Claire Hunter KC

Practice Areas

Claire Hunter, K.C. is an experienced litigator with a broad civil litigation, public and administrative law and appellate practice. She appears regularly as counsel at both the trial and appellate level, including all levels of court in British Columbia and the Supreme Court of Canada, and before arbitration tribunals and administrative boards. She has experience working on complex commercial matters, including conducting internal investigations and conducting trials and appeals in high profile matters on behalf of diverse clients ranging from individuals to large corporations. Claire has acted as counsel on a number of defamation matters, on class actions relating to competition and consumer protection issues, in the Supreme Court of Canada in proprietary estoppel, for marketing boards and stakeholders in supply managed agricultural disputes, on matters arising out of the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of Child Abduction, and on important public law cases at all levels of court.

Throughout her career, Claire has been a frequent presenter on professional topics – in particular civil procedure and appellate practice issues, access to justice related topics and on the role of women in the profession –including for CLEBC, the Advocates Society, CBABC and at a number of Canadian law schools.

Claire has received a number of awards recognizing her professional contributions including co-Gold Winner, Woman of the Year in the Canadian Law Awards (2020), Law Society of British Columbia’s Pro Bono award (2019), the Ann Wilson and Robert Prichard Award for Community and Professional Service (2017), Harry Rankin KC Award for Pro Bono Services (2015).

Claire is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America.

Publications

“The Impact of Pro Bono Counsel on Awards of Party-and-Party Costs in Civil Litigation” (2013), 71 The Advocate 23-33

“Continuing the Conversation: A Reply to Manfredi and Kelly” (2004) 49(3) McGill Law Journal 765 (with Sujit Choudhry).

“New Justification for an Old Approach: In Defense of Characterizing First Nations Treaties as Contracts” (2004) 62 (1) University of Toronto Faculty of Law Review 61.

“Measuring Judicial Activism on the Supreme Court of Canada: A Comment on Newfoundland (Treasury Board) v. Newfoundland Association of Public Employees" (2003) 48 (3) McGill Law Journal 525 (with Sujit Choudhry).

“Kymlicka’s Liberal Defense of National Recognition and the Case of the Nisga’a” (1999) 6 McGill Review of Interdisciplinary Arts 1.