Education
London School of Economics
LL.M.
1973
University of British Columbia
LL.B.
1972
University of British Columbia
B.A.
1969
Recognition
Benchmark Litigation Canada, Top 50 Trial Lawyers in Canada, 2018, 2024
Benchmark Litigation Canada, Litigation Star, 2018-present
Best Lawyers, Ranked Lawyer, Corporate and Commercial Litigation, 2014-present
Chambers & Partners Canada, British Columbia, Litigation: General Commercial, Band 4, 2020-present
The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, Leading Lawyer, Litigation: Corporate Commercial, 2019-present
The Definitive Guide to Canada's Leading Litigation Firms and Attorneys, Lifetime Achievement Honours, 2015
Benchmark Litigation Canada, Top 40 Trial Lawyer
Benchmark Litigation Canada, Local Litigation Star, 2012-2014
Community Involvement
Member, Canadian Bar Association
Member, Board of Trade
Director, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, 2001 – 2006, 2011 – 2020
Vice-Chair, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, 2007 – 2010
Select Works
Lead counsel for the developer One West Holdings Ltd. in the successful prosecution of a 34-day trial to recover a commercial parking area unlawfully seized by a strata corporation. The case makes new law on two new points: developers do not owe fiduciary duties to condo purchasers; and a legal structure used in BC to allocate tens of thousands of parking stalls is valid and binding.
Lead counsel for the Petitioner in an application to compel the Registrar of Land Titles to register a rectification to a strata plan that gave a strata lot owner the right to exclusive possession of a roof deck.
Lead counsel for Concord Pacific Acquisitions Inc. in the successful defense of a five-day summary trial application brought by the owner of the Plaza of Nations land, who sought dismissal of CPAI's claim for damages (estimated to be in excess of $100 million) arising from an alleged breach of a contract to jointly develop the Plaza of Nations land in Vancouver.
Lead counsel for Alternative Earth Resources Inc in the successful appeal of two judgments which had found that the company and its directors had oppressed a minority shareholder, Jaguar Financial Corporation, by pursuing the acquisition of a private company called Black Sea Copper & Gold and by defending a proxy contest launched by Jaguar, who sought to take control of the company.
Lead counsel for the Aquilini family in the successful defence of claims by the Gaglardi and Beedie families to an interest in the Vancouver Canucks.
Lead counsel for Canaco Resources Inc. and its CEO in the successful defence of a claim by the Securities Commission that they had traded in securities on the basis of material undisclosed information.
Lead counsel for CIBC World Markets in the successful defence of a claim that the trustees of a publicly traded real estate investment trust, advised by CIBC, had improvidently sold the assets of the trust.
Lead counsel for a multinational medical device maker in the defence of a $100 million class action alleging negligence in the design of a medical device resulting in a favorable confidential settlement.
Lead counsel in a successful Petition for leave to commence a derivative action challenging the going-private transaction of the Vancouver Canucks and the Vancouver Grizzlies.
Lead counsel for the successful plaintiff in the assessment of compensation in the first corporate oppression case in BC.
Publications
"Civil Litigation", University of British Columbia, Faculty of Law and the Canadian Institute.
(778) 727-3501
hpoulus@peslitigation.com