Kayla K. Strong
- Biography
- Experience
Kayla K. Strong is a trial and appellate lawyer who practices in commercial litigation, alternative dispute resolution, and bankruptcy and insolvency. She has regularly appeared as counsel before the British Columbia courts and before administrative and arbitral tribunals. She is recognized as a Recommended Lawyer in Dispute Resolution by The Legal 500. Kayla is committed to providing pragmatic solutions to complex problems for her clients. She takes pride in seeking a deep understanding of her clients’ issues and providing advice that is tailored to their objectives. Kayla has experience in a wide range of areas including proceedings under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act and the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, receiverships, property development disputes, contract disputes, shareholder and partnership disputes, civil forfeiture, and professional regulatory proceedings.
Kayla is a regular contributor to the legal profession outside the courtroom. She is a co-editor of the Civil Appeal Handbook, and an adjunct professor at the Allard School of Law. She has also written chapters for publications on evidentiary and procedural issues in civil litigation.
Kayla is a graduate of the Allard School of Law, where she was awarded the gold medal for finishing first in her graduating class. She then served as the law clerk to the Chief Justice of British Columbia, the Honourable Justice Bauman before entering private practice.
Education
- British Columbia Bar, 2017
- J.D., (Gold Medallist), University of British Columbia, 2015
- B.A., (Government, magna cum laude), Cornell University, 2011
Recognition
- Recommended Lawyer in Dispute Resolution, The Legal 500
- Gold Medallist, University of British Columbia, 2015
- Class prizes in corporate taxation, personal taxation, administrative law, criminal law, appellate advocacy, corporations law, securities regulation, property law, contract law, and torts
- Faculty awards for academic achievement and contributions to the law school community
Community Involvement
- Director, Bowen Island Health Centre Foundation
- Treasurer, Appellate Advocacy Section of the CBA (2019-mid-2020)
- Volunteer judge for Peter A. Allard School of Law’s Gale Cup Moot
- Panelist at Peter A. Allard School of Law for sessions given to 1Ls (2017 and 2018)
- Mentor, Canadian Bar Association (BC Branch) Student Mentorship Program
- Member, Appellate Advocacy Section, Canadian Bar Association (BC Branch)
- Hockey goalie in the Burnaby ASHL
Cases of Interest
- Vancouver Coastal Health Authority v. Seymour Health Centre Inc., 2023 BCSC 1158
Acting on behalf of Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, succeeded in having a receiver appointed over the assets and business of Seymour Health Centre Inc. - Kingsgate Property Ltd. v. Vancouver School District No. 39, 2023 BCSC 560
Acting on behalf of a major real estate development company, successfully obtained leave to appeal from an arbitral award determining rent for the lands on which the Kingsgate Mall is located. - Gokturk v. Nelson, 2023 BCCA 164
Acting on behalf of a creditor who agreed to sell bitcoin to the defendant but was never paid, successfully defended an appeal brought by the defendant from a summary trial judgment. - Vancouver City Savings Credit Union v. Bui, 2022 BCSC 2165
Acting on behalf of a mortgagee, Reliable Mortgages Investment Corp., succeeded in a priorities dispute that turned on interpretation of s. 28 of the Property Law Act and application of the doctrine of estoppel. - Balmoral Holdings Inc. v Rogers Communications Inc., 2021 BCSC 2330
Acting on behalf of Rogers Communications Inc. in a commercial lease dispute, successfully persuaded the court that all but a nominal amount of the plaintiff’s claim was statute barred and that the doctrines of unjust enrichment, mistake and negligent misrepresentation had no application. - Ohlhauser v. Kasian, 2021 BCSC 892; Kasian Estate v. Kasian, 2021 BCCA 273 and 2021 BCSC 1654
Acting on behalf of the proposed third party law firm and lawyer, successfully applied for an order that the defendant waived privilege over part of his lawyer’s file, opposed a stay pending appeal, and had the defendant’s application to add the proposed third parties dismissed. - Quest University Canada (Re), 2020 BCSC 921
Together with Peter J. Reardon, acted for Southern Star Developments Ltd. in successfully defending against a request for rent deferral by Quest University in the context of proceedings under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act. - Sorokan v. Fraser Health Authority, 2019 BCSC 469
Acting on behalf of Fraser Health Authority, assisted in having the plaintiff’s claim struck out as an abuse of process. - Fleming v. Ontario, 2019 SCC 45
Assisted with an intervention on behalf of the Canadian Association for Progress in Justice in an appeal concerning the scope of the common law power to arrest to prevent a breach of the peace.
Publications and Presentations
- Civil Appeal Handbook, co-edited by Thomas Posyniak, Caitlin Ohama-Darcus and Kayla K. Strong
- Annual Review of Law and Practice (CLE), “Evidence”, 2020 to present
- Adjunct Professor of Law (UBC)
- “COVID-19: Challenges for Contractual Performance,” co-authored with James C. MacInnis.
- “On the ‘Hornes’ of a dilemma: lessons from the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal on physician privileges and investigating patient care quality concerns,” co-authored with Penny A. Washington
- “Brain death is death: Ontario court provides important clarification on definition of death,” co-authored with Penny A. Washington.