Biography
Aaron practices in the area of civil and commercial litigation. He maintains a broad litigation practice with an emphasis on the defence of professional negligence and product liability claims, the defence of municipalities in property damage and personal injury claims, the prosecution of subrogated claims and providing coverage advice.
Aaron brings a large picture and pragmatic perspective to the prosecution and defence of legal actions. He seeks to understand his client’s business and claims handling objectives and to put those objectives front of mind when deriving and implementing litigation strategy.
In addition to his litigation practice, Aaron is an Adjunct Professor of Insurance Law course at the Peter A. Allard School of Law at UBC, involved in a number of Canadian Bar Association subsections, and frequently presents and publishes on risk management and related legal topics.
Aaron was called to the British Columbia Bar in 2019 after completing his articles at Guild Yule LLP. Since being called to the Bar, Aaron has represented clients in all levels of court, including the Supreme Court of Canada.
During law school, Aaron wrote the top essay in the Canadian Defence Lawyers Foundation’s Essay Prize Contest, which was published in Justice Archibald’s 2018 Annual Review of Civil Litigation. Aaron was also the recipient of awards including the Harper Grey LLP Prize in Insurance Law, the Panvini Scholarship in Law and the Tracey Gibb Memorial Scholarship in Law.
Outside of law, Aaron maintains an active outdoor lifestyle, including hiking, skiing, soccer, travelling and camping.
Gustafson v. Macfarlane, 2023 BCSC 1524 – counsel in a trial continuation concerning the appropriate allowance for accommodative housing for a plaintiff who sustained a spinal cord injury
Flawse v. Knapfl, 2023 BCSC 1142 – lead counsel in the successful defence of a claim for property damage resulting from allegedly negligent roofing work
McCormick v. Plambeck, 2022 BCCA 219, leave to appeal to SCC refused – counsel in the successful defense of an appeal and application for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada of a decision concerning the novel duty of care of a social host towards minors
Wallace v. Kinetic Patterns Inc. et. al., 2022 BCPC – counsel in a successful application to dismiss a malpractice claim brought against a dentist on the basis that it was limitation-barred
Rivers v North Vancouver (District), 2020 BCSC 1050, 2021 BCCA 407, leave to appeal to SCC refused – counsel in the successful defense of a claim against three little league baseball societies at summary trial, on appeal, and on leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada, where the plaintiff alleged negligence and breach of the Occupiers’ Liability Act
Insurance Corporation of British Columbia v Teck Metals Ltd., 2020 BCSC 259, 2020 BCSC 1617, 2021 BCSC 1477, 2021 BCSC 1478, 2021 BCSC 1582, 2022 BCSC 340 – junior counsel to the principal defendant in 11 legal actions arising out two sulphuric acid spill incidents, including at a variety of interlocutory applications concerning novel legal issues
De Sousa v. Rogers, 2019 BCSC 128 – assisted in the successful defense of a claim against two dentists where plaintiff alleged negligence and lack of informed consent
PBC Health Benefits Society v. 0055326 B.C. Ltd. (16 October 2018), Vancouver S182829 (S.C.) – assisted in the successful dismissal of an application for leave to file a third party notice against insurer for indemnity – successfully argued that relief being sought did not relate to relief sought by plaintiff
Counsel in a commercial arbitration concerning the duty to defend for intentional torts
2019 Called to the British Columbia Bar
2018 J.D., University of British Columbia
2015 B.B.A., Trinity Western University
2015 B.A. in Political Studies, Trinity Western University
Member, Law Society of British Columbia
Member, Canadian Bar Association, BC Branch (Health Law, Civil Litigation, Young Lawyers and Insurance Law sections)
Member, Vancouver Bar Association
Member, Canadian Defence Lawyers
Member, Medical Legal Society
Lectures
Ongoing: Peter A. Allard School of Law, Adjunct Profession of Insurance Law
Ongoing: IBABC, Loss Control Seminar, Instructor
June 2021: BCRIMA, Navigating the Opportunities, Problems and Pitfalls presented by Contractual Indemnities and Additional Insurance Covenants
November 2018: Co-Presenter at CLE BC Insurance Law Conference, “Duty to Defend”
Publications
November 2018: Co-Author, “Insurers Caught Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea: An Update on the Duty to Defend”, CLE BC Insurance Law Conference
October 2018: Author, “Developments in the Duty to Defend Intentional and Criminal Acts Post-Scalera: The Case for a Limited Exception to the Rule Against Extrinsic Evidence” in Todd L. Archibald, ed., Annual Review of Civil Litigation (Toronto, ON: Thomson Reuters, 2018)
August 2018: Co-Author, Guild Yule Briefing Note, “Private Property Owner Tort Liability for Bylaw Breach”