My Speaking Engagements

Watch for updates on media interviews and upcoming speaking engagements:

CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION February 29, 2024  “Animal Law Update: Pet Custody”

CANADIAN BAR ASSOCIATION FAMILY LAW CONFERENCE April 28, 2023 “Where Deals Go to Die: Challenging Domestic Agreements”

CTV TELEVISION  INTERVIEW September 28, 2022 ” Aquilini Headlines in the Media re: Family Violence”

LEXISNEXIS CANADA WEBINAR September 28, 2022  “Family and Wills, Trust and Estates Law Challenges and Solutions: Discretionary Trusts”

TRIAL LAWYERS OF BC May 6, 2022 Family Law Conference “Reach for the Top: Be the Lawyer Clients Swear By, Not At”: Alienation, Estrangement and Gatekeeping”

TRIAL LAWYERS OF BC September 18, 2020 “You Be the Judge”: BCCA Excluded Property Update

PACIFIC BUSINESS AND LAW INSTITUTE April 21, 2020 “Retirement and Family Law: So Long Freedom 55”

TRIAL LAWYERS OF B.C. WEBINAR November 5, 2019 “It Takes a Village: Court of Appeal Update on Excluded Property”

CKNW RADIO Vancouver October 4, 2019 Interview on Sara Simi Show on non-disclosure agreements

CANADIAN BAR ASSOCIATION Vancouver Family Law Section Year-End Dinner Meeting April 16, 2019 “Anecdotes from a Family Law Practice”

CANADIAN BAR ASSOCIATION New Westminster Family Law Section January 21, 2019 Family Law Appeals

CKNW RADIO Vancouver November 28, 2018 Interview with Mike Smyth on reforms to Divorce Act and open line on family law

TRIAL LAWYERS of B.C. November 16, 2018 “Anatomy of a Family File : A Litigator’s Guide” Coast Coal Harbour Hotel “Family Law Arbitration: 5 Years Later”

PACIFIC BUSINESS and LAW INSTITUTE November 21, 2018 “Tax and Succession Planning for the Family Business” UBC Robson Square “Alternate Dispute Resolution for the Family Business”

CANADIAN BAR ASSOCIATION VANCOUVER ADR SECTION September 18, 2018 “Family Law Arbitration: 5 Years Later” Clark Wilson Law Firm

CKNW Radio Vancouver June 25, 2018 Interview with Mike Smyth on Hot Real Estate Market and Divorce

CKNW Radio Vancouver June 5, 2018 Interview with Mike Smyth on Social Media Prenups

CKNW Radio Vancouver May 3, 2018 Interview with Mike Smyth on Grey Divorce and Shared Parenting

TRIAL LAWYERS OF BC April 28, 2018 Young Lawyers Conference, Executive Suites and Resort, Squamish, BC Topic: “Marketing Your Law Practice”

TRIAL LAWYERS OF BC WEBINAR March 2018 “Everything You Wanted to Know About Social Media, But Were Afraid to Ask”.

CKNW Radio Vancouver February 27, 2018 Interview with Mike Smyth on Pet Custody in Family Law cases

CKNW Radio Vancouver October 23, 2017 Interview with reporter Charmaine De Silva on Court of Appeal decision in JP v. British Columbia

CBC Toronto October 20, 2017 Informational Interview with reporter Jeremy MacDonald on the enforcement of Canada’s prostitution laws

PALM DESERT PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH April 23, 2017 “Come to God’s Throne of Grace”

CHARLES ADLER SHOW CKNW RADIO January 25, 2017 “Millennials and Prenups”

TRIAL LAWYERS OF BC WEBINAR  March 2, 2017 “Practical Tax Tips for Family Law Lawyers”

CKNW Radio November 16, 2016 Interview with Michael Smyth on Family Law in BC

CBC RADIO November 14, 2016 Interview with Gloria Macarenko on Family Law in BC

CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION November 4, 2016 “Advanced Financial Issues in Family Law”

CANADIAN ASSOCIATION FOR EQUALITY June 17, 2016 Panel member speaking on “The Accusation is the Verdict: Is Canada’s Legal System Anti-Male?

HUFFINGTON POST February 25, 2016 Interview for article  “11 Marriage Truths From Divorce Attorneys”

THE TESTIMONY January 2016 Interview on religious freedom in Canada

CBC RADIO November 2, 2015 Interview with reporter Jason Proctor on  Estate Claims by Common Law Spouses

PACIFIC BUSINESS AND LAW INSTITUTE October 28, 2015 Paper and Speaking Engagement on Grey Spousal Support: Will You Still Need Me, Will You Still Feed Me, When I’m 64?

CBC RADIO THE EARLY EDITION October 22, 2015 Interview with Rick Cluff on a Grandparent’s Right to Take Their Grandchild to Church or Discuss Religion

FAMILY LAW ADVOCATES GROUP September 30, 2015 Paper and Speaking Engagement on Spousal Support and High-Net Worth Divorce

VANCOUVER SUN September 22, 2015 Interview on child protection court case regarding 8-year-old child left home alone

CANADIAN BAR ASSOCIATION Two-hour Webinar September 15, 2015 on Arbitration and Mediation

CTV NEWS June 8, 2015 and June 9, 2015 Interview on domestic violence with senior reporter Lisa Rossington

CANADIAN BAR ASSOCIATION WOMEN LAWYERS FORUM May 21, 2015 Speaking on the topic of “Building and Maintaining Your Practice: Hard Won Lessons from the Pros”

TRIAL LAWYERS OF BC April 24, 2015 Speaking on the topic of hidden
assets in divorce cases “Finding Hidden Assets:Getting Blood From a Stone”

CBC RADIO April 16, 2015 Debate between lawyer Georgialee Lang and Osgoode Hall Law Professor Allan Hutchinson: Is the Supreme Court of Canada too activist? Go to CBC.ca 180 Show with Host Jim Brown to listen to the debate.

CBC RADIO October 1, 2014 Interview with Mark Forsythe on the billions of dollars in unpaid child and spousal support;

SHAW CABLE September 18, 2014 Interviewed on the David Berner Show on equal parenting after divorce;

NATIONAL FAMILY LAW CONFERENCE July 16, 2014 at Whistler, BC Speaking and delivering a paper titled When Income and Assets Collide

NEWSWISE FATHER’S DAY PRESS CONFERENCE June 2014 live streamed with actor Jason Patric and Dr. Warren Farrell on shared parenting after divorce.

VANCOUVER SUN March 7, 2014 Interview with reporter Rob Shaw on the delay in receiving judges’ decisions in B.C.’s Provincial Family Court;

BLOGTALKRADIO CHICAGO March 5, 2014 Interview with talk show host Jill Egizii on shared parenting and parental alienation;

GEORGIA STRAIGHT NEWSPAPER February 24, 2014 Interviewed by reporter Carlito Pablo on Canada’s pending legislation regarding prostitution;

CANADIAN LAWYER MAGAZINE February 21, 2014 Interviewed by reporter Charlotte Santry on Pro Bono Legal Services, article titled “Giving Back”;

CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION February 3, 2014 Presented a paper entitled “So you Want to be a Superstar Lawyer”

PACIFIC BUSINESS AND LAW INSTITUTE January 28, 2014 Presented a paper entitled “Special Topics in Mediation and Arbitration: Shuttle Mediation, Impasse in Mediation, and Med/Arb”

MEDIA INTERVIEW January 21, 2014 CKNW Radio Interview with Bill Good on Court ordering spouse to pay his wife for his outrageous litigation behavior;

MEDIA INTERVIEW December 17, 2013 CKNW Radio Interview with Bill Good on Divorce, Children and Christmas

MEDIA INTERVIEW December 3, 2013 CBC Radio Interview with Jason Proctor on Same Sex Divorce for Non-Residents

MEDIA INTERVIEW September 9, 2013 Globe and Mail Story on Settlement of Aquilini divorce trial

MEDIA INTERVIEW September 9, 2013 Vancouver Sun Story on Settlement of Aquilini divorce trial

MEDIA INTERVIEW September 4, 2013 Vancouver Sun Story on Aquilini divorce trial

MEDIA INTERVIEW July 25, 2013 CBC Radio “Hague Convention and BC case of Yao v. Li”

CLE-TV June 19, 2013 “Cashing in Your Chips: Selling (or Buying) a Law Practice”

MEDIA REPORT June 14, 2013 THE BC CATHOLIC “Top Justices Discuss Sex”

MEDIA REPORT June 13, 2013  THE RECORD “Prostitution Debate Heats Up in Canada’s Highest Court”

MEDIA INTERVIEW March 18, 2013 CBC Radio Vancouver “BC’s New Family Law Act

MEDIA INTERVIEW March 18, 2013 CBC TV Newsworld “BC’s New Family Law Act

MEDIA INTERVIEW March 18, 2013 The Georgia Straight “BC’s New Family Law Act”

MEDIA INTERVIEW March 16, 2013 National Post “BC’s New Family Law Act”

MEDIA INTERVIEW February 21, 2013 Interview with editor of “The Resolver” UK

BRITISH COLUMBIA ARBITRATION AND MEDIATION INSTITUTE February 18, 20, and 21, 2013 Family Law Arbitration

CLE CONFERENCE February 1, 2013 Everything You Always Wanted to Know About the New Family Law Act, But Were Afraid to Ask (Arbitration)

MEDIA INTERVIEW January 23, 2013 Law Times Interviewed on Arbitration

MEDIA INTERVIEW December 18, 2012 CKNW Michael Smith “Families at Christmas”

MEDIA INTERVIEW September 11, 2012 CKNW Simi Sara show on Bountiful, BC

MEDIA INTERVIEW September 10, 2012 Fox 13, Utah, Ben Winslow, reporter for Fox 13 TV

MEDIA INTERVIEW September 7, 2012 With Daphne Bramham for her piece in the Vancouver Sun on Bountiful, BC

MEDIA INTERVIEW CKNW June 26, 2012 Bill Good Show on how the new Family Law Act will help fathers

CLE-TV June 26, 2012 Family Law Arbitration

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENT June 20, 2012 at Tenth Avenue Alliance Church

MEDIA INTERVIEW CBC-RADIO RICK CLUFF June 18, 2012 Discussing a BC Supreme Court case dealing with a parental dispute over the immunization of a child

CLE-TV May 1, 2012 What You Need to Know Now About the New Family Law Act

CLE-TV November 22, 2011 Ethical Issues in Family Law

MEDIA INTERVIEW November 14, 2011 CBC Radio, Vancouver and Victoria discussing BC’s new Family Law Act

UNIVERSITY OF BC LAW SCHOOL September 1, 2011 I’ll be speaking to first year law students as part of their orientation day.

AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION ANNUAL MEETING August 5 2011 in Toronto Panelist as a contributing author to “The Road to Independence-101 Women’s Journeys to Starting Their Own Law Firm”

MEDIA INTERVIEW June 8, 2011 Interview with Michael Smyth on CKNW Radio “Is Tweeting Cheating?”

LAWYERS AND THE MEDIA June 6, 2011 Co-chair, writer and speaker at conference in Vancouver

MEDIA INTERVIEW April 12, 2011 Interview with Michael Smyth on CKNW Radio on Canada’s failing system of family law

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENT April 28, 2011 at Cloverdale Baptist Church

MEDIA INTERVIEW April 18, 2011 Interview with Kamloops Radio NL on Justice Joel Groves and the BC Court of Appeal decision rebuking him for “plagiarism”

MEDIA INTERVIEW March 31, 2011 Interview with CBC TV News on Child Abduction and the US with reporter Lisa Johnson

MEDIA INTERVIEW March 30, 2011 Interview with CBC Radio “Early Edition” on Child Abduction and the US with reporter Jason Proctor

MEDIA INTERVIEW March 25, 2011 Interview with CBC TV on Child Abduction and India with reporter Susie Da Silva

MEDIA INTERVIEW March 24, 2011 Interview with CBC Radio on Child Abduction with reporter Jason Proctor

INNS OF COURT March 9, 2011. Presentation on Lawyers and the Media

MEDIA INTERVIEW February 22, 2011 on the Fanny Kiefer Show on Shaw Cable Channel 4 on the topic “What’s New in Family Law”

MEDIA INTERVIEW December 23, 2010 with Michael Campbell on the Bill Good Show on CKNW. The topic was the access dilemma that arises every Christmas for divorced couples who cannot agree on holiday parenting time.

MEDIA INTERVIEW November 23, 2010 with Christy Clark on her show on CKNW. We discussed the polygamy test case that is being heard in the British Columbia Supreme Court over the next several months. The key issue is whether Canada will legalize polygamy.

FAMILY LAW ADVOCATES GROUP October 27, 2010 at the Sutton Place Hotel in Vancouver. Topic: The Wacky World of Family Law.

MEDIA INTERVIEW Interview on October 26, 2010 with Christy Clark on her show on CKNW. The discussion was about a woman in British Columbia who has brought a claim to discover who her sperm donor “father” is.

RADIO NEW ZEALAND Interview on October 25, 2010 on Jim Mora’s show The Panel. Topic: The Circus has Come to Town: Randy Quaid

MEDIA INTERVIEW Interview on August 4, 2010 with Christy Clark on her show on CKNW. I discussed the topic of parents suing their adult children for parental support.

ADVOCACY CONFERENCE 2010 NOVEMBER 26 and 27 2010 at the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre, 1088 Burrard Street.

This Conference is held in Vancouver every ten years. Leading trial and appellate counsel will be speaking on a variety of litigation topics. I will be addressing the topic: How to prepare a Family Law case for Trial.

MEDIA INTERVIEW on Tuesday July 20, 2010 with Bill Good from CKNW Radio on the government recommendations to amend the Family Relations Act.

MEDIA INTERVIEW on Tuesday July 20, 2010 with Mark Forsyth from CBC Radio on the government recommendations to amend the Family Relations Act.

MEDIA INTERVIEW on Tuesday July 20, 2010 for CITY TV on the government recommendations to amend the Family Relations Act.

MEDIA INTERVIEWS On Monday July 19, 2010 I was interviewed by multiple journalists on the new family law rules. My comments were included in articles in the Vancouver Sun, the Globe and Mail, the National Post and other regional newspapers.

ICONNECT WOMEN’S CONFERENCE

On April 19, 2010 I spoke to a group of 325 women at Broadway Church 2700 East Broadway Street, Vancouver on the topic “Fear and Forgiveness”.

My presentation focused on women’s fear and anxiety that that they are not pretty enough, not smart enough and not entitled to be successful. I also focused on mistakes women make and why they need to forgive themselves to move forward in their lives.

I was humbled to receive a standing ovation at the conclusion of my speech. It was clear to me that this topic resonated with many of the women in attendance.

8) ADVOCIIS CONFERENCE OCTOBER 2009

I spoke to 100 plus financial planners at the Morris Wosk Center in Vancouver on the topics of family and estate law in retirement planning.

FAMILY LAW CONFERENCE CLE JULY 2009

My presentation was entitled “The Future is Now”. I spoke to over 300 family law lawyers about three recent decisions of our court, namely, Chutter v. Chutter BCCA, Stein v. Stein SCC, and Rick v. Brandsema BCCA and SCC. I was counsel in each of the three cases.

Chutter was a case where the wife left a very long marriage with the ability to work part-time as a dental hygienist and the sum of $4 million as her share of the family assets. The question before the BCCA was “when does a spouse receive enough capital to disentitle her to spousal support?”. The Appeal Court found that $4 million was not enough because it included non-income producing property such as her $2 million home and her $1 million RRSP. The Court awarded Ms. Chutter indefinite support of $2800.00 per month, a sum that was less than what the Spousal Support Guidelines called for.

In Stein, the Supreme Court of Canada was asked to determine whether a contingent income tax debt related to a tax shelter owned by the husband was a family debt that ought to be a shared responsibility of the former spouses. The Court said that it was a family debt, since the wife participated in the benefits of the tax shelter, she must also share in the burden.

In Rick v. Brandsema the Court focused on whether the husband’s disclosure of financial information and documents, at the date a separation agreement was being negotiated, was in accordance with family law statutes and the common law. The Court found that the disclosure was inadequate, particularly when it was coupled with the wife’s significant vulnerabilities.