Balfour Moss mourns passing of Sexsmith
Diane Sexsmith, a long serving legal secretary of the firm passed away on November 27, 2009.
Diane began working for Bob Hrycan in 1989 and when he joined Balfour Moss in 1999,
she came with him. Diane will be remembered for her hard work and great knowledge
of criminal law, and of course, her love of cats.
Gerecke presents paper on new insolvency legislation
David Gerecke presented a
paper on the recent amendments to the
Bankruptcy
and Insolvency Act, Companies' Creditors Arrangements Act and other insolvency
legislation at a seminar co-sponsored by the Canadian Bar Association and
Saskatchewan Association of Insolvency and Restructuring Professionals on September
9, 2009.
MacMillan-Brown appointed to CBA National Communications Committee
On September 1, 2009,
Heather MacMillan-Brown was appointed
as one of four members of the national Communications Standing Committee of the Canadian Bar
Association. The Committee is responsible for CBA communications policy, publications
and Bar leader training sessions. The committee publishes the National and the Canadian
Bar Review, and is also responsible for the CBA's website,
cba.org.
Balfour Moss recognized by United Way of Saskatoon
In the most recent annual report from United Way of Saskatoon, Balfour Moss'
Saskatoon office was recognized as the only law firm in the highest category (Campaign
Chair) of employee giving. Brian Scherman and his wife, Rosemary were also recognized
as longtime Leadership Program donors.
Brunton's volunteer work recognized by United Way
Jason Brunton, an articling student with Balfour Moss LLP's Saskatoon office, was recently
profiled by United Way of Saskatoon for his work with CLASSIC (Community Legal
Assistance Society for Saskatoon’s Inner City). CLASSIC is a volunteer run program to
provide representation for those in the community
least able to afford legal services.
Two Balfour Moss cases going to Supreme Court of Canada
The Supreme Court of Canada has granted leave to appeal involving two cases in which Balfour Moss LLP
lawyers are involved.
Maureen Jickling joins Balfour Moss LLP
Balfour Moss LLP is pleased to welcome S. Maureen Jickling as an associate lawyer with the firm.
Maureen previously was a sessional lecturer at the University of Regina, and has served as a policy
analyst in the provincial and federal governments. Her legal experience includes acting as in house counsel
at SaskPower and a defence counsel at the Saskatchewan Legal Aid Commission. She was called to the
Saskatchewan bar in 1993. Maureen has a LL.B. from the University of Saskatchewan and a Bachelor of Social
Sciences from the University of Ottawa.
New Students join Balfour Moss LLP
Beth Hardy, Lisa Renner, and Jason Brunton joined Balfour Moss LLP as articling students. All
three are 2009 graduates of the College of Law at the University of Saskatchewan. Beth and Lisa
will be articling in Regina, while Jason will be in the Saskatoon office. Beth has a Bachelor
of Arts from the Memorial University of Newfoundland. Lisa served as Vice-President (External) of the
Law Students Association and has a B.Sc.(Dist.) from the University of Regina.
Saskatchewan's longest obstruction of property case ends
in acquittal
Bob Hrycan recently successfully defended six people
charged criminally with wilful obstruction of property. The
case
centered on the accused's attempt to remove grain owned by them stored at an organic
seed cleaning facility located in Melville, Saskatchewan. The facility's owner,
Bio Canada International Inc., claimed storage charges and refused to release the grain.
The accused, who were associated with Farmer Direct Cooperative Limited, claimed
the storage charges were fraudulent. The 12 day trial is thought to have been the
longest trial for charges of this nature in Saskatchewan history. A civil lawsuit
in the matter remains outstanding.
Gerecke to receive CBA's Community Service Award
David Gerecke is the 2009 recipient of the Community Service Award of the
Saskatchewan Branch of the Canadian Bar Association. David was recognized for his work with Persephone
Theatre, which culminated with the new theatre on the river bank which houses Persephone in Saskatoon.
The award will be presented at the Law Society annual meeting on Thursday June 11, in Regina.
Panko to receive CBA's Pro Bono Service Award
Charmaine Panko is the 2009 recipient of the Pro Bono Service Award, presented
jointly by Pro Bono Law Saskatchewan and the Canadian Bar Association (Saskatchewan Branch). Charmaine
was recognized for her commitment to the pro bono ethic and her work with the Child & Youth Pro Bono Panel.
The award will be presented at the Law Society annual meeting on Thursday, June 11 in Regina.
Heather Nord joins Balfour Moss LLP
Balfour Moss LLP is pleased to welcome Heather Nord as an associate lawyer with the firm effective April 1, 2009.
She brings a wealth of experience gained from private practice, working in senior levels of government, and being
a sessional lecturer at the University of Regina. Heather was called to the Saskatchewan bar in 1995. Heather
has an MBA from the University of Regina and LL.B. from the University of Saskatchewan.
Hrycan presents to STLA on Mega-Trials
On May 1, 2009,
Bob Hrycan presented a
paper on mega-trials
to the Spring Criminal Law Conference conference of the Saskatchewan Trial Lawyers
Association, of which is he the former past-president.
Baudais wins landmark Okanagan order in Caron case
The Alberta Court of Appeal handed down a
benchmark decision
January 30, 2009 directing the Attorney General of Alberta to pay for Gilles Caron's legal costs in his
constitutional language rights case. This is the first appellate level decision in Canada
concerning Okanagan type funding in a quasi-criminal matter and the first in Canada in a language
rights case. Okanagan-type funding is available in exceptional constitutional cases of public importance
and refers to the seminal case,
British Columbia (Minister of Forests) v. Okanagan Indian Band, 2003 SCC 71.
Lepage appears in Supreme Court on Minority Language Rights
Roger Lepage, Q.C. appeared in the Supreme Court of Canada on
December 15, 2008 on
Ministre de l'Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport, et al. v. Hong Ha Nguyen, a constitutional law
case regarding minority language rights for anglophones in Quebec. Roger represented an intervenor,
the Commission scolaire francophone, Territoires du Nord-Ouest. The court's decision on the case,
which is not expected for several months, will have far reaching national impact.
Roger Lepage, Q.C. a comparu devant la Cour suprême du Canada le 15 décembre
2008 dans l’affaire
Ministre
de l'Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport, et al. v. Hong Ha Nguyen, un dossier de droit constitutionnel
relatif aux droits scolaires de la minorité anglophone du Québec. Roger était l’avocat d’un intervenant,
la Commission scolaire francophone, Territoire du Nord-Ouest. Roger faisait valoir l’importance de se
rappeler que l’article 23 de la Charte devait protéger toutes les minorités de langues officielles à travers
le Canada. Cette décision qui sera rendue dans quelques mois aura un impact national important.
Scherman appointed to National Board of Nature Conservancy
Brian Scherman, Q.C. was appointed as the Chair of the Saskatchewan Board
of the
Nature Conservancy of Canada and a member of the
National Board of Directors. Brian has served as a member of the Saskatchewan Regional Board since June
2005. Brian is an avid outdoors person with a strong interest in conservation. The Nature Conservancy
of Canada is a private, non-profit organization working for the direct protection of Canada's biodiversity
through purchase, donation or conservation agreements on ecologically significant lands. Since 1962,
the Nature Conservancy and its partners have helped to conserve more than 2 million acres (over 800,000
hectares) of ecologically significant land nationwide.
Baudais presents on Language Rights
Rupert Baudais presented a seminar on language rights in Saskatoon on
November 8, 2008 at the annual meeting of the Assemblée communautaire fransaskoise. Baudais drew on his
experience as counsel in
R. v. Caron, a leading minority language rights case,
now under appeal to the Alberta Court of Appeal.
Pedersen presents to Sask. Agrologists
Yens Pedersen presented to the Saskatchewan Institute of
Agrologists regarding recent legal developments in the agricultural sector on October 21, 2008.
Labour Standards seminar
Roger Lepage,
Jeff Grubb, Q.C.,
Brian Scherman, Q.C.,
Peter Bergbusch,
Heather MacMillan-Brown,
Alison Mitchell
and
Charmaine Panko, presented papers on various
aspects of
The Labour Standards Act at a seminar in Regina on October 7, 2008.
Topics covered at the seminar included whistleblower legislation, termination of
employees, holidays and vacations, maternity and other leaves, wages and benefits, hours of work,
equal pay, and overlap with the Canada Labour Code. To obtain a copy of any of the papers,
presented at the seminar, please contact
Jeff Grubb.
Nystrom & Pedersen present to Sask. CGA Conference
George Nystrom and
Yens Pedersen
presented to the Certified General Accountants of Saskatchewan regarding estate planning
at the annual conference in Regina on October 1, 2008. Their presentation focussed on jointly-owned
assets and beneficiary designations in life insurance policies and registered plans.
Sandra Mitchell joins Balfour Moss LLP
Balfour Moss LLP is pleased to welcome Sandra Mitchell to the firm. Sandra has practiced law
in Saskatchewan since 1984 in the areas of family law, labour and employment law, First Nations
land claims, real estate, and wills. Sandra is one of Saskatchewan's most well-known women
lawyers, having established a firm which would become the largest women’s law firm in Western
Canada. Sandra has appeared as counsel for hundreds of family law clients in the Court of Queen’s
Bench. In her labour practice, she has chaired many boards of arbitration, as well as representing
trade unions before the Labour Relations Board. Sandra was awarded the Saskatoon YWCA Women of the
Year Award for her work in the area of family law. Sandra received her B.A. (with Distinction)
from the University of Regina in 1976, and her LL.B. from the University of Saskatchewan in 1982.
Gerecke nominated for 2008 Lieutenant Governor's Arts Award
David Gerecke was nominated in the Volunteer category for the
Lieutenant Governor's Arts Award for his contributions to the Persephone Theatre and Saskatoon
Symphony. Presented by the Saskatchewan Arts Board, the Lieutenant Governor’s Arts Awards, held
Sept 24, 2008 in Regina, recognized the achievements made by individuals, groups and organizations
in the arts.
Cammer joins Balfour Moss LLP as Lawyer
Ou August 8, 2008,
Bobbi Cammer was admitted as a lawyer with the Law Society of
Saskatchewan after successfully completing the Bar Admission Course. Bobbi will be
practicing with Balfour Moss LLP in our Saskatoon office.
Johnson joins Balfour Moss LLP as Lawyer
Ou August 7, 2008,
Eric F. W. Johnson was admitted
as a lawyer with the Law Society of
Saskatchewan after successfully completing the Bar Admission Course. Eric will be
practicing law with Balfour Moss LLP as a litigator.
Balfour Moss LLP Hires New Students
Balfour Moss LLP welcomes
Barbra Bailey, Derek Burton, and
Evan Olson as they begin their legal
careers with our firm as articling students. All three are 2008 graduates of the College of Law
at the University of Saskatchewan. Bailey was the class valedictorian and had served as the
Vice-President, Academic Affairs on the Law Students Association. Burton was Vice President,
Aboriginal Relations with the Law Students Association. Olson was the Sports Representative for
the Law Students Association and also served as President of Campus Recreation.
Klassen joins Balfour Moss LLP as Lawyer
Balfour Moss LLP is pleased to announce that on July 4, 2008,
Ryan Klassen was admitted as a
lawyer with the Law Society of Saskatchewan after successfully completing the Bar Admission Course.
Ryan will be practicing law with Balfour Moss LLP as a solicitor.
Baudais wins landmark language rights decision
In a
benchmark decision July 2, 2008 the Alberta
Provincial Court ruled Gilles Caron, a francophone
truck driver, was denied his constitutional rights when he was ticketed for making an unsafe left
turn in December 2003. Caron wanted his hearing in French, but he was denied under a 1988 Alberta law that
revoked French language rights in the province. P.C. Judge Wenton ruled the law is unconstitutional.
Rupert Baudais called the decision a "victory for francophones"
and said it opens the door for official
recognition of French language rights in Alberta. The case could ultimately force the province to
translate all laws into French and make services available to in both official languages. Baudais said
the case will likely be appealed up to the Supreme Court of Canada.
Baudais successful in French language rights case
Rupert Baudais successfully argued before the Provincial Court
of Saskatchewan that Justin Bell's rights
were violated when he was was arrested in conjunction with a speeding ticket. Bell, a Saskatchewan
francophone, requested that the RCMP provide service to him in French, and was then arrested. Judge
Albert Lavoie stayed the charge against Mr. Bell on June 27, 2008.
Klassen appointed to board of Junior Achievement Canada
Ryan Klassen was appointed to the board of Junior Achievement Canada -
Southern Saskatchewan Branch in June 2008.
Watson presents to Canadian Society of Respiratory Therapists
Reg Watson was one of the speakers at the recent National Respiratory
Therapy Conference in Saskatoon in May.
Reg drew on his years of experience in medical litigation to demonstrate the importance of good charting
practices, the importance of having polices and procedures in place, as well as touching on issues of
consent, advanced directives, and transfer of function.
Watson presents at STLA seminar
Reg Watson was one of the instructors at the Trial Advocacy College
put on by the Saskatchewan Trial
Lawyers Association on May 1, 2008. Reg spoke regarding the qualification of expert witnesses.
Pedersen becomes President of Sask NDP
Yens Pedersen was acclaimed as president of the Saskatchewan New Democratic
Party at its convention March 14-16, 2008 in Regina.
Beke Honoured with Life Membership
John Beke, Q.C. was honoured by the Salvation Army for his long service to the
Salvation Army Advisory Board of Regina. John served with the Advisory Board for more than
20 years, including as chair. To demonstrate their appreciation for John's service, the Salvation
Army made John an honourary life member.
Grubb speaks on ethics at CBA National meeting.
Jeff Grubb, Q.C was one of the panel members for
Negotiating
Ethics and Best Practices in Civil Disputes
at the Canadian Bar Association's national meeting in Calgary on August 14, 2007. Along with Anne Kirker,
Macleod Dixon LLP (Calgary) and Moderator Marjorie Benson, Univ. of Sask., College of Law, he discussed
some of the key themes emerging from a 2005-06 study that explored ethics and best practices during negotiations.
Hrycan gets favourable outcome in Smith case
On June 20, 2007, the Saskatchewan court of Appeal handed down its decision in
R. v. Smith.
Bob Hrycan represented Smith in the appeal
and argued that Smith's first lawyer
(at a different firm) was too inexperienced to provide effective representation of Mr. Smith, who had
been convicted of operating a grow operation. The Court of Appeal determined that Mr. Smith's former
counsel was too inexperienced to effectively represent Mr. Smith at his trial, and ordered a new trial.
Peter Bergbusch Appointed Vice-Chair of SaskEnergy Board
On March 27, 2007, Peter Bergbusch was appointed vice-chair of the SaskEnergy board of directors.
Charmaine Panko Appointed to Board of Collaborative Lawyers
Charmaine Panko has recently joined the Board of Directors of Collaborative Lawyers of
Saskatchewan.
Labour Standards seminar
Roger Lepage, Jeff Grubb, Q.C., Brian Scherman, Q.C., Peter Bergbusch, Heather MacMillan-Brown,
Stewart Berringer, Lindsay Ferguson and Noah Evanchuk, presented papers on various
aspects of
The Labour Standards Act at a seminar in Saskatoon on February 22, 2007.
Topics covered at the seminar included whistleblower legislation, termination of
employees, holidays and vacations, maternity and other leaves, wages and benefits, hours of work,
equal pay, and issues flowing from the sale of a business. To obtain a copy of any of the papers,
presented at the seminar, please contact
Jeff Grubb.
Charmaine Panko joins Balfour Moss LLP as an Associate
Balfour Moss LLP is pleased to announce that effective January 17, 2007, Charmaine Panko
joined the firm as an associate lawyer in its Saskatoon office, after the successful
completion of her articles with the firm.
Jeff Grubb Named Industry Specialist by Lexpert
In the October, 2006 issue of Lexpert: The Business Magazine for Lawyers, Jeff
Grubb, Q.C., was named an industry specialist in the area of "Food and Agriculture"
by Lexpert in its "Guide to the Top 100 Industry Specialists in Canada". Only
three Canadian lawyers were identified as Industry Specialists in the "Food and
Agriculture" category, and Jeff was the only Saskatchewan lawyer named.
Peter Bergbusch Appointed to Habitat for Humanity Regina Board
On September 27, 2006 Peter Bergbusch was appointed to the Board of Directors of
Habitat for Humanity Regina. In existence since 1993, Habitat for Humanity Regina
is a not for profit organization which aims to eliminate sub-standard housing by
partnering with business, community and low-income families to build decent, affordable
homes. Habitat for Humanity Regina has to date brought together hundreds of people and
tons of materials to help 20 Regina families escape poverty housing and become home-owning,
contributing citizens of our community.
Heather MacMillan-Brown Appointed to CBA Sask. Executive
After having served as the Chair of the Canadian Bar Association Civil Litigation North
Saskatchewan Branch for the past four years, Heather MacMillan-Brown has become a member
of the CBA Executive. She is now the Communications Chair for CBA Saskatchewan and, in that
capacity, acts as the editor of CBA Saskatchewan's quarterly publication, Bar Notes.
Jamie Patterson joins Balfour Moss LLP as an Associate
Balfour Moss LLP is pleased to announce that effective August 1, 2006, Jamie Patterson
joined the firm as an associate lawyer, after the successful completion of his articles
with the firm.
Delanie Coad Commences Articles
Balfour Moss LLP is pleased to announce that on July 1, 2006, Delanie Coad joined the
Firm as a Student-At-Law. Originally from Calgary, Delanie graduated from College of
Law at the University of Saskatchewan in May 2005. In addition to her articles, Delanie
is currently working towards the completion of a Masters of Law at the University of Saskatchewan.
Hrycan on The Myth of Trial by Jury
Bob Hrycan recently wrote an article entitled
The Myth of Trial by Jury which
was published in the Criminal Law Quarterly (2006, volume 51, issue 2, p. 157-168), by
Canada Law Book.
Jamie Patterson Appointed to Board of Regina Plains Museum
In June 2006, the Regina Plains Museum welcomed Jamie Patterson as a member of the Board of
Trustees. The Regina Plains Museum preserves the history of the cultural, social, political
and economic growth and development of the City of Regina and surrounding area. The museum
is home to the unique and internationally recognized glass wheatfield by Saskatchewan artist
Jacqueline Berting, comprised of 14,000 individually crafted waist high stalks of glass wheat.
Yens Pedersen Appointed to the Salvation Army Advisory Board
On May 31, 2006 Yens Pedersen was appointed to The Salvation Army Advisory Board for Regina,
Saskatchewan. The Salvation Army is a Christian church which is one of the world’s most effective
providers of care and shelter for people in need. In Regina, the Salvation Army operates several
facilities and programs and the Advisory Board provides advice and assistance relating to those activities.
Peter Bergbusch Appointed to SaskEnergy Board
On April 1, 2006 Peter Bergbusch was appointed to the Board of Directors of SaskEnergy. He also
currently sits on the Audit and Finance Committee. A provincial Crown corporation with roots
of more than half a century in Saskatchewan, SaskEnergy is Saskatchewan's natural gas distribution
company. SaskEnergy delivers the benefits of safe, convenient and environmentally friendly natural
gas to more than 325,000 residential, farm, commercial and industrial customers throughout Saskatchewan.
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