"Our firm has experience in all types of civil litigation, including commercial disputes, consumer protection, separation and divorce."

Civil Litigation

Waddell Raponi provides an expert focus on civil litigation. All of the lawyers within our firm practice in this area and are adept at working with clients to navigate and resolve their disputes.

We are able to take a team approach and provide advice relating to all aspects of civil litigation – from initial advice and problem solving, to negotiations and seeing a matter through to trial. Our lawyers have experience at all levels of Court and work hard to come up with the most effective strategy for our clients.

Specific areas of interest within the realm of civil litigation are detailed below.

Family Law

We regularly advise clients on such matters as separation, divorce, custody and access, property division and maintenance.

Our approach is to assist clients in resolving their disputes in the most effective way, by a non-adversarial approach, if possible, or in court, if necessary.

Our lawyers have extensive experience in all areas of family law, including division of family property, spousal and child support claims, custody and access disputes, paternity issues, constructive trust claims, and representing children’s interests. We have presented cases at every level of court, from family Court at the Provincial Court level to the Court of Appeal. We also utilize mediation and other dispute resolution mechanisms.

We take a team approach, where appropriate, combining the value of experience with the assistance of junior lawyers to deliver the best value to our clients.

We offer fixed fees for some services such as initial consultations, uncontested Divorce and Adoption applications, and simple cohabitation and marriage agreements. We can also offer flexible payment options. Eugene Raponi, Q.C., our senior family lawyer, is also a family law mediator and has been mediating disputes since 1994. He has experience in various forms of family mediation, including lawyer-assisted mediation. He also practices in the area of Collaborative Family Law.

Arbitration

Our lawyers are experienced as mediators, arbitrators and as legal counsel to parties participating in mediation and arbitration. John Waddell, Q.C. is an experienced arbitrator who has served as chair of the appeal panels under the Criminal Records Review Act. He has designed the appeal process under the Act and has developed arbitration agreements to individualize the needs of specific disputes. Mr. Waddell is also familiar with the process set out under the Commercial Arbitration Act and the Strata Property Act, as well as the process under CCDC construction contracts and commercial lease agreements.

Mediation

Our lawyers are experienced as mediators, arbitrators and as legal counsel to parties participating in mediation. Mr. Raponi, our senior family lawyer, is also a family law mediator who has been mediating disputes since 1994. He has experience in various forms of family mediation, including lawyer-assisted mediation and is on both the Civil and Family Rosters of Mediate BC. Mr. Waddell has special expertise as a mediator in multi party disputes as well as in the mediation of disputes involving personal injury, employment law, construction law and non-profit society law.

Mr. Waddell is on the Civil Roster of Mediate BC.

We conduct mediation’s or arbitration’s on both a flat fee and hourly rate basis.

Collaborative Family Law

We offer collaborative family law, a process where the parties and their lawyers work together (to collaborate) to create acceptable solutions that work well for both parties.

In the collaborative approach, both parties agree to stay out of court. The emphasis is on creating solutions that address the values and goals of both parties and their children, and the sole objective is to reach an efficient, fair, and comprehensive settlement of all issues.

Collaborative family law can involve psychologists, counselors, financial advisors and other helping professionals in addition to the parties and their collaborative family law lawyers.

Employment Law

We offer a skilled and efficient approach to those clients involved in an employment dispute. We have experience in working for both employers and employees in wrongful and constructive dismissal claims, and have extensive experience in advising clients on employment agreements and severance agreements.

Personal Injury Law

Our firm advises and represents clients in all types of personal injury claims, including motor vehicle accidents, medical malpractice and other claims involving negligence. We have gained valuable perspective from working for both plaintiffs and defendants, including major insurance firms, in personal injury actions. Using the courts, mediation and arbitration, we work to achieve just results while maintaining a cost effective approach to our client’s claims.

Depending on the client’s needs, we can offer various fee arrangements, including contingency fee agreements. We can make both home and hospital visits.

Business Litigation

Our firm assists clients in a wide variety of commercial and business disputes. These include litigating real estate, contract, shareholder, franchise, commercial tenancy and professional liability matters for both Plaintiffs and Defendants. We have a broad grasp of business related issues and pay attention to detail. We take a practical, hands-on approach to each client’s problem.

Estate Litigation

We are experienced in assisting our clients and their families to achieve equitable results in estate litigation, including Wills Variation claims, removal of executors, and passing of accounts. We provide support to our clients at all stages of the litigation process and negotiate solutions and settlement, when possible.

Administration Law

Waddell Raponi  has acted for clients in administrative law matters since 1986.

Our lawyers act for individuals and companies in Workers’ Compensation Board matters and Residential Tenancy conflicts. We appear before the Commercial Appeals Commission and the Human Rights Tribunals. We focus upon obtaining a just result for our clients, and ensure that our clients understand their options before proceeding.

Consumer Protection

Waddell Raponi  has a unique and thorough understanding of consumer protection issues. We have conducted complex cases on behalf of the Consumer Services Branch of the B.C. Attorney General’s Ministry, using the provisions and powers contained in the Business Practices and Consumer Protection Act and the U.S. Federal Telemarketing Sales Rule.

John Waddell and Nicholas Mosky are actively involved in lawsuits targeting cross-border telemarketing fraud, working co-operatively with attorneys, investigators and law enforcement personnel in a number of U.S. States as well as the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. We are capable of conducting suits under the Class Proceedings Act, and have a particular interest in the protection of elderly consumers.

Insurance Law

We have extensive experience in dealing with property and personal injury insurance issues. We have acted both for and against insurance companies, including the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia, and a number of international insurance underwriters dealing with property and economic loss, personal injury damages, loss of income, and psychological injury, as well as insurance coverage issues.

We deal with comprehensive general liability policies, as well as “claims made” policies for individuals and businesses.

Construction Law

Our firm has considerable experience in construction litigation, including complex multi party construction litigation, defective building claims, leaky condo/building litigation, builders liens, and virtually every aspect of construction law. We have acted for individual homeowners, contractors, developers, architects, design professionals, and insurance companies in relation to a wide range of construction disputes.