Ron Skolrood is a senior litigator who acts for clients in a broad range of matters, with a particular emphasis on contractual and other business disputes, pension and benefit matters, health law matters and all aspects of public law, including administrative, aboriginal and constitutional law. He represents clients in all levels of court and also has considerable experience in mediation and other forms of alternate dispute resolution. Ron is very active within the legal profession and is the current Chair of the British Columbia Law Institute, the leading independent, not-for-profit law reform agency in the Province.
Recognition and Ranking
* Martindale-Hubbell International Law Directory: BV Peer Review rated
* Best Lawyers in Canada: recognized for employee benefits law
Professional Career
Significant Accomplishments
Examples of matters in which Ron has acted include:
* Representing a used oil processor in an action to recover damages resulting from contaminated waste oil (Enviro West Inc. vs. Copper Mountain Mining Corp. et al 2010 BCSC 1443)
* Representing a large health and welfare benefit trust in an arbitration concerning the termination of an administrative services contract
* Representing a major forest company in connection with claims brought by former employees for pension and related benefits following the sale of certain divisions of the company
* Advising the Board of Trustees of a major public sector pension plan with respect to a class action concerning post-retirement group benefits
* Representing a group of physicians in judicial review proceedings with the College of Physicians and Surgeons concerning the approval of new medical technologies
* Representing a foreign trained physician in a human rights proceeding concerning professional licensure in B.C.
* Representing the B.C. Civil Liberties Association as an intervenor in a constitutional challenge to bylaws of the City of Victoria prohibiting homeless people from erecting temporary forms of shelter (see Victoria (City) v. Adams et al 2008 BCSC 1363)
* Representing the Board of Trustees of a large health and welfare benefit trust in an application to the court for advice and directions concerning the administration of the trust.
* Representing a major public utility in a constitutional challenge to provisions of the BC Safety Standards Act concerning the sharing of residential electricity consumption data to assist local governments in locating marijuana grow operations
* Representing a federal Member of Parliament in connection with a complaint brought under the B.C. Protection of Personal Information Act. The complaint was dismissed on the basis that the provincial statute is constitutionally inapplicable to a federal MP ([2007] B.C.I.P.C.D. No. 29)
* Representing the employer sponsor of a large private sector pension plan in an action brought by former management employees seeking enhanced early retirement benefits and challenging amendments to the pension plan passed by the employer (Patrick et. al vs. TELUS Communications Inc. 2007 BCCA 200)
* Representing the Board of Trustees of a large public sector pension plan in a representative action brought on behalf of retirees challenging changes made to post-retirement group benefits (B.C. Nurses Union vs. Municipal Pension Plan Board of Trustees 2004 BCSC 1578)
* Representing an intervener in the Supreme Court of Canada in a matter involving the constitutionality of Saskatchewan's Tobacco Control Act (Rothman's, Benson and Hedges vs. Saskatchewan, [2005] 1 S.C.R. 188)
* Representing a major public utility in an administrative and constitutional law challenge to legislation authorizing the contracting out of administrative services (OPEIU vs. British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority 2004 BCSC 422)
* Representing the Canadian Bar Association on an intervention in a constitutional challenge to the federal Proceeds of Crime (Money laundering and Terrorist Financing) Act (Law Society of B.C. vs. Attorney General (Canada) 2001 BCSC 1593 aff'd 2002 BCCA 49)
* Representing the B.C. Medical Association in connection with constitutional litigation involving rules of the Medical Services Commission governing the issuance of billing numbers to new physicians (Waldman vs. British Columbia (Medical Services Commission) (1999), 67 B.C.L.R. (3d) 21 (CA))
* Representing a group of citizens in the Northwest Territories challenging the electoral boundaries of the NWT following division of the Territories in 1999 (Friends of Democracy vs. Northwest Territories (Commissioner) (1999), 171 D.L.R. (4th) 551 aff'd (1999), 176 D.L.R. (4th) 661))
Professional Associations
Professional Activities
* Board of Directors of the British Columbia Law Institute (2004-2010, Chair 2007-2010)
* Law Society of B.C. Special Compensation Fund Committee (2000-2006), Member
* Past Chair, Canadian Bar Association Constitutional and Human Rights Law National and Provincial Sections
* University of Victoria Faculty of Law (1996-1998), Sessional Lecturer and member of External Review Committee (2005)
* Vancouver Bar Association, Executive Member (1994 - 1998), President (1997)
* Western Canada Business Litigation Blog, Contributor
Community Activities
* Ryerson United Church, past member of Council and Chair of Stewardship (finance) Committee
* Douglas Park Soccer Club, Westside Minor Softball Association, Arbutus Club Minor Hockey and Little Mountain Baseball - Coach/Manager
* Arbutus Club Minor Hockey, Coach/Manager
Publications
Pension & Benefits Law Briefing Note: Changes to Post-Retirement Healthcare Benefits - A Case Comment on Bennett v. British Columbia (October 8, 2009)
Recent Trends in Administrative Law - Western Provincial Update (July 21, 2009)
Religion and the State (September 3, 2006)
Legislative Framework Governing Private Healthcare in British Columbia (August 6, 2006)
Pension & Benefits Law Briefing Note (May 3, 2006)
Chaoulli v. Quebec (Attorney General): The Supreme Court of Canada Sets the Stage for Fundamental Health Care Reform (June 16, 2005)
Changes to Post-Retirement Healthcare Benefits - a Case Comment on B.C. Nurses Union v. Municipal Pension Board Trustees (May 3, 2006)
The Charter of Rights and Health Care Reform (July 16, 2002)
The Legal Framework Governing the Delivery of Healthcare Today and in the Future (2000)
Seminars
Post-Retirement Benefits: Addressing Emerging Issues, Lancaster House (February 2010), Speaker
"Recent Trends in Administrative Law" Canadian Institute Conference, Advanced Administrative Law and Practice, Vancouver, BC (May 2009), Speaker
"Benefit Plan Legal Issues", International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans Canadian Health and Wellness Innovations Conference, Victoria, BC (February 2009), Speaker
"Legal Issues Update", PSAF Pension Reform Conference, Whistler, BC (August 2008), Speaker
"Jurisdiction of Administrative Tribunals to Determine Constitutional Issues", Canadian Institute Administrative Law Conference, Vancouver, BC (May 2008), Speaker
"Legal Implications of Changes to Post-Retirement Healthcare Benefits", Canadian Pension and Benefits Institute Seminar, Vancouver, BC (January 2008), Speaker
"Private Healthcare in British Columbia", Canadian Bar Association Health Law Conference, Toronto, Ontario (May 2007), Speaker
Canadian Bar Association Canadian Legal Conference, St. John's Newfoundland (August 2006), Moderator of panel presentation on Freedom of Religion
"Legislative Framework Governing Private Healthcare in British Columbia", Canadian Institute Conference on Establishing Private Healthcare Facilities, Toronto, Ontario (June 2006), Speaker
"Evidence in Administrative Proceedings: A Practical Overview", Canadian Institute Conference on the Fundamentals of Administrative Law Practice, Vancouver, BC (June 2006), Speaker
"Changes to post-Retirement Healthcare Benefits in Canada", Canadian Pension and Benefits Institute Seminar, Vancouver, BC (April 2006), Speaker
"The Charter of Rights and Healthcare Reform", Continuing Legal Education Society of BC Conference to mark the 20th Anniversary of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Vancouver, BC (May 2002), Speaker
"The Legal Framework Governing the Delivery of Healthcare Today and in the Future", Pacific International Medical Congress, Vancouver, BC (June 2000), Speaker
Bar Admission
British Columbia (1988)
Nunavut Restricted Appearance Certificate (2010)
Education
* University of Lethbridge (B.A., 1983)
* University of Victoria (LL.B., 1986)
* Supreme Court of Canada, Law Clerk (1986-1987)
* University of Cambridge (LL.M., 1989)
