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Keri L. Bennett

Counsel
About

Keri Bennett provides strategic advice and representation to public and private sector clients in all areas ‎of privacy, access to information and workplace law matters‎.‎

Keri builds strong relationships with her clients and works collaboratively with them to find practical ‎solutions to their legal issues.  She advises on development of privacy programs and procedures, ‎privacy impact assessments, information sharing agreements, consent requirements, incident response‎ and statutory ‎breach notification obligations.  Keri assists clients in compliance with access to information obligations ‎while managing litigation risks. She regularly represents clients in investigations, complaints, inquiries and other matters ‎before federal and provincial information and privacy commissioners. ‎

Keri also advises employers on all stages of the employment relationship. She drafts employment ‎agreements and effective workplace policies, advises on workplace accommodations, bullying and ‎harassment, employee monitoring, social media, discipline and terminations.  As a litigator, Keri has ‎appeared before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, B.C. Supreme Court and Court of Appeal. Keri ‎also has experience in the unionized workplace, interpreting collective agreements and advising ‎employers on matters that arise under the Labour Relations Code.   ‎

Keri is certified by the Information and Privacy Professionals Association (IAPP/C), past Chair of the ‎CBA Freedom of Information and Privacy Law Section (BC Branch) and an executive member of the ‎Canadian Association of Counsel for Employers privacy committee.  Keri regularly speaks and writes on ‎privacy law issues and is recognized in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory for Data Protection and ‎Privacy and in the 2022 special edition and Technology & Health Sciences as well as Best Lawyers in ‎Canada. ‎

Bar admissionsBritish Columbia, 2014Ontario, 2011

EXPERIENCE

  • Represent private sector clients in investigations by the federal Office of Information and Privacy Commissioner, including investigations into marketing practices, video surveillance, collection of medical information; successful defence of investigations.
  • Represent public body in multiple matters before the B.C. Office of the ‎Information and Privacy Commissioner filed by employees, media and other third parties.Successful ‎defence of requests for review, inquiries and complaints. ‎
  • Advised private sector client on development of global privacy program, including ‎issues regarding location of data storage and data transfer requirements.‎
  • Advise public and private sector clients on statutory breach notification obligations and incident response.
  • Advised private sector client on creation of privacy policy and approach for ‎implementation of new video surveillance system in the unionized workplace Advised on grievance and successful defence of ‎grievance.
  • Advised non-profit organization collecting highly sensitive medical information on ‎the development of comprehensive privacy program, including strategy, policies, workflow and risks ‎relating to collection of children’s personal information, capacity and consent issues.‎
  • Advise public bodies on information sharing agreements, management of employee ‎and third party information, development of policies.
  • Successful defence of complaint to the OIPC alleging over collection of medical ‎information. ‎
  • ICBC and BC Hydro and Powertech v. CUPE, 2021 BCLRB 181‎.
  • Demsky v. Bentall Kennedy Group and others, 2018 BCHRT 257.‎
  • Aubrey v. Teck Highland Valley Copper, 2017 BCCA 144‎.
  • Teck Highland Valley Copper v United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied ‎Industrial and Service Workers International Union, Local 7619, 2015 CanLII 79419.‎
Languages
  • English
Education
  • B.F.A., University of Regina, ‎‎1996‎
  • J.D., University of Toronto, 2010‎
  • CIPP(C)‎

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

  • Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory (Data Protection & Privacy), 2022‎-2023
  • Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory, Technology and Health Sciences Special Edition, 2022‎-2023
  • Best Lawyers in Canada (Privacy and Data Security Law), 2023-2024

Publications and media

  • ‎B.C. Employment Standards Act Quick Reference (Gavin Marshall, Ryan Copeland and Keri Bennett), ‎Thompson Reuters (2019-2023 Editions)‎
  • Practical Law, IT and Communications Systems Policy Q&A (Keri Bennett, Danny Bernstein and Chris ‎Munroe), Thompson Reuters
  • Review of clinics writes prescription for protection of privacy. Business in Vancouver (Keri Bennett and ‎Janna Crown) (December 20, 2019) ‎
  • More risky business for employers: new data breach regulations, Business in Vancouver (October 5, ‎‎2018)‎
  • Best ways for business to manage the new social media minefield, Business in Vancouver (June 6, ‎‎2018) ‎

Seminars

  • ‎Speaker, “Privacy and Surveillance Technology Issues”, Employment Law Masterclass West, November ‎‎1, 2022‎
  • Chair, “Privacy - Data Breaches: How to Prepare for the Worst and Get Through the Rest”, Canadian ‎Association of Counsel to Employers Conference, September 23, 2022‎
  • Moderator, “Access to Information in the Digital Age”, Canadian Bar Association Webinar, September ‎‎22, 2022‎
  • Speaker, “Employee Privacy in Canada” Employment Law Alliance (ELA) podcast, part of the ELA ‎Employment Matters podcast series, April 27, 2021 ‎
  • Panelist, “An In House Guide to Privacy and Access Law”, Canadian Bar Association Webinar, February ‎‎20, 2020 ‎
  • Chair, CBA BC Privacy Law Conference 2019‎
  • Panelist, “Canadian Update”, CBA Access to Information and Privacy Law Symposium, October 18-19, ‎‎2019‎
  • Panelist, “The business impact of changes to privacy laws”, BC Legal Innovation Forum, November 2019 ‎
  • Panelist, “Workplace Privacy in a Digital Age,” Foundational Cases and Recent Developments, October, ‎‎2019‎
  • Speaker, “Privacy Issues in the Labour and Employment Context”, CLEBC, May 2018‎
  • Panelist, “Drones in Privacy”, Reboot, Privacy and Security Conference, February 2017‎

Memberships and Affiliations

  • ‎Past Chair and Executive Member, Canadian Bar Association – B.C., Freedom of Information + Privacy ‎Law Section ‎(2015-2021)
  • Executive Member, Canadian Bar Association – National, Privacy and Access Section (2017-2022)
  • Executive Member, Privacy Committee - Canadian Association of Counsel to Employers
  • Law Society of British Columbia
  • Law Society of Ontario
  • BC Privacy Professionals Network

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