Allan Doolittle

Allan’s broad civil litigation practice includes complex commercial litigation, class actions, professional responsibility matters, defamation, public law and cases involving incorporated societies. Allan regularly appears before the British Columbia Supreme Court and Court of Appeal, and has also appeared before the Federal Court and the Supreme Court of Canada.

Prior to practicing law, Allan was a judicial law clerk for Justices of the British Columbia Court of Appeal. While at Dalhousie Law School, he received numerous academic prizes and scholarships. Allan was also a graduate student at Simon Fraser University where he published an award winning paper on Alexander Pope and mythology.

Outside of the courtroom, Allan is the past President of the Advocates’ Club, former chair of the CBA Administrative Law section, and sits on the board of Instruments Beyond Borders, a local charity which provides musical instruments and financial support to disadvantaged youth.

2000

University of Waterloo (B.A. English, Honours)

2008

Simon Fraser University (M.A. Liberal Studies)

2011

Dalhousie University, Schulich School of Law (J.D.)

2013

Called to the Bar (British Columbia)

CONTRACT DISPUTES/BUSINESS LITIGATION

Counsel in a successful petition obtaining leave to appeal an arbitration award arising out of a multi-million dollar contract dispute concerning the evolving doctrine of the contractual duty of good faith: Eisler v. Connor, Clark & Lunn Financial Group Ltd., 2021 BCSC 1280.
Counsel for Steve Nash’s holding company in a successful appeal overturning dismissal of a claim filed by Mr. Nash’s former counsel: B & L Holdings Inc. v. SNFW Fitness BC Ltd., 2018 BCCA 221, and media attention: https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/steve-nash-wins-appeal-in-fitness-club-case
Counsel in a successful application to stay complex claims in breach of contract, conspiracy and misappropriation of confidential information that were brought in both British Columbia and Missouri on the basis that Missouri was the more appropriate forum to deal with the dispute: Quanta Services, Inc. v. Rokstad Power Corporation, 2017 BCSC 1858.
Counsel in successfully representing 69 leaseholders on Indian Reserve lands in the Federal Court of Canada (Trial Division) in a multi-million dollar claim involving the interpretation of rent review clauses contained in long term lease agreements: Hodgson v. Musqueam Indian Band, 2017 FC 509, and media attention: https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/court-rules-in-favour-of-vancouver-leaseholders-on-musqueam-reserve-lands-who-were-facing-huge-rent-increases
Counsel in successfully resisting an application to certify a class action proceeding and obtaining an order striking the entirety of the plaintiffs’ claims: Lee v. Transamerica Life Canada, 2017 BCSC 843.
Counsel in a successful application for security for costs against both a company and an individual in a complex commercial dispute: Tresoro Mining Corporation v. Mercer Gold Corp. (B.C.), 2015 BCSC 1822.

MAJOR PUBLIC INTEREST AND CONSTITUTIONAL LAW

Counsel for the Director of Civil Forfeiture in an in rem action against property alleged to be the proceeds of unlawful activity related to payment processing for a global fraud network, resulting in the largest settlement of a civil forfeiture case in British Columbian history: https://vancouversun.com/news/b-c-reaps-10-million-in-civil-forfeiture-settlement-with-pacnet-services
- In the course of the litigation, successfully made and defended against numerous interlocutory applications, including:
  - British Columbia (Director of Civil Forfeiture) v PacNet Services Ltd., 2023 BCSC 1557.
  - British Columbia (Director of Civil Forfeiture) v. PacNet Services Ltd., 2023 BCSC 1113; leave to appeal refused, PacNet Services Ltd. v. British Columbia (Director of Civil Forfeiture), 2023 BCCA 364.
  - British Columbia (Director of Civil Forfeiture) v. PacNet Services, 2019 BCSC 1658.
  - British Columbia (Director of Civil Forfeiture) v. PacNet Services Ltd., 2019 BCSC 70; leave to appeal refused, British Columbia (Director of Civil Forfeiture) v. Day, 2019 BCCA 160.
  - British Columbia (Director of Civil Forfeiture) v. PacNet Services Ltd., 2018 BCSC 2251.
  - British Columbia (Director of Civil Forfeiture) v. PacNet Services Ltd., 2018 BCSC 2070.
Counsel for Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in her lawsuit against the government of Canada alleging a breach of her constitutional rights when she was detained and arrested prior to proceedings for extradition to the United States: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/british-columbia/article-huawei-executive-meng-wanzhou-files-lawsuit-alleging-breach-of/
Counsel for a number of British Columbia small and boutique wineries intervening at the Supreme Court of Canada in a landmark constitutional case governing the interprovincial shipping of alcohol: R. v. Comeau, 2018 SCC 15, and media attention: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-wineries-head-to-supreme-court-over-trade-laws-1.4353620
Counsel in a significant appeal which successfully overturned a finding of misfeasance in public office against a social worker made following a 146-day trial: J.P. v. B.G., 2017 BCCA 308; media attention: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/ministry-abused-authority-father-abused-children-appeal-decision-1.4269978
Counsel in successfully opposing a novel constitutional injunction application involving a dispute over use of school property: Conseil Scolaire Francophone de la Colombie-Britannique v. British Columbia (Education), 2013 BCSC 1242.

ADMINISTRATIVE LAW

Counsel for BC College of Veterinarians and Engineers and Geoscientists BC in numerous professional discipline files, including In the Matter of Ian James Foreman, P. Geo, August 25^th, 2015.

CORPORATE DISPUTES and SOCIETY GOVERNANCE LITIGATION

Counsel in a successful petition to secure the right to vote at a the annual general meetings of Cricket BC and the British Columbia Lower Mainland Cricket Association as well as full indemnity costs: Allard v. Allard, 2023 BCSC 1823; media attention: https://www.pressreader.com/canada/the-province/20231217/281642489967995
Counsel in a successful petition resulting in a new election at a Sikh Temple: Sandhu v. Khalsa Diwan Society, 2015 BCSC 1749.
Counsel in a successful petition resulting in a new election at a Hindu Temple: Bector v. Vedic Hindu Cultural Society, 2014 BCSC 230.

PUBLIC LIABILITY and PROFESSIONAL NEGLIGENCE

Counsel to an international Chartered Accountancy firm, defending professional negligence claims involving complex cross border transactions and taxation, including several interlocutory applications and successful resolution after the commencement of a trial: Lookman v. Berris Mangan Chartered Accountants, 2021 BCSC 1823.

DEFAMATION

Counsel for both plaintiffs and defendants in numerous defamation actions, including successfully defending a claim on the defence of qualified privilege on a summary trial application: Vedic Hindu Cultural Society v. Joshi, 2014 BCSC 1070.

PUBLICATIONS

“Deceit, Desire and The Dunciad: Mimetic Theory and Alexander Pope.” Contagion 17, Michigan State University Press, 2010.

HONOURS AND AWARDS

Schulich Scholarship in Law, for academic excellence and community service
George Isaac Smith Memorial Award, for most promise of achieving exemplary standards of professional and public service, Dalhousie University
William Outhit Prize in Administrative Law
Maritime Book Law Company Prize in Professional Responsibility
Alistair Fraser Scholarship, Dalhousie University
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP Research Fellowship, Dalhousie University
R. St. John Macdonald Prize in Public International Law
Bennett Jones LLP Prize in Intellectual Property II
C.W. Sperry Memorial Prize in Property Law
Raymund Schwager Award, for best graduate student paper at the Colloquium on Violence & Religion, University of California, Riverside
Graduate Fellowship, Simon Fraser University