personal
legal
excellence
- commercial litigation, including breach of contract, business torts, and insurance
- defence of professionals in regulatory investigation / discipline matters
- Constitutional and human rights consultation and litigation, with a particular emphasis on freedom of expression (including of candidates for public office during elections), religion, and association, and parental rights (acting both for parties and for interveners), and the duty to accommodate disability.
- Litigation against government actors for misfeasance in public office.
- construction disputes, including applications for removal of builder's liens
- real estate litigation, including Powers of Attorney, incapacity issues, and contested committeeships/litigation guardianships
- personal injury ranging from occupier's liability to civil assault to aesthetician negligence.
- (through Bleay Both Uppal LLP) acting for strata corporations in all aspects of their litigation needs, including in all levels of court in BC and 'in the background' at the Civil Resolution Tribunal (in such matters as building defects, contract claims, insurance deductible charge-backs, and strata fee foreclosures), and at the Human Rights Tribunal
- society governance disputes, including: advising society boards on the holding of contested general meetings and providing real-time legal advice to the meeting chair, acting for members exercising rights to obtaining membership lists and requisitioning SGM's, providing independent legal advice to directors.
- administrative law and judicial reviews
- defamation
- professional negligence
- acting for both creditors and debtors
- disputes between or against shareholders
- whitecollar civil fraud
- employment disputes
Services we Offer
Mr. Trotter has mediated cases mandated by the BC Small Claims Court, and has been retained by parties for private mediation. He also offers conflict resolution presentations and workshops for faith and community groups at reduced rates. Contact him for more information.
Clients consult Mr. Trotter not only when they are sure that they need to resort to litigation, but also when they hope that litigation can be avoided. Mr. Trotter is able to provide a legal opinion on his clients' rights and risks, to seek an early conciliatory resolution through mediation and negotiation, or to advance his clients' interests through litigation where required.
Litigation Consulting Services to Other Lawyers
Due to his considerable constitutional litigation experience, Mr. Trotter's views are sought after by other lawyers whose clients find their freedom of religion and freedom of speech infringed by state actors, or who suffer discrimination as a result of their religious or political beliefs or activities. In addition to acting for such clients himself, Mr. Trotter acts (sometimes at reduced rates) "in the background" in a consulting capacity to other lawyers, providing them with support in such things as selecting the best legal strategy, developing evidence and legal arguments, and drafting or revising written submissions and facta.
Mediation
Mr. Trotter is a passionate advocate of the use of mediation to assist parties in arriving at their own mutually acceptable resolution in a way which preserves ongoing relationships and minimizes legal cost. Mr. Trotter studied and practiced mediation during law school, continued his mediation education through the Centre for Conflict Resolution at the Justice Institute of British Columbia, and is a graduate of the Court Mediation Practicum. He was a member of the civil roster of Mediate BC from 2006 - 2014.
Civil Litigation, including Administrative and Constitutional Law
Mr. Trotter's broad experience includes: