Karen R. Zimmer
Partner

PRACTICE PROFILE

Karen Zimmer is a member of the firm’s Defamation, Commercial Litigation, Franchise, IP & Technology and Real Estate Practices. She is also a member of the firm’s Appeals Advisory Team. Her practice is primarily focussed on the following areas of civil and commercial litigation: libel and slander claims, fraud claims, misfeasance allegations, complex commercial litigation disputes, shareholder disputes, commercial landlord and tenant matters, franchise disputes, and intellectual property disputes.

She is experienced in pursuing her clients’ interests in urgent interlocutory applications, short and lengthy trials, arbitrations and mediations, and in working closely with her clients to negotiate complicated and creative settlements. Her clients are diverse and include health and school boards, societies, professional regulatory bodies, insurers, corporations, partnerships, and individuals.

Karen is also the Chair of the firm’s Women’s Forum – a networking platform for women who are looking to connect with, and be inspired by, other women.

REPRESENTATIVE CASES*

Experienced in compelling publishers to remove defamatory materials from the internet, including social media forums such as blogs and facebook;
Obtained various urgent injunctions in the Supreme Court of British Columbia including an Order to remove a director and shareholder from management;
Defended a professional regulatory body against complex defamation and misfeasance claims before the Supreme Court of British Columbia;
Successfully defended the Nanaimo School Board and individual Trustees with David Gooderham in a complex defamation trial that lasted 105 days. Each of the defamation claims were dismissed with costs awarded in the amount of $690,000 (Lane v. Board of School Trustees of SD 68 (Nanaimo/Ladysmith) et al);
Represented commercial landlord in a 6-day arbitration on the issue of fair market rent.
Successfully defended the Northern Interior Regional Health Board in a 4 week defamation trial with David McKnight (P.G. Restaurant Ltd. v. Northern Interior Regional Health Board et al);
Assisted David McKnight in successfully defending the B.C. Federation of Foster Parents Association in a trial on the issue of internet defamation (Carter v. B.C. Federation of Foster Parents Association.

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

See her defamation blog extras at BC Defamation Law Blog
Authored "Defamation 2.0" for Claims Canada, February 2011
Authored a paper entitled "Risk Management in Defamation for Insurers", 2007

RECENT CONFERENCES

Risk Management on the Internet, Canadian Institute, Toronto, 2008
Reputational Risk Management, Canadian Institute, Toronto, 2007
American Bar Association Forum on Franchise Law, Austin, TX, 2008; Toronto, 2009; San Diego, 2010

PROFESSIONAL AND COMMUNITY AFFILIATIONS

Alexander Holburn’s Women’s Forum, Chair
Canadian Women in Communciations, Member
Ad IDEM/Canadian Media Lawyers Association, Member
American Bar Association, Member of Franchising Forum
and Communications Law Forum