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2026 Annual General Meeting: Second Notice

The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Law Society will be held as an entirely virtual meeting via. Zoom webinar on Wednesday, July 8, 2026. Call to order at 1:00 pm (PT).

Advance online voting

Pursuant to Rule 1-13.1(1), the Benchers have authorized the Executive Director to permit advance online voting on the 2026 Annual General Meeting (AGM) resolutions, which will be available from June 23 until 4:30 pm PT on July 7, 2026.

Voter credentials and instructions on how to access the voting site will be sent to all eligible voters on June 23 and will be available in the Member Portal the same day. All resolutions and accompanying statements in support will continue to be available within the Member Portal throughout the voting period, and statements on each resolution by the Chief Executive Officer/Executive Director, Gigi Chen-Kuo will also be added prior to voting starting. The resolutions, statements of support, and statements from Ms. Chen-Kuo will also be available on the AGM webpage for reference. 

Only Law Society of BC members in good standing will be eligible to vote and able to comment (subject to compliance with the terms of use) on the resolutions. Eligible voters are invited to view the instructional video on how to vote in advance.

Virtual meeting

Pursuant to Rule 1-9.1, the Executive Committee has directed that the 2026 AGM will be a virtual meeting. Members and students will be able to attend and speak at the meeting virtually. Members who have not already voted in advance will be able to do so during the live meeting.

If you are planning to attend the AGM, you will need to register prior to the virtual meeting. Registration will open from June 23 until 4:30 pm PT on July 7, 2026. The RSVP function will be available in the Member Portal when advance voting and registration go live.

Instructions on how to join the meeting will be sent to all those registered in advance of the meeting.

To watch a live stream of the meeting on the day of the meeting, go to the Annual General Meeting page on the Law Society website and click on the link to view.

2025 Audited Financial Statements

The Law Society’s audited financial statements for 2025 are now available on the Law Society website.

Business of the meeting

The business of the 2025 AGM will be as follows:

  • Election of Second Vice-President for 2027
  • Benchers’ report of proceedings since last meeting 
  • Resolution 1: Bencher Resolution regarding the Appointment of Law Society Auditors for 2026
  • Resolution 2: Bencher Resolution to authorize the Benchers to amend the Rules to provide for the removal of a Bencher, so as to be in compliance with section 12(1)(c) of the Legal Profession Act.
  • Resolution 3: Member Resolution - Climate Competent Legal Practice | submitted by Hasan Alam and Catherine Boies Parker
  • Resolution 4: Member Resolution - Transparency of Government-Regulator Communications Concerning Regulatory Policy | submitted by Kyla Lee and Paul Doroshenko, KC
  • Resolution 5: Member Resolution – To Amend the Code to allow for disclosure when threats have been made | submitted by Leena Yousefi and Ari Wormeli
  • Resolution 6: Member Resolution - Respecting Mature-Applicant Pathways to the Admission Program of the Law Society of British Columbia | submitted by Leena Yousefi and Ari Wormeli
  • Resolution 7: Member Resolution - Establishing a Law Society Technology Certification and Guidance Program for AI and Software Used in Legal Practice | submitted by Leena Yousefi and Ari Wormeli
  • Resolution 8: Member Resolution - Unlocking Responsible Investment and Access to Justice in the Legal Profession | submitted by Daniel Hayes Griffith and Mike C. Stewart, P. Eng.

Second Vice-President for 2027

Each year at the AGM, a Bencher is elected to hold the position of Second Vice-President for the following year. Pursuant to Law Society Rule 1-19, if only one candidate is nominated, the President will declare that candidate to be Second-Vice-President-elect. The Benchers are pleased to announce their nomination of Cheryl D’Sa, KC for Second Vice-President for 2027.

Pursuant to Rule 1-5(2), the Second Vice-President-elect will be Second Vice-President in 2027, First Vice-President in 2028 and President in 2029.

DSa-CherylCheryl D'Sa, KC

Cheryl D’Sa, KC is a litigator and is currently the managing partner of Narwal Litigation LLP, a firm devoted to white collar and criminal defence, securities litigation, professional regulation and crisis response and compliance for organizations and institutions.

Cheryl completed both her undergraduate and law degrees at UBC and has practiced in downtown Vancouver since her call to the bar in 2008.

Cheryl has been an elected Bencher of the Law Society for six years, representing Vancouver County. First elected in the May 2020 by-election, Cheryl is currently the Co-Chair for both the Bullying, Harassment & Discrimination Task Force and the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee. Additionally, she is a member of the Credentials Committee and the Finance & Audit Committee. She has previously served as Chair of the Lawyer Development Task Force, and as a member of the Complainants' Review, Practice Standards, Access to Justice Advisory and Rule of Law & Lawyer Independence Advisory Committees. She was also a member of the Mental Health Task Force.

Cheryl led the 2023 Return to Practice Rule Changes for the LSBC, an important reform for the retention of women in law. She also served as the only BC Bencher on the Western Canada Competency Profile Task Force. 

Cheryl is in her second term as one of two Bencher representatives on the Board of the Continuing Legal Education Society of BC and recently finished her term as a member of the Advisory Committee for the Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers. She is also on the Board of the Justice Education Society of BC.

Cheryl was the first female visible minority president of the Vancouver Bar Association. She has held seats on several Canadian Bar Association BC Branch (CBABC) committees, including the Business of Law and Automobile Committees, and was chair of the Solo & Small Firm Section.

In recent years, Cheryl has received several awards, including the CBABC Women Lawyers Forum Debra Van Ginkel, QC Mentoring Award, an Excellence Award in the Category of Female Trailblazer of the Year by Canadian Lawyer Magazine’s Canadian Law Awards and Business in Vancouver’s Top Forty Under 40. She was appointed King’s Counsel in 2023. 

Benchers’ Report: Proceedings since last meeting

The full text of the resolutions to be considered at the 2026 AGM, including statements of support from the proponents of the member resolutions, are available to be viewed within the Discussion Database in the Member Portal.

Statements on each resolution from the Chief Executive Officer/Executive Director, Gigi Chen‑Kuo, will also be added prior to voting starting.

Resolutions

Resolution 1: the Appointment of Law Society Auditors for 2026

BE IT RESOLVED that PricewaterhouseCoopers be appointed as the Law Society auditors for the year ending December 31, 2026.

Resolution 2: Bencher Resolution to authorize the Benchers to amend the Rules to provide for the removal of a Bencher, so as to be in compliance with section 12(1)(c) of the Legal Profession Act.

BE IT RESOLVED to authorize the Benchers to amend the Rules to provide for the removal of a Bencher, so as to be in compliance with section 12(1)(c) of the Legal Profession Act.

Note:
Section 12 of the Legal Profession Act requires the approval of two-thirds of members voting in a general meeting or referendum to permit the Benchers to make rule changes with respect to the removal of a bencher.

Commentary:
Section 12(1) of the Legal Profession Act states that the Benchers “must make rules respecting the following … (c) the removal of the president, first vice-president, second vice-president or a bencher.” While a process for the removal of a President or Vice-President is provided for in Rule 1-6, and Rule 1-7 provides a process for the resignation of a Bencher, currently there is no rule that provides a process for the removal of a Bencher, should one be needed. This Bencher Resolution would provide Benchers with the authority to set out a process for the removal of a Bencher, consistent with the Act and in alignment with the best practices of other law societies and regulatory bodies.

Resolution 3: Member Resolution - Climate Competent Legal Practice | submitted by Hasan Alam and Catherine Boies Parker 

WHEREAS climate change will affect legal practice by creating a new and evolving set of impacts, risks, and opportunities for clients in many areas of law;

WHEREAS law societies in Canada and around the world have recognized this reality by passing climate resolutions and commitments;

WHEREAS the mandate of the Law Society of British Columbia under section 3 the Legal Profession Act, SBC 1998, c 9 is to uphold and protect the public interest in the administration of justice, including by:

(a) protecting rights and freedoms,

(b) ensuring the competence and integrity of lawyers, and

(c) establishing standards for the education, professional responsibility, and competence of lawyers;

WHEREAS the competence of lawyers includes being a climate competent legal practitioner;

WHEREAS climate change disproportionately threatens future generations and the impacts mentioned in this resolution will be even greater for future generations of lawyers;

BE IT RESOLVED THAT:

1. The Law Society establish a standing Climate Advisory Committee representing diverse perspectives to study, discuss, and develop calls to action about:

(a) what it means to be a climate competent legal practitioner;

(b) what actions the Law Society can take, within its mandate, to ensure legal practitioners are climate competent;

(c) how professional and educational standards can promote climate competence;

(d) what role lawyers can play in addressing climate change; and

(e) any other climate-related issues that are relevant and within the mandate of the Law Society.

2. The Climate Advisory Committee will issue an annual report of its activities, recommendations, and progress on implementation that will be distributed to Law Society members and publicly available online.

Resolution 4: Member Resolution - Transparency of Government-Regulator Communications Concerning Regulatory Policy | submitted by Kyla Lee and Paul Doroshenko, KC

WHEREAS the independence of the Bar from the executive branch of government is a foundational principle of the rule of law and is recognized by the Supreme Court of Canada as essential to the administration of justice;

WHEREAS the members of the Law Society of British Columbia have a legitimate interest in understanding the nature, frequency, and substance of communications between their regulator and the executive branch of government on matters of regulatory policy;

WHEREAS the introduction and passage of the Legal Professions Act (Bill 21), which received Royal Assent on May 16, 2024, was preceded by communications between government and the Law Society that were not contemporaneously disclosed to the membership, and members have since expressed that earlier disclosure would have permitted more meaningful engagement with the legislative process;

WHEREAS the Law Society continues to interact with the Ministry of the Attorney General, the Transitional Board, the Transitional Indigenous Council, and other government bodies on matters of substantial regulatory significance during the transition to Legal Professions British Columbia;

WHEREAS transparency in the relationship between the regulator and government is consistent with, and does not derogate from, the protection of solicitor-client privilege, litigation privilege, settlement privilege, personal privacy, or confidential information about ongoing investigations or specific complaints;

WHEREAS delayed disclosure mechanisms — under which sensitive communications are released after a fixed period rather than contemporaneously — are an established tool used by governments and public institutions to balance the need for candid deliberation with the public interest in accountability;

BE IT RESOLVED THAT the members of the Law Society of British Columbia, in Annual General Meeting assembled, request that the Benchers:

  1. Adopt a policy of delayed disclosure under which formal written correspondence between the Law Society (including its President, Executive Director, and senior officers) and the Ministry of the Attorney General, the Office of the Attorney General, or any other branch of the executive government of British Columbia, on matters of regulatory policy, governance, or proposed legislation affecting the legal profession, shall be published on the Law Society's website not later than six (6) months after the date of the communication;
  2. Define “matters of regulatory policy” broadly to include, at minimum: proposed or actual legislative or regulatory changes affecting the legal profession; the structure, governance, or independence of the regulator; the scope of practice of lawyers, notaries, or regulated paralegals; trust account regulation; discipline; admissions; and access to legal services;
  3. Provide for narrow, principled exceptions to disclosure, limited to: information protected by solicitor-client privilege, litigation privilege, or settlement privilege; personal information the disclosure of which would constitute an unreasonable invasion of privacy under applicable privacy legislation; information concerning ongoing investigations or specific disciplinary matters; and information the disclosure of which is prohibited by law, with any redactions identified and the basis for redaction stated on the face of the published document;
  4. Apply this policy retrospectively to all such correspondence dating from January 1, 2022, with publication of the historical record to occur on a rolling basis as resources permit and in any event not later than six (6) months from the date of this resolution;
  5. Recommend the adoption of an equivalent policy to Legal Professions British Columbia, and instruct the Law Society's appointees to the Transitional Board to advocate for the inclusion of a substantively similar transparency mechanism in the rules and operating policies of the successor regulator; and
  6. Report to the membership annually, in the Annual Report or by separate publication, on the operation of this policy, including the number of communications disclosed, the number withheld in whole or in part, and the categories of exceptions invoked.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT nothing in this resolution shall be construed to require disclosure of any information the disclosure of which would prejudice the Law Society's position in current or reasonably anticipated litigation, including any appeal of the decision in Law Society of British Columbia v. British Columbia (29 April 2026), provided that such information shall be disclosed in accordance with this policy upon the conclusion of that litigation.

Resolution 5:  Member Resolution – To Amend the Code to allow for disclosure when threats have been made | submitted by Leena Yousefi and Ari Wormeli  

BE IT RESOLVED the membership seeks the Law Society to amend section 3.3 of the Code of Professional Conduct for British Columbia by adding a new rule and commentary, or by otherwise amending Rule 3.3-3 and its commentary, to:

Permit a lawyer or law firm to disclose confidential information regarding a client’s status as a client or former client, along with any name, address, contact information, or other information allowing the client or former client to be located, to police, law-enforcement authorities, court security, other persons responsible for public safety, or to a skip tracer, process server or court for the purposes of service where the lawyer believes on reasonable grounds that:

    • A client or former client has made threats or engaged in threatening conduct towards their law firm or an employee of their law firm, or
    • Engaged in criminal harassment or stalking of the lawyer, law firm or the law firm’s staff;
    • Engaged in harassing or defamatory conduct, and the lawyer reasonably believes that disclosure is reasonably necessary to locate or contact the individual making the threat, engaging in the harassment, or engaging in the defamatory conduct.
Resolution 6: Member Resolution - Respecting Mature-Applicant Pathways to the Admission Program of the Law Society of British Columbia | submitted by Leena Yousefi and Ari Wormeli

BE IT RESOLVED THAT the members of the Law Society of British Columbia, recognizing that admission to a Canadian common law faculty of law is governed by the universities and their faculties of law and not by the Law Society, request that the Benchers, through the Credentials Committee acting under Rule 2-52(1)(e) of the Law Society Rules, (a) issue a public statement, and (b) communicate with the common law faculties of law in British Columbia, encouraging the development and broader recognition of mature-applicant pathways under which an applicant who is at least 30 years of age and who has accumulated not less than 7 years of substantial supervised legal or paralegal work experience, including not less than five years of such experience in British Columbia, may be considered for admission to the law degree program without a fixed prerequisite of a completed bachelor's degree or a fixed minimum number of undergraduate credits, provided that any such applicant must still complete an approved law degree, the admission program (including PLTC and articles), and satisfy the good character, fitness, academic-qualification and all other requirements of the Law Society Rules before call to the Bar and admission as a member of the Society.

Resolution 7: Member Resolution - Establishing a Law Society Technology Certification and Guidance Program for AI and Software Used in Legal Practice | submitted by Leena Yousefi and Ari Wormeli

BE IT RESOLVED THAT the membership requests that the Benchers of the Law Society of British Columbia establish, and report to the profession on, a Technology Certification and Guidance Program (the “Program”) for software and digital services commonly used in the practice of law in British Columbia, on the following terms:

  1. Scope: The Program will address categories of software and digital services used in the practice of law, including, without limitation:

a) generative artificial intelligence and AI agents (for example, Harvey, ChatGPT, Claude, and Grok);

b) productivity, document, and collaboration software (for example, Microsoft 365, and Google Workspace, including Google Docs);

c) email services (for example, Microsoft Outlook and Gmail);

d) cloud storage, document management, and records-storage services;

e) client identity verification and authentication services; and

f) related cybersecurity, backup, and practice-management services.

  1. Non-exclusive certifications and guidance: The Program will provide non-exclusive certifications or recommendations of products or services that the Law Society determines are acceptable for use by British Columbia lawyers for legal-practice purposes, together with accompanying guidance. A certification will mean that a lawyer who uses the certified product or service for the certified purpose, and in accordance with any published conditions or limitations, will not be found in breach of the lawyer’s duties to maintain privilege, confidentiality, or custody and control of client or practice data merely by reason of using that product or service. The Program will not require lawyers to use any particular product or limit lawyers to an approved list, and it will not displace the lawyer’s responsibility for how the lawyer configures, supervises, and uses technology in compliance with the Legal Profession Act, the Law Society Rules, and the Code of Professional Conduct for British Columbia.
  2. Published assessment criteria: The Program will publish the criteria used to assess software and services, which may include criteria addressing: confidentiality and privilege; custody, control, and ownership of records; data residency and cross-border transfers; access, copying, and destruction of records; security controls and incident response; vendor contractual terms; training data and model behaviour for AI tools; auditability and logging; and accessibility.
  3. Periodic updates: The Program will be reviewed and updated on a regular schedule, and on an interim basis as significant changes in technology, vendor practices, product versions, service terms, or legal requirements warrant. Any certification may be limited, suspended, or withdrawn if the Law Society determines that changed circumstances affect the basis on which the certification was granted.
  4. Process for review of products, services, or categories: The Program will include a transparent process by which members, the public, vendors, and other stakeholders may request that a particular product, service, vendor, or category of services be reviewed, certified, declined for certification, modified, suspended, or removed from the published guidance.
  5. Scope of certification and preservation of professional obligations: All Program materials will state expressly the scope, conditions, limitations, expiry or review date, and basis of any certification, including whether it applies to a particular product, version, configuration, subscription tier, data-processing arrangement, or legal-practice purpose.
  6. No safe-option determinations: If the Law Society determines that no product or service in a category can safely be certified for a particular legal-practice purpose, the Program will publish that determination, identify the relevant purpose or category, and provide plain language reasons and practical guidance so that members are aware that there may be no safe software option for that purpose at that time. The Program will also set out any changes to the Act, Rules, or Code that might allow at least some products to be used in a manner which is compliant, and any potential drawbacks to those changes.
  7. Consultation: In developing and maintaining the Program, the Law Society may consult with those with expertise in privacy, cybersecurity, and information governance.
  8. Reporting and implementation: The Law Society will report to the profession on the design, governance, and resourcing of the Program, and on a proposed implementation plan, within 8 months of the passing of this resolution, and will publish the first set of certifications, non-certification determinations where applicable, and guidance materials as soon as reasonably practicable thereafter.
Resolution 8: Member Resolution - Unlocking Responsible Investment and Access to Justice in the Legal Profession | submitted by Daniel Hayes Griffith and Mike C. Stewart, P. Eng. 

WHEREAS the current regulatory framework in British Columbia substantially restricts non-lawyer ownership of, and direct equity investment in, law firms;

WHEREAS the traditional lawyer-only ownership model was designed to protect important public-interest values, including lawyer independence, loyalty to clients, confidentiality, avoidance of conflicts, competent service, and the proper administration of justice;

WHEREAS the aforementioned values are fundamental and must be preserved, but they do not require a categorical prohibition on every form of non-lawyer investment, provided that appropriate safeguards, licensing requirements, ownership controls, disclosure obligations, and regulatory oversight are in place;

WHEREAS British Columbia continues to face a serious access-to-justice problem, with many individuals and small businesses unable to obtain timely, affordable, and practical legal assistance;

WHEREAS the cost of delivering legal services is affected not only by lawyers’ time, but also by the need for investment in technology, intake systems, automation, cybersecurity, compliance, accounting, marketing, client communication, staff training, and modern practice infrastructure;

WHEREAS small and medium-sized law firms, sole practitioners, rural practices, and firms serving individuals and small businesses often lack the capital necessary to invest in new service models that could reduce costs, improve efficiency, expand capacity, and serve clients at lower or more predictable prices;

WHEREAS responsible access to outside capital could help law firms develop fixed-fee services, limited-scope services, document automation, multilingual client tools, legal triage systems, after-hours client support, and other innovations that may make legal assistance more accessible to the public;

WHEREAS non-lawyer investment may also assist with succession planning, particularly for sole practitioners and small-firm owners, thereby helping to preserve continuity of service in communities that may otherwise lose local legal capacity;

WHEREAS other common-law jurisdictions, including Australia as well as England and Wales, have implemented alternative business structure regimes under which non-lawyers may own, manage, or invest in regulated legal service providers;

WHEREAS those jurisdictions have treated alternative business structures as one regulatory tool for improving innovation, competition, consumer choice, and access to legal services, while maintaining professional regulation and client-protection safeguards;

WHEREAS evidence from England and Wales indicates that alternative business structures have been associated with increased innovation, broader service offerings, and new forms of investment in legal services, although such structures are not, by themselves, a complete solution to the access-to-justice crisis;

WHEREAS the experience of Australia and England and Wales demonstrates that non-lawyer ownership and investment can be regulated through licensing, suitability screening, compliance officers, trust-account rules, insurance requirements, audit powers, disclosure duties, and discipline powers;

WHEREAS British Columbia should not adopt any foreign model uncritically, but should carefully study whether a British Columbia-specific alternative business structure regime could improve access to justice, encourage innovation, support small and medium-sized firms, and preserve the independence of the bar;

BE IT RESOLVED that the membership calls upon the Law Society of British Columbia to establish a committee of benchers, or another appropriate committee, to study and report on whether British Columbia should permit regulated non-lawyer investment in law firms, including through an Australian-style or other alternative business structure model;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the committee's mandate should include consideration of:

    1. whether regulated non-lawyer investment could improve access to justice by supporting lower-cost, fixed-fee, limited-scope, online, rural, multilingual, or technology-enabled legal services;
    2. whether alternative business structures could improve competition, consumer choice, technology adoption, succession planning, and the financial sustainability of small and medium-sized law firms;
    3. the potential risks to lawyer independence, confidentiality, conflicts of interest, client protection, public confidence, and the administration of justice;
    4. safeguards used in jurisdictions such as Australia and England and Wales, including licensing, suitability requirements for owners, restrictions on investor control over legal judgment, compliance officers, disclosure obligations, trust-account protections, audit powers, discipline powers, and insurance requirements;
    5. whether British Columbia should consider a pilot project, regulatory sandbox, limited licence, staged implementation model, or practice-area-specific approach before adopting any broader reform; and
    6. any legislative, rule, or policy changes that would be required to implement such a system.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the committee report its findings and recommendations to the membership within no more than six months of the passage of this resolution.

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