Christopher Rhone

Christopher Rhone is a partner with Branch MacMaster LLP practicing complex civil litigation including negligence claims, insurance coverage, class proceedings, and administrative law.

Prior to admission to the British Columbia Bar (2001) Chris completed a judicial law clerkship with the British Columbia Court of Appeal. He articled and practiced at the law firm of Fasken Martineau before joining Branch MacMaster in 2002.

Chris has successfully represented clients before administrative tribunals and all levels of British Columbia's courts as well as before the Supreme Court of Canada. 

Contact Christopher Rhone at crhone@branmac.com or (604) 654-2954.

Areas of Practice

• General Civil Litigation, Insurance Defence and Coverage, Class Actions and Administrative Law

Professional Memberships and Education

• Law Society of British Columbia
• Law Society of the Northwest Territories
• Canadian Bar Association
• Defense Research Institute (DRI)
• LL.B. Edinburgh University / University of Victoria
• B.Sc. (Hons, Biology) University of Western Ontario

Representative Experience

Chris has successfully represented clients before the courts in over twenty-five reported cases including claims for damages, injunctions and declaratory relief. Several examples are listed below.  

• Lombard v Canadian Surety, 2012 BCSC 526 (successfull application to compel co-insurer to contribute towards costs to defend insured)
• Johnson v BC SPCA, (B.C. Supreme Court, June 14, 2011) (successfully seeking imposition of terms respecting injunctive relief sought by petitioner)
• In the Matter of a Production Order (s. 487.012, Criminal Code) (BCPC, Feb 14, 2011) (successful application to compel production of Workers Compensation Board records for investigation into alleged massacre of 100 sled dogs at Whistler, B.C.)
• Ulmer v BC SPCA, 2010 BCCA 519 (counsel for the BC SPCA on appeal by animal owner contesting removal animals from her property and re.opposing application to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada (2011 CanLII 35964)
• Progressive Homes v. Lombard Insurance Company of Canada, 2010 SCC 33 (co-counsel for insurer before Supreme Court of Canada on CGL coverage matter)
• Fentiman v. BC SPCA, 2009 BCSC 1141 (successful defence of the British Columbia SPCA against conversion action in B.C. Supreme Court)
• Teck Cominco v. Lloyd's Underwriters, 2009 SCC 11 (co-counsel for insurer before the Supreme Court of Canada in leading case on jurisdiction (forum non conveniens))
• Zhang v. Garrison, 2009 BCSC 1741 (successful addition of a medical doctor as defendant in Richmond airplane crash case. Medical doctor sought immunity under the federal Aeronautics Act)
• Eldridge v. North Construction Ltd., WCAT-2007-01073 (successful worker's compensation defence of a construction company)
• Willey v. Ronik Security Ltd., 2006 BCSC 1003 (upholding default damages judgment in property loss claim)
• Hoy v. Medtronic, 2004 BCSC 440 (medical device class action)
• Butterfield v. Lombard Insurance, 2004 BCSC 1755 (defending property insurer against breach of contract claims)
• Hoy v. Medtronic, Inc., 2003 BCCA 316 (medical device class action certification decision)
• ICBC v. Lemare Lake Logging Ltd., 2003 BCSC 1906 (defence of logging company against subrogated recovery action by ICBC)

Professional Activities

• C. Rhone, J. MacMaster and W. Branch, Environmental Insurance Recovery: Legal Issues in Relation to the Buy-Back of Insurance Policies (CLEBC: 2008)
• C. Rhone and W. Branch, Insurance Issues in Class Actions, in Litigating and Managing Insurance Coverage Disputes, The Canadian Institute, Conference, June 17-18, 2008 (Toronto) 
• C. Rhone, CGL Coverage and Long-Tail Pollution Claims: Several Triggering Issues Considered (CLEBC: 2008)
• Co-author (with Ward Branch), Liability Insurance Issues in Construction Practice, British Columbia (CLEBC: 2007)
• Co-author (with W. Branch), "Solving the National Class Problem", 4th Annual Symposium on Class Actions (Toronto:Osgoode Hall Law School of York University , 2007)
• Co-author (with M. Wingert), The Settlement Conference: Cornerstone of the Small Claims Process, British Columbia (CLE: 2005)
• Co-author (with W. Branch), The Bond Between Class Members - The Wedge Between Counsel: Trans-National Class Actions in the Wake of Parsons v. McDonald's Restaurants, British Columbia CLE (February, 2005)
• Co-author (with W. Branch), The Bond Between Class Members - The Wedge Between Counsel: Trans-National Class Actions in the Wake of Parsons v. McDonald's Restaurants, 5th Annual National Forum on Litigating Class Actions (Toronto: Canadian Institute, 2004).
• Co-author, Chaos or consistency? : The National Class Action Dilemma paper for symposium National forum on drug and medical device liability: key developments and cutting edge strategies for litigating ongoing claims and minimizing future exposures (Toronto: Canada Law Institute, 2003)
• Co-author, "'If it Ain't Broke, Don't Fix it!' Does B.C. Need a New Costs Regime for Class Actions?" (2003) Vol. 1, No. 4 Class Action 82
• Author "Accepting the Words of Parliament: Parliamentary History as a Means to Interpret Legislation" (September 2001) 59 The Advocate 697
• Author, Criminal Jury Addresses, CLE (B.C.) November 23, 2000 (Criminal Law Advocacy CLE)
• Co-Author with C. Tollefson and C. Rolfe, Cleanair.ca: A Citizen's Action Guide (Vancouver: Sierra Legal Defence Fund, 2000)
• Author, "From the European Commission to National Courts" (1998) 2 Edinburgh Law Review 345 article