Biography
Dean has experience in the areas of general commercial and insurance litigation, including the defence of businesses. He also practices in defending professional liability actions, including claims against lawyers, personal injury, property damage, product and occupiers’ liability actions.
Prior to joining Guild Yule, Dean was admitted as an attorney of the High Court of South Africa before completing pupillage and being called to the Bar as an Advocate of the High Court of South Africa in 2014 (Barristers and Solicitors practice independently of each other in South Africa). Dean has represented clients in the courts of South Africa at trial court and appeal court level. Dean has also represented clients at trial court and appeal court level in British Columbia.
Dean has been recognized as a Future Star in the 2025 edition of Benchmark Litigation Canada and as a Litigation Star in the 2026 edition of Benchmark Litigation Canada. Dean has also been included in Benchmark Litigation Canada’s 40 & Under List of notable up and coming litigation lawyers in Canada for 2025.
Dean enjoys running, hiking, camping and cycling
Recent Decisions
• The Insurance Corporation of British Columbia v Teck Metals Ltd., 2020 BCSC 1617 – successfully argued for the preservation of 518 vehicles, allegedly damage by acid, pending the completion of physical examinations of said vehicles.
• Abbott v. Nanaimo/Ladysmith School District No.68, 2021 BCSC 665 – successfully argued for the dismissal of an application for interrogatories, an affidavit verifying a list of documents and the production of documents in a claim for personal injury.
• Khoe v Guo, 2023 BCSC 381 – successfully argued that a pleading in an action commenced against a lawyer disclosed no cause of action.
• Gill v. Gill Estate, 2023 BCCA 427 – successfully argued for the dismissal of an application to vary an order of the Court of Appeal.
• Yancheshmeh v Doe, 2023 BCSC 2192 – successfully argued for the dismissal of an application to strike a claim for injuries suffered during the course of an international flight.
• Lu v. Dentons Canada LLP, 2025 BCSC 2003 – successfully argued for the claim against Dentons Canada LLP to be struck on the basis that insufficient facts were pleaded to establish a claim for breach of trust.
• Crazy Greek Chick Food Limited v. Chakroborty, 2025 BCCA 395 – successfully argued that the exceptional circumstances of an appeal justified an order that the appellants’ fresh evidence application and the respondent’s application to strike portions of the appellants’ factum be heard together in advance of the appeal.
• Crazy Greek Chick Food Limited v. Chakroborty, 2026 BCCA 31 – successfully argued for the striking out of portions of the appellants’ factum and the dismissal of the appellants’ fresh evidence application.
• Collmann v. Rally, 2026 BCSC 138 – successfully argued for the claim against a lawyer to be struck on the basis that the claim disclosed no reasonable cause of action, was unnecessary and an abuse of process.
Representative Work
• Counsel for out of province insurers for motor vehicle personal injury claims arising in BC
• Acted for plaintiffs in subrogated recovery actions arising out of property damage
• Acted for engineers in professional liability claims
• Assited lead counsel in the defence of a transportation company in 21 lawsuits alleging damage to approximately 1,100 vehicles as a result of a spill of sulphuric acid on a Provincial highway, with total alleged damages in excess of $33m.
• Acted as counsel for a hospital in a claim for alleged medical malpractice
• Acted for lawyers in professional liability claims
• Acted as counsel for School Districts across BC in claims for personal injury
Education:
2018 Called to the British Columbia Bar
2017 Federation of Law Societies of Canada, Certificate of Canadian Accreditation
2014 Admitted as an Advocate/Barrister of the High Court of South Africa
2011 Admitted as an Attorney/Solicitor of High Court of South Africa
2008 LLB, University of Pretoria, South Africa
Professional Affiliations:
Member, Law Society of British Columbia
Member, Canadian Bar Association, B.C. Branch (Insurance Law and Civil Litigation – Vancouver sections)
