Explore our practice areas:

Administrative Law + Judicial Review

We advise and represent clients before government decision-makers and administrative tribunals including challenging their decisions through statutory appeals and judicial review applications in both the Federal Court and Provincial Superior Courts.

Administrative law is the body of law that governs the administration, regulation, and decisions made by government, its agencies and independent tribunals. We are experienced lawyers who help our clients to navigate the decisions and proceedings of government authorities, boards and tribunals. In addition to having represented clients before all levels of Courts in British Columbia, the Federal Court, Federal Court of Appeal, and the Supreme Court of Canada, we represent individuals and organizations in a wide variety of matters before many administrative tribunals and government decision-makers, including:

  • BC Human Rights Tribunal
  • Canada Border Services Agency
  • Canadian Human Rights Commission
  • Canadian Forces
  • Coroner’s Inquest
  • Health Professions Review Board
  • Hospital Appeal Board
  • Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)
  • Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (including Immigration Division, Refugee Protection Division, and Immigration Appeal Division)
  • Medical Services Commission
  • Office of the Information and Privacy Commission of BC
  • Service Canada
  • Transportation Appeal Tribunal of Canada
  • WorkSafeBC

Health Law + Professional Regulation

We act as general counsel, independent legal counsel, and discipline counsel to professional regulatory bodies. We provide advice across the full spectrum of investigation, discipline, registration, licensure and policy matters. We also act for physicians in obtaining and defending hospital privileges, and in College matters.

Our list of services includes:

As General Counsel

  • Provide legal and strategic advice on all issues of self-regulation
  • Complaints and investigations
  • Privacy and disclosure
  • Consent resolution
  • Discipline proceedings
  • Quality Assurance
  • Fitness to practice
  • Appeals and reviews of decisions
  • Registration and Licensure
  • Advertising and Marketing
  • Draft bylaws and policies

As Independent Legal Counsel

  • Advise panels of Inquiry, Registration, Application, and Discipline Committees
  • Provide training to panels and full committees

As Regulator Counsel

  • Act as counsel for the regulator in discipline proceedings
  • Represent regulators in human rights complaints

As Counsel to Physicians

  • Hospital privileging applications and change of medical staff categories
  • Appeal of hospital privileging matters

Immigration, Refugee + Citizenship

We focus on assisting clients to challenge refusals of permanent resident, work, study, visitor visa and refugee applications. We represent clients in Federal Court judicial review applications and in removal order, residency obligation and sponsorship appeals before the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada. We also assist with refugee claims, spousal sponsorship, medical and criminal inadmissibility matters, and specialized immigration applications based on Humanitarian and Compassionate (H&C) Grounds or as Self-Employed Persons.

Our full list of the immigration, refugee and citizenship services we provide are:

Federal Court Litigation

  • Applications for Leave and Judicial Review of Refused permanent resident, work, study, visitor visa and citizenship applications
  • Applications for Stay of Removal Orders
  • Applications to Compel a Decision to be Made in an Immigration, Citizenship or Refugee Application (Mandamus Applications)
  • Federal Court of Appeal Litigation

Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Hearings and Appeals

  • Admissibility Hearings, including cases based on misrepresentation and criminality
  • Appeals of Loss of Permanent Resident Status (Residency Obligation Appeals)
  • Appeals of Refusal of Spousal Sponsorship Applications (Spousal Sponsorship Appeals)
  • Appeals of Removal / Deportation Orders (Removal Order Appeals)

Refugee Claims

  • Claims made inside Canada
  • Cessation and Vacation Proceedings
  • Refugee Exclusion Issues
  • Appeals of Refusal of Refugee Claims

Other Specialized Applications and Issues

  • Applications for Permanent Resident Status based on Humanitarian and Compassionate (H&C) Grounds
  • Applications to Defer Removal / Deportation from Canada
  • Application for Authorization to Return to Canada after Deportation (ARC)
  • Canadian Citizenship Applications
  • Criminal Rehabilitation Applications
  • Family Sponsorship – Spousal and Dependant Child Sponsorship Applications
  • Federal Self-Employed Class Permanent Resident Status Applications
  • Pre-Removal Risk Assessment (PRRA) Applications
  • Repeated Refusals of Visitor Visa, Work or Study Permit Applications by a Canadian Visa Office
  • Responses to Fairness Letters
  • Request for Reconsideration of Refused Visa, Work, Study and Permanent Applications Resident
  • Requests for Disclosure of Information [Global Case Management System (GCMS), Traveller History and other records in the Government’s Possession or Control under the Privacy Act and Access to Information Act [ATIP Request]
  • Section 24 Temporary Resident Permit Applications
Call Us

Vancouver
Susan Precious: 604-637-6360
Fritz Gaerdes: 604-637-6355

Halifax
Susan Precious: 902-417-2233
Fritz Gaerdes: 902-417-2244