Isaac is a lawyer in the litigation and dispute resolution group, where he practices general civil and commercial litigation. Isaac advises and acts for clients on a wide range of issues, including contractual disputes, company and shareholder disputes, real estate disputes, fraud, and negligence claims. He has assisted clients with matters being litigated at all levels of court in British Columbia.
Prior to joining Lawson Lundell, Isaac served as a prosecutor for a state attorney general’s office, where he investigated and prosecuted large criminal conspiracies. Isaac can speak fluent Mandarin.
We asked Isaac a series of questions about her background and community involvement. To learn more about his experience and insight, read the full interview immediately below.
1. What made you to decide to leave the state attorney general’s office and join a law firm?
- Although I truly enjoyed working as a state prosecutor, it’s not what I wanted to do for the long-term. My plan, for the remainder of my career, is to build a legal practice and to become a sought-after expert in my field.
2. What is the biggest difference between the two roles as a lawyer and a prosecutor, according to your personal experience and perspective?
- One of the biggest differences is the duties and goals involved. As a prosecutor, my primary duty and goal is to see that justice is done, and not to winning a case. Sometimes, when it was clear that it would be unjust to continue prosecuting a case, I would immediately drop the case or offer a lenient plea bargain to the defendant. As a lawyer, my primary duty is to my client. Subject to ethical requirements, my goal as a lawyer is always to achieve the best possible outcome for my client.
3. Are you involved in any local communities or organizations with ties to your Asian background?
- I’m a member of the Greater Vancouver Taiwanese-Canadian Association, and I’m heavily involved with a Chinese-Taiwanese church in Vancouver.
4. How is it like moving from a very fast-paced US state to BC?
- It’s nice to be back home. I grew up in B.C., so it’s great to be back with my friends and family. The lifestyle in the state I moved back from may be a lot more fast-paced, but the working environment at Lawson Lundell also moves very fast as the lawyers and staff are very efficient in their work and often have to meet tight deadlines for their clients.
5. What made you choose Lawson Lundell for your practice?
- The people. Lawson Lundell is, in my experience, a very unique firm in that the lawyers and staff are genuinely nice and enthusiastic people who not only enjoy working with each other, but also with their clients.
6. What have been some key moments in your career that helped you grow as a lawyer?
- One moment I’ll never forget is when I underwent a 4-day wiretap suppression hearing where there were about 10 defense attorneys arguing to suppress wiretap evidence for the numerous defendants in a large drug trafficking case, and I was the only prosecutor arguing for the state at the hearings. Arguing alone against 10 attorneys in court, over four, full days, was exhausting, but also exhilarating at the same time. I think I grew significantly as a lawyer from that hearing. Also, the two months secondment I recently completed with the B.C. Securities Commission, involving a complex securities fraud investigation, was an invaluable experience.
7. What information about the legal profession do you think clients should know that isn’t spoken about enough?
- I think clients should know that it’s incredibly important who your lawyer is. Whenever friends or relatives ask me for legal advice in situations where I cannot directly assist them, I always tell them that choosing the “right” lawyer is one of the most important decisions they have to make for their case. I’ve dealt with more lawyers than I can remember throughout my legal career, and I’ve always found the most effective lawyers to be the ones who are not only experienced and intelligent, but truly care about their client’s case and want to achieve the best possible result for their client.