The litigation lawyers at Bernard LLP have extensive trial and appellant experience appearing regularly at all levels of court in British Columbia, the Federal Court, the Federal Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada. Additionally, our lawyers routinely appear before administrative tribunals and arbitration panels. Our ability to problem solve and litigate skillfully, efficiently and effectively is a hallmark of our litigation practice.
Our litigation lawyers handle a broad range of cases from the relatively simple to the complex involving multiple issues, multiple parties and multiple proceedings. A large amount of our work involves marine related issues, such as collision, cargo damage, bodily injury, ship-source pollution, charterparty disputes, lien enforcement and defence, arrest of ships and other marine related matters. However many of our litigation lawyers routinely, or exclusively, deal with issues involving other areas of law, including medical malpractice defence, disability defence, insurance coverage (marine or otherwise), personal injury, contract disputes, employment law, constitutional law, and occupational health and safety, as well as other areas of law.
Because of the unique nature of maritime law our litigation lawyers are frequently called out to assist immediately following a problem and are available on a 24/7 basis for that purpose. As such our lawyers are often the first to investigate and are often the front line defence in the investigation process that follows a significant industrial accident. Our lawyers are some of the most experienced in responding to government or quasi-government investigators, including investigators from Transport Canada, Fisheries and Oceans, Environment Canada, the Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board, the Workers Compensation Board of British Columbia, local and regional Police, and the Coroner.
Our goal is to resolve disputes in an efficient, timely and cost effective manner. We work closely with our clients to ensure they are involved in the development and implementation of a litigation strategy that is consistent with their goals and expectations. This may include attempts to resolve a claim early through the use of mediation or other forms of alternative dispute resolution. Ultimately, our goal is to achieve the best possible outcome for our clients so they may focus on their business goals.