Counsel

Art Vertlieb, QC, Commission Counsel

Art Vertlieb was born in Hamilton. He completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Arizona and received his LLB from Osgoode Hall at York University. He was called to the Bar in British Columbia in 1973 and was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2001. Mr. Vertlieb, QC practises with Vertlieb Dosanjh in Vancouver, focusing on personal injury law, medical negligence, professional disputes and criminal law.

Elected a Bencher of the Law Society in 2004, Mr. Vertlieb is currently chair of the Discipline Committee and a member of the Executive Committee. He has previously served as chair of the Equity and Diversity Committee and as a member of the Executive Committee, Credentials Committee, Regulatory Policy Committee, Discipline Committee, Competency Committee, Communications Committee, Medical-Legal Liaison Committee and the Small Firm Task Force.

Mr. Vertlieb is a director of the Continuing Legal Education Society and BC Courthouse Library Society, a governor of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America and co-chair of the Association’s Canadian Membership Committee, a member of the Judicial Council of BC, a member of the Yukon Law Society Discipline Committee and a member of the editorial advisory board for CIVJI (Civil Jury Instructions), published by the Continuing Legal Education Society of BC. He is a past president and founding vice-president of the Trial Lawyers Association of BC and past chair and founding member of the Lawyers Assistance Program of BC. He has also served as a member of the BC Courthouse Library Society, the Ministry of Labour Substance Abuse Committee and the Vancouver Community College Court Reporter Advisory Committee.

In the community, Mr. Vertlieb has served on the boards of the Canadian Memorial Community Centre and the Vancouver Academy of Music, as a leader for the Boy Scouts and Beavers programs and as coach and president for Arbutus Shaughnessy Little League Baseball.

Patrick McGowan, Associate Commission Counsel

Patrick McGowan was born and raised in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia. He studied law at the University of British Columbia, graduating in 1997. He was called to the Bar in British Columbia in 1999, prior to which Mr. McGowan served as a Law Clerk to the Supreme Court of British Columbia. He completed his articles and worked for several years as an associate with a large Vancouver law firm. Mr. McGowan has also practiced as a sole practitioner, and is currently Associate Counsel with the firm Ritchie Sandford.

Mr. McGowan maintains a Criminal and Civil litigation practice. He has appeared at all levels of court in British Columbia, as well as at the Supreme Court of Canada and before administrative bodies. He has also participated in mediations and arbitrations. Mr. McGowan has been involved in defending and prosecuting large and high profile criminal cases, including as defence counsel on the Pickton case. Mr. McGowan has volunteered as a pro bono lawyer for Access Justice clinics in Vancouver and has supervised law student legal clinics.

Sharon Samuels, Research Counsel

Sharon Samuels grew up in Montreal, Quebec and graduated from the University of Concordia (B.F.A., 1983), McGill University (LL.B., 1990) and called to the Bar in British Columbia in 1991.

She has served as research counsel on three previous independent commissions of inquiry, including the Oppal Commission of Inquiry into Policing in B.C., the Gove Inquiry into Child Protection and the Royal Commission on Workers’ Compensation. She has also conducted legal and policy research for such organizations as the Ministry of Attorney General, Simon Fraser University, WorkSafeBC and the University of Victoria, Dean of Law.

Ms. Samuels taught legal research and writing at the University of Victoria between 1995 and 1997 and has published research papers on a variety of legal topics for the Canadian Bar Association and Simon Fraser University.

Keith R. Hamilton, Policy Counsel

Mr. Hamilton grew up in Victoria, B.C., and graduated from the University of Victoria (B.A., 1966), the University of British Columbia (LL.B., 1971) and the London School of Economics (University of London, LL.M., 1972). He was called to the Bar in British Columbia in 1973.

He has served as the director of research and planning for the Law Society of British Columbia and for the Legal Aid Society of British Columbia. For three years he was director of an experimental public defender program in the Greater Vancouver area.

Mr. Hamilton taught criminal law, advanced criminal procedure and trial advocacy courses as a faculty member at the University of British Columbia’s law school, and is the author of three legal reference texts.

He has served as commission counsel, research director or policy counsel on ten independent commissions of inquiry, examining such diverse issues as prosecutorial discretion, electoral boundaries, policing, prison transfers, child protection, workers’ compensation, licensed gaming and organized crime. He was counsel on one of the defence teams in the Air India criminal trial.