Annual Bar Awards Honour BC's Top Lawyers

VANCOUVER, BC--(Marketwired - June 23, 2015) - The Canadian Bar Association, British Columbia Branch (CBABC) honours two outstanding lawyers and one inventive organization, all of whom have contributed to their profession and the community in three areas of service: Pro Bono, Innovative Workplace, and the President's Medal. CBABC President Alex Shorten made the presentations this past weekend at the CBABC Provincial Council meeting where more than 100 of BC's top legal leaders gathered to celebrate. The two BC lawyers and one organization bestowed with awards are as follows:

CBABC Harry Rankin QC Pro Bono Award
The Harry Rankin QC Pro Bono Award recognizes significant contributions of: pro bono legal services to a client; community organizing in establishing pro bono clinics; coordinating pro bono services, and education and advocacy work to promote pro bono culture. The 2015 Harry Rankin QC Pro Bono Award recipient is Claire E. Hunter, director and vice president of Access Pro Bono and lawyer at Hunter Litigation Chambers in Vancouver.

CBABC Innovative Workplace Award
The Innovative Workplace Award recognizes lawyers, law firms or organizations who demonstrate leadership in promoting workplace innovation within the practice of law. The award is designed to reward innovation and creative thinking in the workplace and to recognize a CBABC member, law firm or organization who demonstrates this innovation in their practice or who is a leader in the development and implementation of innovative workplace strategies. This year’s award recipient is Health Sciences Association of BC.

CBABC President's Medal
Awarded personally by the CBABC president each year, this medal honours an outstanding lawyer who has been recognized for one or more of the following: legal academic proficiency, works of legal scholarship, significant contribution to the profession, or noteworthy contribution to Canadian public life. This year, the CBABC President's Medal was awarded to Bill Veenstra of Jenkins Marzban Logan LLP in Vancouver. President Shorten expressed, "Bill has made outstanding contributions at both the Federal and Provincial levels for CBA in legislation law reform and policy. He has contributed a huge number of volunteer hours to our Association as a member of council, our executive committee and as executive liaison to committees. His advice and wise counsel has been a valuable asset to me."

The Canadian Bar Association is the professional organization representing more than 38,000 lawyers, judges and law students in Canada, including 6,900 members in British Columbia.