Lawyers

Thomas S. Hawkins Partner

Tom practices in all areas of maritime law, insurance defence and commercial litigation advising clients on matters relating to marine insurance, cargo, bills of lading, arrest of vessels, salvage, towage, pollution, collision, employment, bodily injury and maritime commercial matters. Tom has conducted cases in the trial and appellate courts of the Federal Court of Canada, the British Columbia Supreme Court and the Supreme Court of Canada. He has been counsel in numerous maritime casualty investigations involving sinkings, collisions, groundings and oil pollution occurrences. Tom’s clients appreciate his practical solutions focussed approach to resolving operational and legal problems.

Tom has represented P&I Clubs, shipowners and charterers, hull underwriters, marine insurers and companies in Canada and internationally. He has been an Adjunct Professor of Maritime law at the U.B.C. Faculty of Law and has lectured on many maritime and insurance topics. He has presented topics on maritime law to the Government of Vietnam. Tom is the West Coast Vice President of the Canadian Maritime Law Association, a Member at Large of the National Maritime Law Section of the CBA and member of the Owners Committee of the Chamber of Shipping of B.C. Tom has written numerous articles for publication and is a frequent speaker in the area of maritime law, insurance and personal injury.

Representative Cases

Westec Aerospace Inc. v. Raytheon Aircraft Co. (2001) SCC 26, 197 D.L.R. (4th) S.C.C. Supreme Court of Canada.  Subject: conflicts of laws – jurisdiction – parallel proceedings – foreign company seeking declaration in foreign court for stay of proceedings – parallel proceedings.

Nanaimo Harbour Link Corporation v. Abakhan & Associates Inc., 2007 BCSC 109. Supreme Court of British Columbia.  Subject: maritime law – bankruptcy law – maritime liens – priorities.

Pan Liberty Navigation Co. Ltd. et al. v. World Link (H.K.) Resources Limited, 2005 BCCA 206. British Columbia Court of Appeal.  Subject: maritime law – jurisdiction – stay of proceedings – arbitration clause.

Salvatierra v. Vancouver (City), 2008 BCSC 537.  Supreme Court of British Columbia.  Subject: personal injury – damages – future loss of income.

Imperial Granite Supply Ltd. v. “Sea Pearl” et al, unreported April 16, 1999.  British Columbia Supreme Court.  Subject: maritime law – cargo damage – liability of carrier.

Professional and Other Affiliations

  • Called to the Bar of British Columbia, 1988
  • Law Society of British Columbia, Member
  • UBC Faculty of Law, Adjunct Professor of Maritime Law, 1996 to 2008
  • Canadian Maritime Law Association, Vice President West Coast
  • C.B.A., National Maritime Law Section, Member-at-Large
  • C.B.A, Maritime Law Section (B.C.), Past Chair.
  • Chamber of Shipping of B.C., Owners Committee Member
  • Marine Underwriters Association of B.C., Past Executive Member
  • Listed in “Best Lawyers Canada” and “Who’s Who Legal: Canada 2011” as recognized leading counsel in maritime law, and in “Legal Lexpert Directory” as a leading lawyer in maritime and shipping

Author and Speaker

  • Adjunct Professor and Lecturer in Maritime Law at UBC Law School, 1998 – 2008
  • BIMCO 39 Conference, 2011 on Criminalization of Seafarers.
  • Pacific Pilotage Authority Planning Session 2009.
  • Insurance Brokers Association of B.C., 2009.
  • B.C. Marine Insurance Association on pleasure craft bodily injury, 2008.
  • B.C. Ferries on pollution regulations, 2008.
  • Chartered Ship Brokers Seminar on terrorism and insurance issues, 2002.
  • "Laing v. Boreal Pacific", International Maritime Law, March 2000.
  • Guest Lecturer at Vietnam Transport Department Seminars on Maritime Law, Hanoi, 1999.
  • C.M.L.A. Open Meeting on Limitation of Liability for Maritime Claims, 1997.
  • Marine Spill Response Conference on Agencies and Their Roles, April 1997.
  • Lecturer at Pacific Marine Training Centre on collisions, tug and tow and salvage, 1997.
  • Frequent contributor to Harbour and Shipping magazine and BC Shipping News on topical issues.

Other Interests

Tom enjoys summer sailing up the coast on his Catalina 34 with his family, as well as skiing and ice hockey in the winter.

Thomas S. Hawkins

Areas of Practice

Education

  • B.A., Simon Fraser University, 1982
  • LL.B., University of Saskatchewan, 1987
  • Law Clerk to County Court of Vancouver, 1987

Publications