One option for people in British Columbia who need more in-depth legal research than the assistance offered by Courthouse Libraries BC is to hire a research lawyer on a freelance basis:
- to check for cases on a particular legal point, including providing analysis of the cases (which is beyond what the library staff can offer);
- to summarize the law in a particular area;
- to write a submission for a court or tribunal; or
- to perform various other legal research tasks.
As part of its mandate, the Legal Research section of the Canadian Bar Association, BC Branch, maintains a list of freelance research lawyers. These researchers are lawyers who are members of the Law Society of British Columbia. This list is not exhaustive, nor is it vetted, and inclusion in the list is not an endorsement by the Canadian Bar Association or by Courthouse Libraries BC.
Rates and the services individual researchers provide will vary. Some researchers on the list limit their research to particular areas of law, but this does not imply specialization.
For further information, please contact the researchers directly at the contact information they have provided. Questions about the list in general may be directed to the current Chair of the CBA-BC Legal Research section, Susan MacFarlane, at smacfarlane@alumni.sfu.ca.
Garth Barriere
Address: #129 - 1027 Davie Street, Vancouver, B.C., V6E 4L2
Phone: 604-720-5505
E-mail: gbarriere@telus.net
Preferences: Appellate lawyer (Appellate Advocacy). Experience at all levels of court, including Federal Court and Supreme Court of Canada. Also administrative law, constitutional law, criminal law.
Oloff Biermann
Address: 19828 54th Avenue, Langley BC V3A 3V9
Phone: 604-533 4327
Cell: 604-710 5269
Fax: 604-510-0705
E-mail: olofflaw@shaw.ca
Preferences: Family law.
George K. Bryce, M.H.A., LL.B.
Address: 2486 West 13th Avenue, Vancouver, B.C., V6K 2S8
Phone: 604-733-5027
Fax: 604-733-5143
E-mail: gkbryce@telus.net
Website: www.BryceLaw.ca
Preferences: Administrative law, professional regulation, privacy law, labour and employment law, occupational health and worker’s compensation, civil litigation and procedure, corporate and securities, societies and charities. Will also do health and social policy research and analysis on any topic.
Restrictions: No family, tax or criminal law.
Ken Cavalier, Ph.D., LL.M., LL.B.
Address: 8751 Shepherd Way, Delta, B.C., V4C 4J9
Phone: 604-581-0261
E-mail: kcavalier@telus.net
Preferences: Teaching, policy research and publication on Intellectual Property (Copyright, Trademark and Patent), Federal Court practice, Tax Law, Art, Entertainment, Sport and Cyberlaw.
John Chesko
Address: 1367 Cypress Street, Vancouver, B.C., V6J 3L1
Phone: 604-734-5646
Fax: 604-731-2613
Email: chesko@interchange.ubc.ca
Preferences: All areas including civil litigation, administrative, labour and employment law.
Noemi Gal-Or, Ph.D., LL.B.
Firm: Noemi Gal-Or Inc.
Address: 4084 West 31st Avenue, Vancouver, B.C., V6S 1Y6
Phone: 604-222-2416
Fax: 604-222-4788
Email: ngalor@telus.net
Preferences: Research and drafting assistance to solicitors; research, drafting, litigation assistance in public and private international law (commercial, trade and investment law, international humanitarian law and law of armed conflict, international human rights law, conflict of law, law of international organisations including United Nations, international dispute settlement (arbitration, mediation), and preparation for negotiation); research and writing in government-related matters, incl. legislation and tribunal work. Research in English, French, German, Hebrew.
Marla B. Gilsig, Barrister and Solicitor
Firm: Marla B. Gilsig, Barrister and Solicitor
Address: 3819 West 30th Avenue, Vancouver, B.C., V6S 1W9
Phone: 604-222-2902
Cell: 604-785-0867
Fax: 604-222-2971
Email: marlagilsig@gilsig.ca
Website: www.gilsig.ca (under construction)
Preferences: Legal research services in all areas of law. Writing services include legal opinions, memoranda, legal arguments for court and other hearings, publications and blogs.
Charlotte Gregory
Address: North Vancouver, B.C.
Email: ccgregory@shaw.ca
Preferences: Wills and estates, general litigation.
Restrictions: No criminal or immigration.
Eleanor Gregory
Firm: Gregory & Gregory
Address: #220 - 1501 West Broadway, Vancouver, B.C., V6J 4Z6
Phone: 604-737-1980
Fax: 604-737-2980
Email: egregory@gregoryandgregory.ca
Preferences: General civil and commercial litigation, family, motor vehicle insurance, wills and estates, municipal law.
Restrictions: No criminal law.
Frederick Irvine
Address: 4447 West 5th Avenue, Vancouver, B.C., V6R 1S4
Phone: 604-224-5125
Fax: 604-224-5128
Email: fsirvine@shaw.ca
Preferences: All areas except criminal law.
Susan E. MacFarlane, Ph.D., LL.B.
Address: Burnaby, B.C.
Phone: 604-564-1952
Email: semacfarlane@shaw.ca
Website: http://legalresearch.me
Preferences: Writing, research and editing for all areas of law, including memos, blogs, pleadings, factums and publications. Also court or tribunal work.
Michael Ng
Firm: Ng Ariss Fong, Lawyers
Address: 210 - 900 Howe Street, Box 160, Vancouver, B.C., V6Z 2M4
Phone: 604-331-1155
Fax: 604-677-5410
Email: michael@ngariss.com
Preferences: Research and drafting of submissions and factums; general litigation (civil and commercial) and administrative law.
Katherine Owen
Address: 4494 Rumble Street, Burnaby, B.C., V5J 2A3
Phone: 604-438-8543
Fax: 604-438-6643
Email: k.owen@telus.net
Preferences: Constitutional, Crown and Administrative law.
Sarah Picciotto
Firm: ONPOINT Legal Research
Address: 178 - 2498 West 41st Ave., Vancouver, B.C., V6M 2A7
Phone: 604-879-4280
Fax: 604-648-8930
Email: spicciotto@onpointlaw.com
Website: www.onpointlaw.com
Preferences: OnPoint is a firm of research lawyers. We have been providing legal research and writing in all areas of law for other lawyers for over 12 years. We draft memoranda, pleadings and facta. All of our research lawyers graduated near the top of their law classes, spent a year as clerks to the Supreme Court or Court of Appeal, and have experience as litigators.
Stuart Rennie
Address: 637 Bentley Road, Port Moody, B.C., V3H 3A4
Phone: 604-949-1490
Fax: 604-949-1491
Email: Stuart_Rennie@telus.net
Preferences: Personal injury, civil and commercial litigation, criminal, administrative, constitutional, family and immigration law.
Restrictions: No securities or banking.
Susan F. Smith
Address: 3456 Dunbar St., Vancouver, B.C., V6S 2C2
Phone: 604-803-2545
Email: susanfsmith@telus.net
Preferences: General Civil Litigation, including insurance, construction, engineering, professional liability, government liability, constitutional law, products liability, shareholder disputes, class actions, personal injury, and aboriginal rights.
W. Ming Song
Firm: Songbird Law Corporation
Address: 902 - 1177 Pacific Blvd, Vancouver, B.C., V6Z 2R8
Phone: 778-230-7732
Skype: songbirdlaw
Website: www.songbirdlaw.com
Email: msong@songbirdlaw.com
Preferences: Aboriginal, Administrative, forestry, mines & resources, oil & gas and Environmental.
Susan Stonier, Barrister & Solicitor
Address: 7868 Marchwood Place, Vancouver, B.C., V5S 4A6
Phone: 604-836-2096
Email: stonier@shaw.ca
Preferences: General Civil Litigation, Personal Injury, Insurance, Aboriginal.
Brian Trainor
Address: 4033 West 32nd Avenue, Vancouver, B.C., V6S 1Z5
Phone: 604-730-9201
Fax: 604-225-2283
Email: trainor@legalmail.com
Preferences: All areas except criminal law.
Please note that references to preferred areas on this list simply reflect preferences expressed by the lawyers and do NOT connote any specific level of experience in the areas for which preferences are expressed.
This list is provided by the Legal Research section of the Canadian Bar Association, British Columbia Branch, as a service to the profession. It does not constitute a recommendation by the CBA-BC of the people listed herein, nor does it imply any affiliation or relationship with the CBA-BC.
Last Updated: September 2011