Caryna Miller is with the Construction Law Group
BRITISH COLUMBIA – Harper Grey LLP has a dedicated Construction Law Group with a strong cohort of women lawyers, giving them a competitive advantage in the traditionally male-dominated construction sector.
Nearly half of the firm’s partners are women – a notable distinction for the oldest regional law firm in the province, boasting over 100 lawyers and more than 200 staff. This strong representation, along with the caliber of women lawyers that work directly for the construction sector, are major reasons why those in the industry choose to enlist their services.
Caryna Miller is a lawyer in the Construction Law Group, and notes that their services can be involved in the entire life cycle of a construction project. They understand the complexities of design, engineering, and project administration, and work primarily with design professionals, owners, developers, and contractors of residential, commercial, and infrastructure projects.
“We assist with early project development, including contract drafting and execution, and provide risk management advice throughout the life of the project, as well as dispute resolution while the project is ongoing, before and during litigation,” states Caryna.
“That includes delay claims, cost overruns, and negligence issues for large scale projects across Canada, and even down to smaller scale residential projects.”
Rose Keith KC is a partner in Harper Grey LLP
Rose Keith KC, a partner whose practice is focused on workplace law, says “there are some special challenges in the industry for women because it is fairly male dominant, and human rights issues can come up that are very difficult for employers to manage.
“Some workplaces are a little more ‘rough and tumble,’ and when you’re off-site, there’s only so many things you can have your eyes on.”
Rose says there are so many women lawyers at the firm because “[many of] the best candidates seem to be women, quite frankly. I knew of Harper Grey long before I joined the firm. I’ve practiced law since 1993, and even then, Harper Grey was known to be progressive and an attractive place for women to practice. Because we have so many women, it attracts more women.
“We also tend to be a firm that grows from within, so when we hire students, they end up staying. We keep them on as associates and they become partners. Most of the people at our firm have been here for a long time.”
The Workplace Law Group focuses on employment issues for employers and contractors and manages complaints, as well as making sure companies are WorkSafe BC compliant.
“Our firm assists with WorkSafe BC claims,” Rose adds. “If there is a complaint made, for example bullying or harassment, or retaliatory action complaints, we have investigators that can do the investigation.
“We work very closely with human resources teams and management and advise on termination and anything that comes from that. We can assist either in the background or at the forefront and proceed to litigation if necessary, covering employment standards and human rights issues,” Rose continues. “It’s all about setting things up right from the start. If a company doesn’t have a dedicated HR department, it might be because they’re too hard to set up, and yet there are too many traps they need to be able to avoid.”
Harper Grey has a strong mentorship culture, which means team members always have someone to go to with issues and encouragement where necessary.
“For me, it was important to work at a progressive, regional firm, and Harper Grey generally has more policies supporting women and [helping them] stay in the industry,” notes Caryna. “I’m surrounded by lawyers who hold me to my best and help get me to my best. There are a lot of excellent lawyers here, and that creates more excellent lawyers, and young lawyers coming in have the opportunity to work with and be mentored by them.”
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