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Financial Professional Services Practice Group

Financial Professional
Practice

Practice Profile 

Alexander Holburn Beaudin & Lang LLP’s Financial Professional Practice advises and represents a wide range of financial services clients in matters ranging from business structuring, risk management and professional development activities to professional discipline proceedings and the conduct of civil litigation.   

We have extensive experience acting for the following financial professionals: 

  • Agents & Brokers
  • Chartered Accountants
  • Certified Management Accountants (Chief Financial Officers)
  • Certified General Accountants
  • Insurance Professionals
  • Financial Planners

Services 

Services we frequently provide to our financial services clients include: 

  • Risk management & loss prevention advice
  • Professional development training
  • Resolving discipline issues and defending discipline proceedings
  • Defending professional liability claims
  • Incorporation and development of the best practice structures for our clients needs

Risk Management & Loss Prevention 

Most problems are best resolved before they ever start.  We believe in taking a proactive, structured approach to helping our clients create practice arrangements, systems and processes to increase profitability, minimize risk exposure, foster ongoing compliance with relevant professional requirements, and identify and resolve potential liability or discipline issues at the earliest opportunity.   

Our risk management & loss prevention work includes: 

  • Advising on structuring partnerships and practices (including the establishment of LLP practices) to provide maximum financial risk management and reduce or minimize liability exposure;
  • Advising on drafting engagement letters to protect financial professionals against personal liability;
  • Advising on all aspects of practice and professional liability insurance and general risk management issues;
  • Advising on commercial general liability and directors and officers liability;
  • Risk management training;
  • Proactive problem solving and strategies for dealing with professional responsibility issues; and
  • Assessing concerns and providing timely problem solving strategies to address any potential disciplinary issues.

Professional Development 

We believe that increasing the knowledge base of our professional clients is the best defence against future professional disciplinary problems or issues.  In support of this view, we have created a variety of professional development training programs.  We provide basic introductions to the law of contract, tort, vicarious liability, limitation periods, how negligent misrepresentation works, and fiduciary obligations.

In addition, we also provide free ongoing seminars and in-service courses for our professional clients to assist them in fulfilling their ongoing professional development and accreditation requirements.  For example, we provide seminar instruction on insurance and general risk management issues as part of the Professional Development program for the Institute of Chartered Accountants of British Columbia.

David Wende is also a frequent lecturer to a range of industry groups on loss control issues and professional responsibility.

Professional Discipline and Litigation 

We understand that as a financial professional, you are a trusted advisor.

Your professional reputation is not just a key business asset; it also forms part of your personal identity. In short, your reputation matters. Therefore, when your role is challenged or criticized, any involvement with discipline or litigation proceedings can only cause significant personal stress. 

Where a client requires our services as defense counsel we acknowledge the stress attributable to involvement with disciplinary or legal proceedings and we work to minimize the impact this stress can have on your working life and personal well-being.

Our group acts in all aspects of professional discipline in the financial professional community, helping members of professional groups assess, manage and, when necessary, defend professional disciplinary proceedings.  We provide diligent and experienced counsel in the conduct of disciplinary proceedings and the defence of professional reputations.

Our Lawyers

The lawyers in our group have the experience and educational background to communicate effectively in the professional financial community. David Wende is the group contact and has acted as defense counsel for financial professionals, has experience as counsel to the professional disciplinary tribunal of the Institute of Chartered Accountants for British Columbia and currently acts as the prosecutor for the Institute.

Members of our group are active members in a wide range of financial services industry associations and organizations.  We frequently write and teach courses for the Institute of Chartered Accountants of British Columbia on professional liability and risk management issues, and speak on risk management and insurance matters before the Canadian Tax Federation.