Background

Gerry Ghikas is a senior commercial litigation and arbitration partner at our Vancouver office. Gerry was admitted to the British Columbia Bar in 1974, the Alberta Bar in 1982 and the Yukon Bar in 1984. He graduated from the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor of Laws in 1973. Prior to that, he received a Bachelor of Arts, with distinction, from the University of Calgary in 1970.

Areas of Practice

• Gerry practises in the areas of corporate and commercial litigation, international and domestic commercial arbitration, class actions, contract and business disputes, shareholder and securities litigation, energy, mining, technology, banking, and real estate industry disputes.
• He is Chair of the Firm's International Trade and Arbitration Group.

Rankings and Recognitions

• Recognized in the 2011 edition of Chambers Global – The World's Leading Lawyers for Business (Dispute Resolution: Arbitration; Dispute Resolution: British Columbia)
• Selected by peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in Canada 2012 (Corporate and Commercial Litigation; International Arbitration)
• Martindale-Hubbell AV® Preeminent™ 5.0 out of 5 Peer Review Rating
• Recognized in the 2011 edition of PLC Which lawyer? (Dispute Resolution - International Arbitration)
• Recognized in The 2012 Lexpert®/American Lawyer Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada (Arbitration - International)
• Recognized in the 2011 Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory (International Commercial Arbitration; Litigation – Corporate Commercial)
• Recognized in Who's Who Legal: Canada 2011 (Arbitration)

Professional Experience

• Complex commercial litigation matters before all levels of court in British Columbia and Alberta and the Federal Court and Supreme Court of Canada.
• Counsel or arbitrator in numerous international and domestic commercial arbitrations, in Canada, the U.S., Europe and Hong Kong.
• U.S.-Canada cross-border litigation, multi-jurisdictional litigation and forum disputes.
• Class action defence.
• Energy industry disputes including disputes under power purchase and sale agreements, gas supply contracts, co-generation agreements and exploration agreements.
• Mining industry disputes including disputes under option agreements, confidentiality and standstill agreements and related matters.
• Shareholder and securities litigation, including securities commission proceedings, oppression proceedings, derivative actions, contested takeover bids, and advising boards and special committees.
• Technology and intellectual property disputes, including disputes under licensing agreements, collaborative research agreements and software development agreements.
• Banking litigation, including defence of lender liability claims, defence of class actions, defence of bank directors and officers, letter of credit litigation, disputes concerning swaps and derivatives, fraudulent conveyance proceedings, realization proceedings, and
• proceedings under the Companies Creditors Arrangement Act.
• Real estate disputes, including vendor and purchaser litigation, joint venture disputes, landlord and tenant disputes, title disputes, aboriginal title claims, valuation disputes, property tax assessment appeals and judicial review of decisions of municipalities and other regulatory bodies.
• Distribution and trade practices litigation, including civil conspiracy and business tort actions.
• Gerry is a former Managing Partner and Chair of Ladner Downs, one of BLG's founding firms.

Professional and Community Activities

• Queen's Counsel.
• Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers (FACTL).
• Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb.).
• Chartered Arbitrator accredited by BC Arbitration and Mediation Institute (CArb.).
• Chair, Arbitration Committee of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, which serves as the Canadian National Committee of the ICC International Court of Arbitration.
• Co-Founder, Western Canada Arbitrators RoundTable
• Canadian delegate, United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL).
• International roster, American Arbitration Association.
• Domestic, international and technology rosters, British Columbia International Commercial Arbitration Centre.
• International roster, ADR Chambers International.
• Adjunct Professor of Law, University of British Columbia (1997 - 2000).
• Instructor, Winning Advocacy Skills, Continuing Legal Education Society (2000 – 2006).
• Lecturer, National Justice Institute's Canada/China Civil Evidence Workshops.
• Author of numerous articles and speaker at Continuing Legal Education seminars on a variety of topics including international arbitration, international distribution disputes, remedies, letters of credit, condominium litigation, claims against municipalities, and banking and real estate litigation topics.
• Member, International Bar Association, Canadian Bar Association, American Bar Association (International Law and Practice Section), London Court of International Arbitration, ADR Institute of Canada, British Columbia Arbitration and Mediation Institute.