AMLC, Greg, Nojan, Thea, Wanda and Wes are being recognized by Best Lawyers®

Congrats to Greg, Thea, Wanda, and Wes for being recognized in the 19th edition of the Best Lawyers in Canada™ and to Nojan for being recognized in the 4th edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in Canada™. 

This is Thea and Nojan’s first time being recognized by Best Lawyers, Greg and Wanda’s second time, and Wes’ 4th year in a row! 

You can learn more about Best Lawyers®, a peer review publication and a source of legal referrals, on their website, www.bestlawyers.com.

AMLC Hosted a 2L Summer Student Employer Tour

AMLC hosted a Firm Tour in June and we were happy to welcome students from Peter A. Allard School of Law, University of Victoria, and Thompson Rivers University to our office! Thank you to the group of students who came out. We are looking forward to seeing some new and familiar faces during Allard's and UVic's on campus interviews in the coming weeks.

AMLC has been selected as a 5-Star Pro Bono Firm by Canadian Lawyer Magazine

AMLC is proud to share its selection as a 5-Star Pro Bono Firm by Canadian Lawyer Magazine. Pro bono work is especially important to our team, and our lawyers have represented individuals and organizations on a pro bono basis at all levels of court in British Columbia, as well as before the Supreme Court of Canada. We are grateful for this recognition and, more importantly, the opportunity to continue to do meaningful legal work for the broader community.

This is Canadian Lawyer’s second annual 5-Star Pro Bono Firms special report, which recognizes Canadian law firms that demonstrate pro bono infrastructure at an institutional level. 

You can learn more about the award here:
Canadian Lawyer reveals 5-Star Pro Bono Law Firms for 2024 | Canadian Lawyer (canadianlawyermag.com)

For more information on Allen / McMillan’s pro bono public law practice, please contact Greg at greg@amlc.ca.

John Trueman and Katelyn Chaudhary win property assessment appeal involving Galiano Island forest land

AMLC lawyer John Trueman and articled student Katelyn Chaudhary successfully represented a managed forest land owner on Galiano Island in an appeal against a decision of the BC Property Assessment Appeal Board.  The landowner had a 960 square foot unfinished dwelling on his 90-acre property, which he used and slept in while managing the forest.  The assessor had classified the land beneath the dwelling as “residential,” thus depriving the landowner of the preferential tax treatment afforded to private managed forest land owners.

On appeal, the BC Supreme Court held that the landowner’s use of the dwelling to further the production and harvesting of forest resources on his property was sufficient to maintain the managed forest land classification.  The Board had fallen into error by imposing additional requirements, such as considering whether a dwelling was “required” to manage the forest, or whether it was “integrally related” to the production or harvesting of forest resources.

Articled student Katelyn Chaudhary, making legal submissions in court for the first time in her career, successfully argued that the Board failed to properly consider the actual road and water distances involved in transporting logs from Galiano Island to the nearest sawmill.

For many years, AMLC lawyers have defended the rights of private managed forest owners on Galiano Island to live on their properties, just as many farmers live on their farms.  This decision reinforces the principle that managed forest land owners should not lose that classification when they have a dwelling they use to help manage the forest.

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To read the decision, visit 2024 BCSC 561.  For more information on Allen / McMillan’s real estate litigation practice, please contact Wes McMillan at wes@amlc.ca or John Trueman at john@amlc.ca. 

Articling student, Vivian Li, returns to AMLC

AMLC is pleased to welcome back to the team its newest articling student, Vivian Li.  Vivian summered at AMLC before graduating from UBC and showed herself to be extremely capable and motivated.  During her time at law school she volunteered as a peer tutor and mentor to first-year law students.  Vivian will complete her articles with the firm from May 21, 2024 to May 20, 2025.

We are excited to have Vivian rejoin our team!

Congratulations to AMLC’s Mia Stewart on being called to the bar!

Congratulations to Mia Stewart who was called to the British Columbia bar on May 21, 2024, just prior to her first appearance at the Supreme Court of Canada. Mia obtained her law degree from the Schulich School of Law, during which she worked at the Dalhousie Legal Aid Service. She joined AMLC as an articling student in May 2023, and we are excited for her to stay on as an associate!