Strategic Discovery Planning: Maximizing Case Preparation

The CBA is a professional organization that provides educational and networking opportunities for lawyers. Representing more than 36,000 lawyers, judges, notaries, law teachers, and law students from across Canada, the CBA is committed to enhancing the professional and commercial interests of a diverse membership and to protecting the independence of the judiciary and the Bar.

Ariane's practice covers various aspects of civil and commercial law, with a particular focus on commercial litigation, class actions, product liability, and consumer contracts. Her practice also covers shareholder disputes, arbitration, and extraordinary proceedings. She advises national and foreign clients, including pharmaceutical companies, manufacturers, banks, transportation companies, and local businesses. Ariane is fluent in French and English and has a practical knowledge of Spanish.

Kristen maintains a general litigation practice, with particular interest in personal injury litigation arising from motor vehicle accidents and occupiers’ liability. Prior to pursuing a legal education, Kristen obtained a BSc in Kinesiology while playing hockey for the University of Alberta Pandas hockey team. Since completing her undergraduate degree in 2005, she has remained heavily involved in elite sport and other athletic pursuits which have taken her all over Canada and the world. Following her call to the Alberta Bar in 2013, she played two seasons with the Calgary Inferno of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League, winning a Clarkson Cup in 2016. She then moved into a front office position, acting as the team’s General Manager from 2017 to 2019. Kristen’s sports background, as well as her work and life experience, provide her with a unique skill set in managing litigation files. She is an assertive advocate and works diligently with clients and other counsel to reach timely and cost-effective resolutions. In addition to defending and advancing personal injury claims, Kristen acts for insurers and insureds on property loss, professional negligence, and subrogated claims, and provides insurance coverage opinions. She also acts on general civil litigation matters including employment, family, estate, and residential tenancy disputes. Kristen has advocated on behalf of clients in the Provincial Court and the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta, and has experience in the representation of clients at mediations and other alternative dispute resolution hearings. While not practicing law, Kristen enjoys being active and spending time outdoors as well as travelling.

Michelle Kelly is a partner in the Halifax office of Cox & Palmer and practices in the area of complex commercial litigation and insurance defence. Prior to joining the firm in 2003, Michelle completed her Bachelor of Arts degree at Queen’s University and received her law degree from the University of New Brunswick. Michelle received her Queen’s Counsel (now King’s Counsel) designation in 2021. She is fully bilingual in English and French. Michelle advises her clients on contract disputes, property litigation, construction litigation, commercial claims, fraud, and breach of fiduciary duty claims. She also has experience in expropriation cases, having worked for both the expropriating authority and the landowner. Michelle has appeared at all levels of court in Nova Scotia and has been involved in many successful mediations and commercial arbitrations. With respect to insurance defence work, Michelle was successful in having the Court of Appeal uphold a Supreme Court trial ruling limiting general damages under the Minor Injury Legislation in Nova Scotia and litigated one of the first disclosure motions dealing with a Facebook user’s usage history. Michelle is currently First Vice President and Co-Chair of the Gender Equity Committee for the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society. She is the Past-Chair of The Coalition of Provincial and Territorial Advisory Councils on the Status of Women, consisting of advisory bodies from across the country working together to advance women’s issues on a national level. Michelle also held the Equity, Diversity & Inclusion portfolio as part of the Halifax Executive Committee for Cox & Palmer and is currently Co-Chair of Cox & Palmer’s Regional Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Committee.

Alex Kotkas is a senior litigator at Fasken with extensive trial and appellate experience. Appearing as litigation and arbitration counsel and as an advocate before a variety of statutory boards and tribunals, he provides practical advice and outstanding advocacy in high-stakes arbitration and litigation. He is the founder and former Leader of the firm’s Litigation & Dispute Resolution group in Calgary. Alex is recognized for his success in handling high-profile and media-sensitive cases. Alex is ranked in Best Lawyers for Construction Law, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Corporate and Commercial Litigation, and International Arbitration (peer-reviewed). He is also named by Benchmark Canada as a Litigation Star in Arbitration and Commercial Litigation in Alberta, and by Chambers Global for Dispute Resolution: Alberta (Canada). Thomson Reuters (formerly known as Acritas) independently rated Alex as a Stand-out Lawyer following their global survey of senior in-house counsel.

Tanya obtained her law degree from Osgoode Hall at York University in 2005 and her Honours Bachelor of Commerce with a minor in Economics from McMaster University in 2002. She was called to the Ontario Bar in 2006. Tanya is currently serving her third term as Bencher of the Law Society of Ontario. In 2016, Tanya was elected by her peers as not only the first Black female elected Bencher from Toronto in the 228-year history of the Law Society of Ontario, but also as one of the youngest sitting Benchers. Tanya was re-elected in 2019 and 2023. Tanya is involved in various community groups, including the Canadian Association of Black Lawyers. Tanya is also a frequent speaker on legal issues to the Toronto community and regularly appears on the CTV show Your Morning as a legal analyst. She has also been named in the 2017 and 2018 Lexpert Guides as one of the leading lawyers to watch in corporate/commercial litigation and is also the recipient of the 2018 Women’s Business Enterprise of the Year Award.

A partner at Robertson Stromberg LLP, Jennifer’s practice focuses on legal disputes that may ultimately end up in court. Jennifer participates in all aspects of the litigation process with a particular focus on insurance coverage and defense, transportation, and commercial litigation. Jennifer has built a successful practice serving her clients in the areas of insurance, including property, CGL, E&O, auto, life, and disability. Her experience includes acting as coverage and defense counsel, and her clients include leading national and international insurance companies and claims/risk management departments of national corporations. Jennifer can also assist with effectively and efficiently resolving commercial disputes, such as those involving commercial contracts, construction and property claims, investors’ claims, and insurance-related issues—particularly those dealing with business losses. She is able to provide effective guidance and, where appropriate, apply her skills as counsel to negotiate, mediate, or litigate the matter.