Our Lawyers

Ward K. Branch

Contact Ward Branch at wbranch@branmac.com or (604) 654-2966.

Ward Branch's practice focuses on class actions  and insurance. He is the author of the textbook Class Actions in Canada. He is recognized by Lexpert as one of the top 500 lawyers in Canada, and is included in The Best Lawyers in Canada guide as one of only 416 "Bet the Company" litigators in the U.S. and Canada. He is recognized in as a leading counsel in commercial insurance and class actions by both Lexpert and the Best Lawyers in Canada guides.

He was counsel in the first class action cases to come before the B.C. Supreme Court and B.C. Court of Appeal. He has been retained in over fifty class actions in Ontario, Quebec, Alberta and B.C. He has acted both for and against the Governments of British Columbia, Alberta and Canada in class actions.

Education

• B.A., Carleton University, 1988 (Economics)
• Dean's Key. University of Toronto. Faculty of Law. 1991
• LL.B., University of Toronto, 1991 (With Honours)



• Admitted to the British Columbia Bar, 1993
• Admitted to the Ontario Bar, 1999

• Adjunct Professor, University of British Columbia

Professional Activities

• Co-author (with Susan Precious), "Cross Canada Check-up: BC cases from April 2007 to April 2008", 5th Annual Symposium on Class Actions (Toronto:Osgoode Hall Law School of York University, 2008)
• Co-author (with Susan Precious), "Intervention: The Need for Aggressive Case Management", Civil Litigation Conference - 2007.
• Co-author (with Donald Lebans), "Class Actions in the Federal Court", Federal Court Practice CLE, 2007.
• Co-author (with Christopher Rhone), “Solving the National Class Problem”, 4th Annual Symposium on Class Actions (Toronto:Osgoode Hall Law School of York University , 2007)
• Co-author (with Luciana Brasil), “If it ain't broke, don't fix it!If it is broke, fix it!”, 4th Annual Symposium on Class Actions (Toronto:Osgoode Hall Law School of York University, 2007)
• Co-author (with Don Lebans), Industry Class Actions: A New Class Action Industry?, Litigation Class Actions (Toronto: Canadian Institute, 2005)
• Co-author (with Won Kim), The Wheat and the Chaff: Class Action Case Selection, Litigating Class Actions (Toronto: Canadian Institute, 2005)
• Co-author (with C. Rhone), The Bond Between Class Members - The Wedge Between Counsel: Trans-National Class Actions in the Wake of Parsons v. McDonald's Restaurants, British Columbia CLE (February, 2005)
• Author, Securities Class Actions in Canada: Haven or Hinterland?, BC Securities Law CLE (Vancouver, 2005)
• Co-author (with L. Brasil), Which Comes First: the Chicken or the Egg? The Order and Appropriateness of Pre-Certification Motions, British Columbia CLE (February 25, 2005)
• Co-author (with D. Montrichard), Exposing the Litigation Blackmail Myth, British Columbia CLE (February 25, 2005)
• Co-author (with C. Rhone), "The Bond Between Class Members - The Wedge Between Counsel: Trans-National Class Actions in the Wake of Parsons v. McDonald's Restaurants", 5th Annual National Forum on Litigating Class Actions (Toronto: Canadian Institute, 2004)
• Co-author (with Luciana Brasil), Which Comes First: the Chicken or the Egg? The Order and Appropriateness of Pre-Certification Motions (October 2004)
• Co-author (with Rod Hayley, Lawson Lundell), An Insider's Guide to Class Certification, Canadian Bar Association/University of Victoria Joint Online Seminar (September 17, 2004)
• Co-author (with Craig Ferris, Lawson Lundell), "Pension Class Actions", presented at the Canadian Pension Benefits Institute 2003 Western Regional Conference
• Co-author (with Christopher Rhone), "Chaos or Consistency: The National Class Action Dilemma", presented at National Forum on Drug and Medical Device Liability (Canadian Institute, 2003) and Litigating Class Actions (Canadian Institute, 2003)
• Author, Insurance for Leaky Condos: A Subcultural History, 3rd Annual Insurance Conference (Vancouver, CLE, 2003)
• Speaker, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: Doing What Works, University of British Columbia Interprofessional Continuing Education, February 22, 2003
• Author, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it! Does BC Need a New Costs Regime in Class Actions", Biennial Civil Litigation Conference (Vancouver: CLE, 2003)
• Co-author (with James MacMaster), Financing Class Actions (June 2002)
• Co-author (with James MacMaster and John Kleefeld), Class Action Settlements: Issues and Approaches (May 2002)
• Author, The Wheat and the Chaff: Class Action Case Selection (March 2002)
• Author, A Quest For Fairness: Class Actions and the Government (January 2002)
• Author, Chaos or Consistency? The National Class Action Dilemma (January 2002)
• Co-author, “Settling a Class Action (or How to Wrestle an Octopus)” (with John C. Kleefeld) presented at the Canadian Institute Conference on Litigating Toxic Torts and Other Mass Wrongs (Toronto: December 4-5, 2000)
• Predator: The Role of Class Action Counsel in Competition Act Cases
• Author, Class Actions in Canada (Vancouver: Western Legal Publications, 1996)
• Author and Speaker, "Class Action and Products Liability Exposure for Year 2000 Problems", The Year 2000: Litigation Issues (Vancouver: CLE, 1999)
• Author and Speaker, "Class Actions: The New Threat to Directors and Officers", Directors Under Siege (Toronto: CBAO, 1999)
• Author, "Class Actions in British Columbia: The First Decisions", 2 Insurance Law 130
• Author, "Power in Number's: B.C.'s Proposed Class Proceedings Act", The Advocate, August, 1995
• Author and Speaker, "Products Liability Class Actions: The Defendant's Perspective", Products Liability - 1996 Update (Vancouver: CLE, 1996)
• Author and Speaker, "Mass Tort Class Actions: The Latest Trend", Mass Tort Litigation (Insight, 1998)
• Author and Speaker, "Product Liability and Class Action Law Suits", Year 2000 Computer Problems (Insight: 1998)
• Author and Speaker, "Class Action Exposure for Year 2000 Problems",The Year 2000 Computer Bug - Legal Issues and Liabilities (Vancouver: CLE, 1998)
• Speaker, "Class Actions for Legal Assistants: The Latest Trend", Continuing Legal Education, October, 1998
• Speaker, "Class Action", B.C. Trial Lawyers Association, October, 1996
• Speaker, "Class Actions from a Research Perspective", Vancouver Association of Law Librarians, January, 1997
• Author (with Andrew Borrell), "Power in Numbers: B.C.'s Proposed Class Proceedings Act", (1995)
• Author, "Lost Years: The Compensation for Dying Young", The Advocate, September 1994
• Author, "Subrogation Issues in Builders' Risk Insurance", 1 Insurance Law 22
• Member, American Trial Lawyers Association
• Member, Canadian Bar Association Civil Litigation, Insurance and Computer Law Subsections

Counsel Work

• Counsel for Insurance Corporation of British Columbia in first class action certification hearing in B.C. Certification was successfully opposed at the trial and appellate level
• Class counsel in two constitutional class actions against the Government of B.C. Certification was obtained in both cases
• Counsel for Registrar of Mortgage Brokers in investor class action
• Counsel for U.S. plumbing component manufacturer in products liability class action
• Counsel for Private College in educational malpractice class action. Certification was successfully opposed
• Counsel for siding manufacturer in product liability class action. Certification was successfully opposed
• Counsel for a blood transfusion service in a transfusion-associated Hepatitis C class action
• Counsel for an insurer in a premium-offset class action
• Counsel for airport in a nuisance class action. Certification was successfully opposed
• Counsel for brokerage firm in securities class action. Certification was successfully opposed

Volunteer Activities

• Council Chair, Mount Seymour United Church
• Sport BC Board Member 2000-2001