OBLC Participating in Access Pro Bono’s 2021 Advice-A-Thon

August 19, 2021 - Owen Bird

The Diversity, Inclusion and Community Involvement Committee at Owen Bird is pleased to announce entry of our team in the 2021 virtual advice-a-thon hosted by Access Pro Bono!

Pro Bono Going Public 2021 with Access Pro Bono (September 13 – 24, 2021) provides one-hour free summary legal advice appointments to low and modest-income British Columbians to support access to justice across the province.

Since the Covid-19 pandemic hit our communities back in 2020, the need for access to legal support and services has never been greater.   Access Pro Bono reports a 30% increase in use of their free legal services…

Owen Bird Welcomes Michelle Karby

July 16, 2021 - Owen Bird

Owen Bird is delighted to announce that Michelle Karby has joined our firm as the newest member of our Wills, Trusts and Estate Group.

Michelle is an experienced wills, estates and trusts lawyer. She works with families to navigate the often sensitive field of trust and estate planning, estate administration, and family business succession planning.  She works with families to ensure their affairs are in order and that appropriate tax planning is in place to ease both the emotional and financial burden when a loved one passes. When that person does pass, she provides legal support and advice throughout the…

Jocelyn Bellerud – Appointment to Interlaw Board of Directors and Global Chair of Interlaw Next Gen

July 12, 2021 - Owen Bird

Owen Bird is pleased to announce that Jocelyn Bellerud has accepted an invitation to join the Interlaw Board of Directors and to serve as Global Chair of the Next Gen Special Business Team effective immediately.  Jocelyn will also continue to serve as Co-Chair for the Interlaw North America of the M&A Special Business Team.

Owen Bird is extremely proud of its relationship with Interlaw and the international connections it offers to our clients.  Interlaw is a long-established elite global network of pre-eminent independent law firms comprising 7,500+ lawyers based in over 150 cities around the world.

Pride 2021

June 17, 2021 - Owen Bird

As one of our Pride 2021 initiatives at Owen Bird, the associates decided to go on a LGBTQ2+ walking tour. The Really Gay History Tour tells the (previously) hidden queer history of our city. Head storyteller Glenn Tkach did all the research for the tour, and his passion for the subject was evident! Stops included Jim Deva Plaza, the Vancouver Art Gallery, St. Andrew’s Wesley United Church, and St. Paul’s Hospital. We thoroughly enjoyed the tour. Delivered with nuance and humour, we all went away feeling we now know more about our city and its LGBTQ2+ history.

St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation Future Leaders – PIXEL Moments

April 28, 2021 - Owen Bird

Owen Bird is proud to be a donor and supporter of the St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation Future Leaders PIXEL Moments.  This week, the interactive augmented reality art mural came to life in the heart of downtown Vancouver, on the corner of Granville and W. Georgia.

The response we have seen throughout this campaign is a strong reminder that no one is impervious to mental health suffering. Together, the campaign has successfully raised $299,416 for St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation for mental health resources.

Owen Bird Celebrates International Women’s Day by Giving to the BC Society of Transition Houses

March 08, 2021 - Owen Bird

Happy International Women’s Day!

Last year the firm celebrated history-making women in law and highlighted women who inspired us. This year, we wanted to give back and fundraise to support women with experiences of domestic violence, also known as intimate partner violence (“IPV”). IPV has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic[1] and women make up 80% of police-reported IPV victims in Canada[2].

To this end, the Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Involvement Committee raised funds to support the BC Society of Transition Houses (the “Society”). The Society is a “member-based, provincial umbrella organization that, through leadership, support and…

St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation Future Leaders – PIXEL Moments

March 05, 2021 - Owen Bird

We are pleased to announce that Owen Bird Law Corporation has donated to the St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation Future Leaders – PIXEL Moments. PIXEL Moments is a large scale augmented reality art mural, to be painted by Andrea Wan, which will be above the London Drugs on Granville and Robson this spring.  It is a micro-donation campaign to raise funds and awareness for mental health programs at St. Paul’s Hospital.   More information on the project can be found at: https://pixelmoments.org/.

Discretionary Rights within Contracts Must be Exercised in Good Faith

February 16, 2021 - Owen Bird

In addition to the precise obligations required from parties to a contract, a common feature seen among contracting parties are options more formally referred to as “discretional rights”. As the name suggests, these rights afford parties certain latitude in the manner in which contractual rights may be performed. Although these tools afford parties flexibility with respect to contractual performance, the Supreme Court of Canada (the “SCC”) has recently decided that these rights (or options) must be exercised in good faith.

The general doctrine of “good faith” is a longstanding organizing principal recognized under Canadian contract law. This duty imposes a…

Brian Cheng Featured on FACL BC Podcast

February 07, 2021 - Owen Bird

Owen Bird civil litigator Brian Cheng was featured as a guest on an episode of The Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers (FACL BC) podcast, hosted by Chilwin Cheng.

FACL BC is a diverse coalition of Asian Canadian legal professionals in British Columbia. Its podcast currently features a three-part series on Asian litigators practicing in the Lower Mainland.

As a featured Asian litigator, Brian discusses his experiences with race in the U.S., where he went to law school. He shares what the best (and worst) things are about being able…