Trial Lawyers Association of B.C. and ABA-Law Practice Management Section, October 18, 2002
- 1992 – “Shareholder Meetings”, Corporate Control and Shareholder Proceedings, Insight Conference, May 1992
- 1991 – “Distress,”Commercial Tenancy Disputes, Continuing Legal Education conference, December 1991
- 1990 – Chambers Practice, Course Leader, Continuing Legal Education conference, with Mr. Justice van der Hoop and Masters Kirkpatrick and McCallum
- 1989 – “A Landlord’s Remedies,”Insight Conference on Commercial Tenancies, November 1989”
- 1987 – “Recent Developments in the Law of Commercial Tenancies”, Insolvency Subsection, B.C. Branch, Canadian Bar Association paper, May 28, 1987
- 1987 – “An Overview of Remedies,”Commercial Leases: Remedies and Enforcement, CLE International Inc. conference, December 10, 1987
- 1987 – “Comments Upon the Law Reform Commission of B.C. Working Paper No. 61 on the Commercial Tenancy Act,”(with V. Gray of Bull, Housser & Tupper), a paper presented to the Real Estate Section of the B.C. Branch of the Canadian Bar Association
- 1987 – “Recent Developments in the Law of Commercial Tenancies,”The Advocate, v. 46, part 4, July 1987
- 1986 – “The Lease in Default,” Leasing for General Practitioners, Continuing Legal Education conference, October 1986