Joseph Arvay, Q.C. holds law degrees from the University of Western Ontario Law School and Harvard Law School. He spent five years as an assistant then associate professor at the University of Windsor Law School before relocating to British Columbia in 1981 where he assumed the position of senior counsel and later general counsel for the British Columbia Ministry of the Attorney General. In 1990 he, together with John Finlay and Murray Rankin, started the law firm of Arvay Finlay and in that capacity Mr. Arvay has a busy civil litigation practice but with an emphasis on constitutional and administrative law matters. He has been involved in many constitutional cases of importance in British Columbia and elsewhere in Canada. Mr. Arvay has been involved in a number of aboriginal-rights litigation cases including Delgamuukw in the Supreme Court of Canada and he is now counsel for the Haida Nation in their aboriginal title claim. Other cases he has been involved in at the Supreme Court of Canada level include Andrews v. The Law Society of British Columbia, Egan and Nesbit v. AG Canada, Blencoe v. B.C. Human Rights Commission and AGBC, Little Sisters Book and Art Emporium v. AG Canada, and Chamberlain v. Surrey School Board. He is also counsel on medical malpractice cases, class actions, commercial litigation and defamation.
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Irene Faulkner, who articled at the firm, was called to the Bar of the Law Society of British Columbia in May 1995 and joined Arvay Finlay as an associate. Even during her academic studies at the Faculty of Law, University of Victoria, Ms. Faulkner was employed by our firm. She has worked closely with the partners in conducting research and has participated in several of our major cases.
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Mark Underhill is a graduate of the Faculty of Law, University of Victoria, where he spent several research terms working in the area of environmental law and policy. Mark also articled with the firm, and was called to the Bar of the Law Society of British Columbia in May of 1996. Mark’s particular areas of interest include administrative, environmental and aboriginal law. He was co-counsel in the landmark Delgamuukw decision at the Supreme Court of Canada. He is currently co-teaching the Environmental Law Centre clinic course at the Faculty of Law, University of Victoria.
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Christopher Jones was called to the Bar by the Law Society of British Columbia in March, 1996. Prior to joining Arvay Finlay as an associate in June 1997, he was at the Vancouver firm of Guild, Yule & Company. Chris attended Dalhousie University Law School and was a Clerk at the Federal Court of Canada from 1993 to 1995. Chris has been the Gale Moot Coach at the University of Victoria for the past two years. Chris's areas of practice include civil litigation and energy regulation. In 1999 Chris represented Westcoast Gas Services Inc. at the BC Utilities Commission hearing into the Southern Crossing Pipeline Project.
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Catherine Parker is a graduate of the Faculty of Law, University of Victoria, where she received the Law Society Gold Medal for achieving the highest aggregate marks. Ms. Parker was called to the Bar of the Law Society of British Columbia in May of 1998. Prior to joining Arvay Finlay, she worked with the Canadian Institute of Resources Law and the government of British Columbia. Ms. Parker’s areas of practice include civil litigation and administrative law and labour law. In addition, Catherine has assisted Mr. Arvay with such constitutional cases as the recent Surrey School Board book banning case and the defence of the Nisga’a Treaty.
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Kathryn Chapman, is also a graduate of the Faculty of Law, University of Victoria. Kathryn was first employed by our firm through the Law School's Co-operative Education Program in the fall of 1997, worked with us through her third year of law school and went on to complete her articles with us. Kathryn was called to the Bar of the Law Society of British Columbia in September of 1999. Prior to joining Arvay Finlay, Kathryn held co-op positions with the British Columbia Ministry of Environment Lands and Parks and with the British Columbia Fisheries Secretariat. Kathryn is a member of the B.C. Mediator Roster. Kathryn's areas of interest include constitutional law, human rights, environmental law, administrative law, employment law and civil litigation. [email protected]
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Matt Pollard received his law degree from the University of Victoria in 1998. He was twice elected to the University Board of Governors, and on graduation was awarded the William R. McIntyre Medal for academic excellence, community service and student leadership. Matt articled with Arvay Finlay, and joined the firm as an associate upon his call to the Bar of the Law Society of British Columbia in December of 1999. Matt was a Law Clerk to the Supreme Court of British Columbia, in both Victoria and Vancouver, during 1998-99. His areas of interest include constitutional, environmental, and administrative law.
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