Robert D. Gibbens, Biography

Robert D. Gibbens is a senior civil litigator with more than 20 years experience. He has been counsel in a variety of important cases at all levels of court including numerous appearances at the Supreme Court of Canada.

Robert’s litigation and advisory work covers all aspects of medical malpractice, personal injury, class actions and commercial litigation. In addition, he regularly advises on appeal matters.

Robert has also represented clients in complex contract negotiations in the media industry. 

Robert holds degrees in law from both the University of British Columbia  and Oxford University,  where he was a Vinerian Scholar.  ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinerian_Scholarship)  Other academic achievements include receiving the Commonwealth Scholarship. He is a speaker at law conferences and seminars. He is also the author of numerous articles cited by courts across the country including the Supreme Court of Canada.

Areas of practice:
Appellate litigation
Class actions           
Commercial litigation   
Crown liability         
Defamation         
Employment law
Medical malpractice 
Occupier Liability   
Pension law       
Personal injury   
Product liability  
Sports law

Recent cases and court appearances:

Supreme Court of Canada

Buschau v. Rogers Communications [2006] 1 S.C.R 973 (Pension law)

Krangle v. Brisco [2002] 1 S.C.R. 205 (Medical malpractice)

Lewis v. British Columbia [1997] 3 S.C.R. 1145 (Crown liability)

Hamstra v. British Columbia Rugby [1997] 1 S.C.R. 1092 (Jury procedure)

Gibney v. Gilliland [1994] 1 S.C.R. 157 (Occupier’s liability)

Brown v. British Columbia [1994] 1 S.C.R. 420 (Crown liability)

Topical Selection of Appearances before the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court (jury* and judge alone)

Class Actions

White v. Canada  [2003] BCJ No. 442 (BCCA) ($10 million) [2004] BCJ No. 103 (BCSC)

Construction Law

Metro Can Construction v. Noel Development [1996] BCJ No. 1457 (BCCA)

Contracts (Employment)

Big Sweeper v. CanFor [1991] BCJ No. 2167 (BCCA)

Crown Liability

Just v. British Columbia [1991] BCJ No. 3328 (BCSC); [1992] BCJ No. 1370 (BCSC)

Steen v. Ministry of Highways and Transportation [1999] BCJ No. 706 (BCSC)

Jury Procedure

Deglow v. Uffelman [2001] BCJ No. 2432 (BCCA)

Benek v. Pugash [2004] BCJ No. 2309 (BCSC) (medical malpractice)

Toor v. Toor [2007] BCJ 1428 (BCCA)

Libel and Defamation

Grassi v. CKNW  [2001] BCJ No. 1073
                          [2000] BCJ No. 170  

Medical Malpractice

Chattu v. Pankratz          [1991] BCJ No. 481 (BCCA)

Holsten v. Card               [1997] BCJ No. 1293 (BCCA); [2002] BCJ No. 946 (BCCA)

Jones v. Rostvig             [1999] BCJ No. 647; [2003] BCJ No. 1840

Lankenau v. Dutton         [1991] BCJ No. 904 (BCCA)

Robinson v. LionsGateHospital     [2005] BCJ No. 302 (BCCA)

Lee v. Richmond Hospital             [2002] BCJ No. 644 (BCSC) ($7 million)
                                                  [2002] BCJ No. 1270 (BCSC)
                                                  [2003] BCJ No. 2762 (BCCA)
                                                  [2005] BCJ No. 211 (BCCA)
                                                  [2005] BCJ No. 384 (BCCA)

Occupiers Liability

Atkins v. Jim Pattison Industries [1998] BCJ No. 3050 (BCCA)

Pension Law

Hockin v. BC Bancorp.      [1989] BCJ No. 835 (BCSC)($60 million pension)
                                       [1989] BCJ No. 817 (BCSC)
                                       [1989] BCJ No. 1049 (BCCA)   
           
[1993] BCJ No. 1774 (BCSC)
                                       [1995] BCJ No. 1219 (BCCA)
                                       [1996] BCJ No. 656 (BCCA)

Sneddon v. BC Hydro        [2003] BCJ No. 1827
                                       [2004] BCJ No. 991
                                       [2004] BCJ No. 1046
                                       [2004] BCJ No. 1837

Buschau v. Rogers Communications [2001] BCJ No. 50 (BCCA)
                                                      [2004] BCJ No. 297 (BCCA)
                                                      [2004] BCJ No. 461 (BCCA)
                                                      [2004] BCJ No. 1321 (BCCA)
                                                      [2004] BCJ No. 1577 (BCCA)

Personal Injury

Paananen v. McIntyre [1994] BCJ No. 2527

Bodner v. McDonald [1997] BCJ No. 1651 (BCCA)

Lynn v. Pearson [1998] BCJ No. 1555 (BCCA)
                        [1998] BCJ No. 2593 (BCCA)

Banman v. Weipert [1999] BCJ No. 2310 (BCCA)

Products Liability

McEvoy v. Ford Motors Co.           [1989] BCJ No. 1639 (BCSC)
                                                  [1992] BCJ No. 165 (BCCA)

Kucille v. Splashdown [1991] BCJ No. 3084 (BCCA)

Sports Law

Unruh v. Webber [1994] BCJ No. 467 (BCCA)
                          [1995] BCJ No. 895 (BCCA)

Zapf v. Muckalt  [1995] BCJ No. 536 (BCSC)
                        [1995] BCJ No. 652 (BCSC)
                        [1995] BCJ No. 1882 (BCSC)
                        [1996] BCJ No. 2402 (BCCA)

Stock Fraud

Huff v. Price [1990] BCJ No. 2692 (BCCA)
                   [1992] BCJ No. 258 (BCCA)

Wills and Estates

Cavadini v. Mahaffey [1995] BCJ No. 2200 (BCCA)

*Reasons relate to procedural issues during the trial

Publications:

Journals

• Gibbens RD: International Corona Resources v. Lac Minerals: where equity rushes in. (Case comment) (1987/88) 13 Can. Bus. L.J. 489-501
  
  
• Gibbens RD: Letters of comfort. (Case comment) (Jan. 1989) 3 Banking and Finance Law Review 222-226
  
  
• Gibbens RD: Modern banking law. (By Ellinger EP) (Mar. 1989) 68 Can. Bar. Rev. 221-224 (book review)
  
• Gibbens RD: The Moral rights of artists and the Copyright Act amendments. (Sept. 1989) 15 Can. Bus. L.J. 441-470
  
  
• Gibbens RD: Professional Conduct for Canadian Lawyers. (By Smith BG) (June 1990) 69 Can. Bar. Rev. 385-388 (book review)
  
  
• Gibbens RD: Causation and fiduciary duties. (Aug. 1991) 13 Can. Bus. L.J. 301­­­-306
  
  
• Gibbens RD: Appellate review of findings of fact. (April 1992) 13 Advocates’ Q. 445-452. Cited with approval by the Supreme Court of Canada in
• Housen v. Nikolaisen [2002] 2 S.C.R. 235
• St. Jean v. Mercier [2002] 1 S.C.R. 491
• Schwartz v. Canada [1996] 1 S.C.R. 254
  
  
• Gibbens RD: Solicitor-client privilege in Canadian law. (By Manes RD and Silver MP) (Sept. 1993) 72 Can. Bar Rev. 411-413 (book review)
  
  
• Gibbens RD: The Conduct of an Appeal. (By Sopinka J and Gelowitz MA) (Sept. 1994) 73 Can Bar Rev. 448-450
  
• Gibbens RD: Section 6 of the Limitation Act: postponement. (Sept. 1994) 52 Advocate (Van.) 737-745
  
  
• Gibbens RD: Personal injury damages in Canada. (By Cooper-Stephenson K) (Sept. 1997) 76 Can. Bar Rev. 613-616 (book review)
  
  
• Gibbens RD: Causation in Infant Injury Cases (forthcoming) 2007

Authored Books

Gibbens RD: Restitution Casebook, Vancouver: UBC Faculty of Law (1988)