Hunter is a commercial litigation and arbitration lawyer, providing advice, representation and counsel to clients in the financial services industry, investment dealers and brokers, commercial landlords and tenants, creditors, victims of financial fraud, and parties to commercial contracts. He is known as a responsive, attentive and practical lawyer who prides himself on delivering market-leading service to each of his clients.
Hunter has prosecuted and defended litigation actions before all levels of Court in British Columbia and in domestic and international arbitration proceedings under a number of major institutional rules, including the Vancouver International Arbitration Centre and the International Centre for Dispute Resolution.
Hunter is sought after for his expertise in complex fraud recovery investigations and proceedings, including obtaining freezing orders (Mareva injunctions) and third-party document disclosure orders (Norwich Pharmacal orders), and the seizure and sale of real and personal property from the perpetrators of fraud.
Hunter regularly provides strategic advice to a diverse range of clients in connection with investigating, prosecuting and defending claims arising from, or relating to cyberfraud, including phishing attacks, business email compromise, social engineering and identity theft fraud.
Hunter has significant experience in commercial lease disputes, including rent review arbitrations, urgent injunctions, and representation of landlords and tenants in high-stakes commercial lease litigation.
Hunter is a member of BLG’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee and is actively involved in the firm’s student recruitment, summer student and articling programs. He regularly provides coaching and mentorship to junior lawyers, focusing on litigation and client service skills development, and work-life balance.
Experience
- Defending claims brought against banks and credit unions in all levels of Court in British Columbia.
- Defending claims brought against investment dealers and advisors in civil actions before the Supreme Court of British Columbia.
- Prosecuting and enforcing debt and judgment recovery claims, including the registration and recognition of foreign judgments and arbitral awards in British Columbia.
- Providing advice and representation with respect to commercial and business disputes.
- Counsel to a lender that successfully prosecuted through to trial loan and personal guarantees with respect to a failed real estate development.
- Counsel to an appellant that successfully set aside a pre-judgment garnishing order for the respondent’s failure to meet her ex parte duty of full and frank disclosure: 2025 BCCA 123.
- Co-counsel to a defendant in connection with challenging the issuance and execution of an Anton Piller Order (civil search warrant) and a Mareva Injunction (freezing order): 2024 BCSC 1397.
- Counsel to a commercial landlord that successfully defended an interim injunction application brought by a former tenant after termination of their lease: 2024 BCSC 2503.
- Co-counsel to a university in the investigation and successful prosecution of a long-standing fraud perpetrated by a former employee of the university, including obtaining an order voiding the transfer of the defendants’ real estate as a fraudulent conveyance: 2024 BCSC 307.
- Counsel to a financial institution in the investigation and prosecution of a cheque kiting fraud, including obtaining an emergency Norwich Order (third party records) and Mareva Injunction (freezing order) to identify, trace and preserve the proceeds of fraud, leading to full recovery.
- Counsel to an international arbitral award creditor that successfully obtained orders setting aside the transfer of real property in British Columbia as a fraudulent conveyance and executing the arbitral award against that property: 2023 BCSC 2173.
- Counsel to a commercial tenant that successfully obtained urgent interim injunctions to restrain a landlord from terminating the tenancy and re-entering the property: 2023 BCSC 2367 and 2023 BCSC 2458.
- Co-counsel to a party to a commercial contract that successfully defended a summary trial application based on the defence of equitable set-off: 2023 BCSC 1527.
- Counsel to a self-directed investment dealer that successfully defended negligence and conversion claims brought by an investor and successfully prosecuted a counterclaim for debt and contractual solicitor-client costs against the investor: 2023 BCSC 565.
- Counsel to a financial institution that successfully defended breach of contract and duty of good faith claims brought by a property developer with respect to the failed purchase of development property: 2022 BCSC 1674.
- Counsel to a financial institution that successfully obtained a Mareva Injunction (freezing order), preservation orders and a Norwich Order (third party documents) against the perpetrator of a cheque fraud and the recipients of the proceeds of fraud.
- Counsel to a financial institution that successfully obtained a Mareva Injunction (freezing order) and Norwich Order (third party documents) against the perpetrator of an employee fraud.
- Counsel to a fraud victim that successfully obtained a Mareva Injunction (freezing order) against the perpetrator of a business fraud, resulting in the preservation of exotic vehicles pending trial.
- Counsel to a plaintiff that successfully prosecuted a claim for breach of contract based on the earn-out provision in an agreement for the sale of the shares of a property management business: 2021 BCSC 1501.
- Counsel to trustees of a family trust that successfully struck from title a judgment against one of the trustees in their personal capacity registered by the judgment creditor against lands held by the trustees: 2021 BCSC 121.
- Co-counsel to a financial institution involving the enforcement of an account verification provision in a business banking agreement, which resulted in the dismissal of the plaintiff’s claim against the bank for cheques that one of the directors of the plaintiff had allegedly forged: 2015 BCSC 1634.
- Co-counsel to a respondent in an international arbitration concerning rent payable pursuant to a lease in a data center facility: 2018 BCCA 277.
- Counsel to a defendant that struck a certificate of pending litigation on development lands in the face of an impending sale to a third party: 2022 BCSC 1674.
- Part of a team that successfully defended an application before the British Columbia Securities Commission and the Ontario Securities Commission to cease trade a private placement of a junior mining exploration company following the announcement of an unsolicited takeover bid: 2016 BCSECCOM 359.
- Counsel for a defendant that struck a substantial portion of the plaintiff’s claim on the basis of issue estoppel arising from a prior arbitration in which the plaintiff admitted the validity of a commercial sublease, and then challenged the validity of the sublease in the subsequent litigation: 2018 BCCA 277.
- Negotiated numerous settlements involving civil claims and MFDA/ CIRO regulatory proceedings against financial advisors.
- Defending claims brought against banks and credit unions in all levels of Court in British Columbia.
- Defending claims brought against investment dealers and advisors in civil actions before the Supreme Court of British Columbia.
- Prosecuting and enforcing debt and judgment recovery claims, including the registration and recognition of foreign judgments and arbitral awards in British Columbia.
- Providing advice and representation with respect to commercial and business disputes.
- Counsel to a lender that successfully prosecuted through to trial loan and personal guarantees with respect to a failed real estate development.
- Counsel to an appellant that successfully set aside a pre-judgment garnishing order for the respondent’s failure to meet her ex parte duty of full and frank disclosure: 2025 BCCA 123.
- Co-counsel to a defendant in connection with challenging the issuance and execution of an Anton Piller Order (civil search warrant) and a Mareva Injunction (freezing order): 2024 BCSC 1397.
- Counsel to a commercial landlord that successfully defended an interim injunction application brought by a former tenant after termination of their lease: 2024 BCSC 2503.
- Co-counsel to a university in the investigation and successful prosecution of a long-standing fraud perpetrated by a former employee of the university, including obtaining an order voiding the transfer of the defendants’ real estate as a fraudulent conveyance: 2024 BCSC 307.
- Counsel to a financial institution in the investigation and prosecution of a cheque kiting fraud, including obtaining an emergency Norwich Order (third party records) and Mareva Injunction (freezing order) to identify, trace and preserve the proceeds of fraud, leading to full recovery.
- Counsel to an international arbitral award creditor that successfully obtained orders setting aside the transfer of real property in British Columbia as a fraudulent conveyance and executing the arbitral award against that property: 2023 BCSC 2173.
- Counsel to a commercial tenant that successfully obtained urgent interim injunctions to restrain a landlord from terminating the tenancy and re-entering the property: 2023 BCSC 2367 and 2023 BCSC 2458.
- Co-counsel to a party to a commercial contract that successfully defended a summary trial application based on the defence of equitable set-off: 2023 BCSC 1527.
- Counsel to a self-directed investment dealer that successfully defended negligence and conversion claims brought by an investor and successfully prosecuted a counterclaim for debt and contractual solicitor-client costs against the investor: 2023 BCSC 565.
- Counsel to a financial institution that successfully defended breach of contract and duty of good faith claims brought by a property developer with respect to the failed purchase of development property: 2022 BCSC 1674.
- Counsel to a financial institution that successfully obtained a Mareva Injunction (freezing order), preservation orders and a Norwich Order (third party documents) against the perpetrator of a cheque fraud and the recipients of the proceeds of fraud.
- Counsel to a financial institution that successfully obtained a Mareva Injunction (freezing order) and Norwich Order (third party documents) against the perpetrator of an employee fraud.
- Counsel to a fraud victim that successfully obtained a Mareva Injunction (freezing order) against the perpetrator of a business fraud, resulting in the preservation of exotic vehicles pending trial.
- Counsel to a plaintiff that successfully prosecuted a claim for breach of contract based on the earn-out provision in an agreement for the sale of the shares of a property management business: 2021 BCSC 1501.
- Counsel to trustees of a family trust that successfully struck from title a judgment against one of the trustees in their personal capacity registered by the judgment creditor against lands held by the trustees: 2021 BCSC 121.
- Co-counsel to a financial institution involving the enforcement of an account verification provision in a business banking agreement, which resulted in the dismissal of the plaintiff’s claim against the bank for cheques that one of the directors of the plaintiff had allegedly forged: 2015 BCSC 1634.
- Co-counsel to a respondent in an international arbitration concerning rent payable pursuant to a lease in a data center facility: 2018 BCCA 277.
- Counsel to a defendant that struck a certificate of pending litigation on development lands in the face of an impending sale to a third party: 2022 BCSC 1674.
- Part of a team that successfully defended an application before the British Columbia Securities Commission and the Ontario Securities Commission to cease trade a private placement of a junior mining exploration company following the announcement of an unsolicited takeover bid: 2016 BCSECCOM 359.
- Counsel for a defendant that struck a substantial portion of the plaintiff’s claim on the basis of issue estoppel arising from a prior arbitration in which the plaintiff admitted the validity of a commercial sublease, and then challenged the validity of the sublease in the subsequent litigation: 2018 BCCA 277.
- Negotiated numerous settlements involving civil claims and MFDA/ CIRO regulatory proceedings against financial advisors.
