Justina Driedger

She/HerAssociate
About

Justina is a member of the firm’s Litigation, Arbitration and Investigations group and is licensed in British Columbia and Alberta. 

Her key areas of practice include complex estate and trust litigation and administrative law in a variety of regulatory contexts. In addition to acting as trial and appellate counsel in these areas, Justina provides strategic analysis, opinions and written submissions for a wide range of civil and commercial litigation matters, including contractual disputes, forestry regulation, transportation law, and professional regulation.

Justina has appeared before the BC Court of Appeal, BC Supreme Court and BC Provincial Court and numerous arbitrators and mediators. Justina also has experience with various administrative and regulatory bodies including the Forest Appeals Commission, Canadian Transportation Agency and the BC Human Rights Tribunal.

Before articling with the firm in 2014, Justina worked as a judicial law clerk for two judges at the BC Court of Appeal.

 
Bar admissionsAlberta, 2023British Columbia, 2015

EXPERIENCE

  • Counsel for a Trustee in a successful five-week trial dealing with $15 million in trust assets: Mong Alter Ego Trust No. 1 v. Yip, 2022 BCSC 1327.
  • Counsel for Selkirk Mountain Forest Limited in a successful judicial review, overturning a decision by the Registrar of Timber Marks: Selkirk Mountain Forest Limited v. British Columbia (Registrar of Timber Marks), 2019 BCSC 1226.
  • Counsel for a leading forestry company in successfully disputing a stumpage re-assessment by the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development. 
Languages
  • English
Education
  • J.D., Queen’s University, 2013
  • B.A., University of British Columbia, 2008

Awards

Best Lawyers Canada, Lawyer to Watch (Corporate and Commercial Litigation, Trusts and Estates), 2024

Pro Bono

  • Provides at least 50 hours per year of pro bono legal advice, including full legal representation for low income individuals.
  • Member of the Access Pro Bono legal advice roster. 
  • Participant in Access Pro Bono’s annual advice-a-thon, providing summary advice and raising funds for Access Pro Bono’s programs. 

Publications

  • Tom v. Tang, 2023 BCCA 221, Take Five: Case summary with counsel comments, July 2023
  • “Challenges to Life Insurance and Benefit Plan Beneficiaries”, Chapter 6, Estate Litigation Deskbook (CLEBC, anticipated publication date Spring 2023). 
  • “Settling Trusts for Adults with Diminished or No Capacity”, Continuing Legal Education Society of British Columbia, April 2019
 

Memberships And Affiliations

  • Member, Law Society of British Columbia
  • Member, Canadian Bar Association
  • Mentoring Committee Member, Women Lawyers Forum (Canadian Bar Association), 2016-2020

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