Lawyers

Lorna A. Pawluk Associate Counsel

Lorna’s practice focuses exclusively on occupational health and safety and workplace safety matters for employers. This includes any matter arising from compliance with provincial and federal occupational health and safety legislation, including regulatory, employment and human rights matters. Lorna is a member of the Board of Directors of the British Columbia Safety Authority; Secretary, National Administrative Law Section of the Canadian Bar Association; and Editor, Newsletter, National Administrative Law Section of the Canadian Bar Association. She is a current member of the Canadian Bar Association Advisory Committee to the Judicial Council.

Lorna has been an adjudicator with the Employment Standards Tribunal and Appeal Division of WorkSafeBC. She has also been legal counsel to the Commissioner of the Industrial Relations Council and has been in private practice where she practiced employer side labour/employment law. She is also past chair of the Administrative Law Section (Vancouver) of the Canadian Bar Association in BC and a past columnist in Canadian Occupational Safety magazine. Lorna frequently speaks to large groups about occupational health and safety and related issues. Most recently, she and David Jones wrote a paper for the Canadian Association of Counsel to Employers, 2010 Conference on ”Director and Officer Risk Issues and Risk Management”.

May 1991 – March 2001: Appeal Commissioner in the Appeal Division of the Workers’ Compensation Board; non-representational (neutral) commissioner who chaired appeals on all matters within the WCB system; appeals decided after review of evidence on file or following an oral hearing; as the chair, responsible for writing the reasons for decision.

December 1996 – October 1998: Adjudicator (ad hoc), Employment Standards Tribunal.

March 1989 – May 1991: Legal Counsel to Commissioner, Industrial Relations Council.

April 1988 – March 1989: Associate Lawyer, Campney & Murphy, Vancouver.

November, 1985 – August, 1987: In-house Counsel, Personnel Administration Office, Labour Relations Division, Government of Alberta; counsel to the government on arbitrations under the collective agreement with the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees; advice on administration of the collective agreement; participation in bargaining and advice on collective agreement wording; seminars and lectures on various aspects of the collective agreement and employment law.

Professional and Other Affiliations

• Called to the Bar of British Columbia
• Called to the Bar of Alberta
• Canadian Bar Association (Secretary, National Administrative Law Section) September 2010, ongoing.
• National Administrative Law Section Newsletter, Editor, ongoing
• Liberal Women’s Network, Membership Chair, Membership Chair, 2011-2012
• CBA Advisory Committee to Judicial Council of British Columbia, Member, 2008-ongoing.
• National Administrative Law Section, Canadian Bar Association, Executive Member, September 2008-September 2010.
• National Administrative Law Conference Committee, Canadian Bar Association, Organizing Committee, 2008, 2009 and 2010.

Author and Speaker

• Moderator, Canadian Bar Association, Administrative Law Conference, “Straight from the Horse’s Mouth: Public Inquiries,” Ottawa, November 27, 2010.
• Moderator, Canadian Association of Counsel to Employers, “Prosecuting OH&S Offences,” Vancouver Conference, September 23, 2010.
• Speaker and Author, Canadian Association of Counsel to Employers, “OH&S Responsibilities of Directors and Officers,” Vancouver Conference, September 23, 2010.
• Speaker, Lorman Educational Services, Occupational Health and Safety—Employer obligations, April 15, 2010
• Moderator, Canadian Bar Association, National Administrative Law Conference, “Suing the Government,” Ottawa, November 20, 2009.
• Speaker, Ontario Hospital Association, “Pandemic Planning,” A Business Continuity Conference, Vancouver, June 25, 2008.
• Speaker, Human Resources Management Association, Annual Conference, October 2, 2007, “Drug and Alcohol Testing in the workplace”.
• Speaker, Continuing Legal Education Conference, Labour and Employment Conference”, “Workplace Fatalities and Injuries”, May 31, 2007.
• Columnist, Canadian Occupational Safety: Column devoted to workers compensation and workplace safety issues. December 2005 – June 2007.
• Speaker, Continuing Legal Education Conference, Workers’ Compensation—2006 Update, “Solicitor-Client Privilege in the Investigations Process”.
• Author, “Director Liability”, Business in Vancouver, March, 2003.
• Speaker, Continuing Legal Education Conference “Workers Compensation Update, “Commentary on WCAT”, March 31 – April 1, 2003.
• Speaker, Canadian Society of Safety Engineers, “Update on Workers Compensation”, November 26, 2002.
• Speaker, Human Resources Management Association, “The WCB Core Report”, Vancouver - June 12 and 18, 2002; Victoria - June 19, 2002
• Speaker, University of British Columbia, Conferences, “Whole Body Vibration: Legal Aspects”, April 4, 2001.
• Author, “Freedom of Association and Labour Law”, The Advocate, Nov. 1991.
• Past Vice-Chair, Canadian Bar Association, Constitutional Law Section, Vancouver.
• Member, Canadian Bar Association, Labour Section, Alternate Dispute Resolution Section British Columbia Branch.
• Speaker, Industrial Relations Management Association, Fall Conference, 1988, October 16 – 18, 1988: “Variable Compensation”, Vancouver.

Other Interests

Boating, hiking, music and gardening.

Areas of Practice

• Employment Law
• Occupational Health and Safety

Publications

• Director and Officer Risk Issues and Risk Management