TWENTY-SIX lawyers are being recognized with the King’s counsel (KC) designation for exceptional contributions to the legal profession in British Columbia. They include four South Asians.

King’s counsel appointees listed chronologically by the date they were called to the bar: Peter Grant (1976), Carol Baird Ellan (1980), Robert Bauman (1981), Gregory Nash (1981), Anders Ourom (1987), Heidi-Ann Mason (1989), Brad Dixon (1990), Veeda Victoria Shroff (1997), Julie Williams (1998), Stephen Ballard (1999), Kinji Bourchier (2000), Jason LeBlond (2000), Gurminder Sandhu (2000), Marc Kazimirski (2001), Shannon Ramsay (2003), Rubinder Dhanu (2004), Susanne Elliott (2004), Theresa Iandiorio (2004), Miranda Lam (2004), Karrie Wolfe (2005), Kasari Govender (2006), Lindsay LeBlanc (2006), Josh Paterson (2006), Shannon Salter (2007), Cheryl D’Sa (2008) and Joven Narwal (2008).

“The King’s counsel designation serves as a testament to the exceptional dedication and contributions these lawyers have made to our legal landscape,” said Niki Sharma, Attorney General, on Tuesday. “It signifies an elevated standing among peers and clients, showcasing their unwavering commitment to unparalleled service and expertise. I’m honoured to recognize this esteemed group for their invaluable impact on our community, and on the B.C. justice system.”

To be considered for the King’s counsel designation, the potential candidates must be members of the B.C. bar for a minimum of five years. Their nomination is reviewed by an advisory committee, which then makes recommendations to the attorney general. The appointments are made by cabinet through orders in council.

This year’s appointees include lawyers in private practice, government and academia who have distinguished themselves by their counsel, teaching contributions, publications, advocacy and volunteerism.

The King’s counsel designation grants each appointee the honour of adding the letters “KC” to their post-nominals (letters after one’s name), so their colleagues and clients know that they have been recognized by their peers for extraordinary merit and broader contributions to the legal profession.

Quick Facts:

* Only 7% of practising B.C. lawyers can be awarded the King’s counsel designation at any time.

* The advisory committee was established by the attorney general to review nominations and make recommendations for King’s counsel appointments. It includes:
– the chief justice of B.C.;

– the chief justice of the Supreme Court of B.C.;

– the chief judge of the provincial court of B.C.;

– the president of the Law Society of B.C. (LSBC);

– the president of the Canadian Bar Association – British Columbia Branch;

– an LSBC member appointed by the benchers (directors);

– B.C.’s deputy attorney general.