Lisa practices exclusively in the area of pension and employee benefits, representing boards of trustees and corporate plan sponsors in both the public and private sector and in a wide variety of industries.

Lisa regularly advises boards of trustees and other sponsors of pension and employee benefit plans in respect of the interpretation and amendment of plan texts, the application of the governing legal principles and of provincial and federal legislation. She often prepares formal opinions for her clients advising on proposed courses of action in light of the governing legal principles. Lisa is particularly familiar with the provincial and federal privacy legislation as they apply to pension and employee benefit plans and has drafted privacy policies for a number of her clients.

Though Lisa works as a solicitor, she provides support to senior litigators engaged in complex pension and employee benefit litigation, including class actions. Lisa also provides litigation risk assessment and management services to her clients.

Lisa clerked for the Supreme Court of British Columbia before joining Lawson Lundell LLP.

Professional Activities

  • The Law Society of British Columbia, Member
  • Canadian Bar Association: Pensions and Benefits, Chair
  • Canadian Pension and Benefits Institute, Member
  • International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans, Member

Bar Admissions

  • British Columbia (2002)

Education

  • Simon Fraser University (B.A., 1996)
  • University of Victoria (LL.B., 2000)
  • Acting for a company determining whether changes can be made to the program of post-retirement group benefts
  • Representing a multi-employer pension plan recover withrdrawl obligations from a former participating employer
  • Acting for a company seeking to add new members to an existing pension plan
  • Advising a health and welfare trust on a range of privacy issues, drafting requisite forms and negotiating with service providers
  • Negotiating trust and custodial agreements and obtaining necessary regulatory approvals
  • Drafting opinions on the tax rules that apply to pension plans and health and welfare trusts
  • Representing trustees and other administrators in litigation matters including disputes among competing beneficiaries
  • Drafting and amending plan texts for pension plans and health and welfare plans
  • Drafting policies for plan administrators
  • Drafting legal opinions on a variety of topics including: vesting, fiduciary, obligations, and privacy issues
  • Negotiating investment management agreements
  • Negotiating group benefit arrangements

  • "Liability and the Fiduciary" and "Trust Law Basics", 21st Essential Skills for Pension Committee Members,
    Federated Press, Vancouver, BC
    (November 19-20, 2012),
    Speaker
  • "Legal & Legislative Update", The International Foundation’s Canadian Legal and Legislative Conference, Victoria, BC
    (May 24-25, 2012),
    Speaker
  • "Pension Plan Solvency", CPBI Continuing Education Session, Vancouver, BC
    (April 25, 2012),
    Speaker
  • "Liability and the Trustee",
    7th Pension Law & Litigation Course, Federated Press, Vancouver, BC
    (March 12-13, 2012),
    Speaker
  • "Assessing & Managing Conflicts of Interest", 7th Pension Law & Litigation Course, Federated Press, Vancouver, BC
    (March 12-13, 2012),
    Speaker
  • "When an Employer Restructures Benefits",
    Pensions & Benefits: Critical Issues and What's Often Overlooked, Continuing Legal Education Society of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC
    (May 25, 2011),
    Speaker
  • "Pension Plan Funding",
    Pension Funding and Current Issues, Canadian Pension and Benefits Institute, Victoria, BC
    (February 22, 2011),
    Speaker
  • "Managing Service Provider Contracts",
    16th Essential Skills for Pension Committee Members, Federated Press, Vancouver, BC
    (November 8-9, 2010),
    Course Leader
  • "Assessing and Managing Conflicts of Interest",
    5th Pension Law & Litigation Course, Federated Press, Vancouver, BC
    (March 17-18, 2010),
    Speaker
  • "Plan Design in Difficult Times",
    Pension Basics - Beyond the Basics Continuing Education Series, Canadian Pension and Benefits Institute, Burnaby, BC
    (January 20, 2010),
    Speaker
  • “The Funding Fiasco: What you can do when Faced with Staggering Pension Funding Obligations”,
    Practical Tips for Tough Economic Times Seminar, Vancouver, BC
    (May 20, 2009),
    Speaker
  • "Foundations for Trustees",
    International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans, Vancouver, BC
    (June 23, 2008),
    Speaker
  • “Fiduciary Obligations and Liability”,
    Federated Press, Vancouver, BC
    (December 20, 2007),
    Speaker
  • “Introduction to Trust Responsibility”,
    International Foundation of Employee Benefits Plans, Vancouver, BC
    (September 27, 2007),
    Speaker
  • “Pension Division on Marital Breakdown: An Introduction”,
    Canadian Pension and Benefits Institute, Continuing Education Series
    (February 5, 2003),
    Speaker