PATRICK SNELLING

Focus: Business litigation, personal injury and insurance disputes

Pat was raised in Kanata, received a BA from the University of Western Ontario in 1992, and his LLB from the University of British Columbia. After articling, he was admitted to the Law Society of British Columbia in 1996, and the Law Society of Upper Canada in 2000.

 

After years as a successful litigator in Vancouver, Pat returned to Ottawa and joined the firm in 2007. He became a partner in 2009. He practices in the field of civil litigation, with emphasis on business disputes, personal injury, and insurance matters.

 

Pat’s trial experience as a civil litigator is extensive. He has appeared in trial and appellate courts in British Columbia and Ontario, and has conducted numerous jury trials. Pat is also experienced with various avenues of alternative dispute resolution and has appeared before a variety of administrative tribunals.

Accomplished and determined

Acting for large institutional clients, small businesses and individuals, Pat is committed to providing cost-effective, results-based litigation services tailored to each client’s needs.

 

Currently, Pat is member of the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Canadian Bar Association, the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association, and the Carleton County Law Association. He is a past member of the Law Society of British Columbia, the Trial Lawyers Association of British Columbia, and the Criminal Lawyers Association. He is also a past member at large of the National Criminal sub-section of the Canadian Bar Association.

 

Pat volunteers on the Board of Directors of Kanata Soccer, and as a member of the Kanata North Recreation Centre Steering Committee.

 

Samples cases

Pat’s experience includes numerous reported cases, including:

 

Geographic Resources Integrated Data Solutions Ltd. v. Peterson et al. (2009) 73 CPR (4th) 238; 74 CPC (6th) 313 (On.SCJ Master)

 

This decision addressed whether a defendant could claim privilege over information he shared with his lawyer in contemplation of committing fraud. Pat argued successfully that the rule against privilege extended to circumstances involving wrongdoing generally, and was not restricted to fraud.

 

Nesbitt v. James Western Star Sterling Ltd. (2006) BCSC 473
This was a judge-alone trial proceeding that took place in the British Columbia Supreme Court. Pat successfully obtained a judgment for deceit, a species of fraud that includes a component of punitive damages.

 

Keizer v. Radovanovic (2005) BCSC 1241
In this decision of the Registrar of the British Columbia Supreme Court, Pat successfully advanced a technical legal argument pertaining to calculation of GST on trial awards. The result had potentially significant long-term consequences for trial awards in British Columbia.