Deborah A. Acheson, Q.C.  Partner

Bio:

Deborah’s practice focus is personal injury and civil rights law. With 35 years of experience, she is very experienced in the field of personal injury claims.  She only represents innocent victims, be that as a result of a motor vehicle accident, medical malpractice or other injury.  She never acts for insurance companies.

Deborah has appeared with success in the Supreme Court of British Columbia, the Court of Appeal of British Columbia and the Supreme Court of Canada.  She is an experienced trial lawyer and while she is a strong advocate of the fair settlement, she will never hesitate to go to trial if circumstances demand.

Deborah is proud to be the founding partner of a personal injury law firm that has a successful track record of helping injured clients in British Columbia. She sets a very high standard for herself and those that surround her and strives to meet those standards at all times.

Representative Work:

  • Deborah represents people who have incurred serious brain injury, often along with serious physical injury.  Such injuries impact every aspect of their lives and need the attention of the dedicated and talented team of lawyers and paralegals which Deborah heads.  Focusing on maximizing recovery and independence, Deborah encourages her clients to regain as much independence as they are capable of achieving while working hard to ensure fair compensation for their losses.
  • During the 1980s and 1990s, Deborah was involved in numerous Law Society initiatives.  She had a hand in the redrafting of the Family Relations Act for British Columbia that resulted in women being able to claim a percentage of their husbands’ pensions. She was also actively involved in ensuring a form of the Motor Vehicle Insurance Scheme for British Columbia for innocent victims of motor vehicle accidents.
  • In the 1990s, Deborah and her partner, Kevin Whitley, were instrumental in drafting and bringing into law the Class Proceedings Act, which enshrined the rights of individual litigants harmed by large corporations to sue as a group, thus creating a power base strong enough to deal with the strength of the large defendant corporations. This law in British Columbia has been a resounding success.
  • Deborah and Kevin have successfully litigated numerous class actions, including the Breast Implants, the Radiant Heat Panels, various pharmaceutical and prosthesis failures, to name a few.  These were some of the first and most significant class actions to proceed in British Columbia. Deborah and Kevin remain interested in the area of class proceedings.

Memberships & Professional Affiliations:

  • Served in various positions on the Trial Lawyers Association of British Columbia
  • Long standing member of the Trial Lawyers Association of America

Positions:

  • Deborah regularly instructs at Continuing Legal Education events. She is appreciated for her pragmatic analysis of the law and her warm humour about the judicial system.
  • Prior to graduating from law school at the University of British Columbia, Deborah was already an executive member of the National Association of Women in Law. Shortly after graduation, she became the elected Western Executive Member for this Canadian association, which has long stood at the forefront of advancement of equality rights for women in Canada. Deborah was an active participant in the negotiations surrounding the rights of women that led to the repatriation of the Constitution. She resigned as the Western Executive Member of the organization after the Canadian Charter of Rights was safely ensconced in Canadian law.

Recognition / Awards:

Deborah’s contributions to the judicial system of British Columbia were recognized by the Attorney General of British Columbia when she was elevated to the position of Queens’ Counsel by the Honourable David Lam, the then Lieutenant-Governor of the Province of British Columbia, on December 15, 1994.

Community Involvement:

Deborah is also active in her community. She is married to Bob. They have raised three children who are all grown and work professionally in British Columbia in the fields of construction, nursing and education.  She is a past member of the Board of St. Michael’s University School; a current member of the Facilities Committee and a longstanding supporter of the Victoria Basketball Association as well as a coach.

Law School:

  • LL.B., University of British Columbia

Year of Call & Jurisdictions:

  • 1977 – British Columbia
Top ↑