Betsy Segal is heralded by a client as, “responsive, collaborative, practical, relaxed, calm, even in high-stress situations no matter what time of day or night. She’s informed, skilled, thorough and always looks for creative solutions.”

Benchmark Canada

Rankings

Elizabeth (Betsy) Segal is top-ranked by Leading Global Rankings Agencies and Directories.

Professional Background

Elizabeth (Betsy) Segal is a Partner and Chair of the Insurance Law Practice Group at Singleton Urquhart Reynolds Vogel LLP. She is also a Partner in the Construction and Infrastructure, and Commercial Litigation Law Practice Groups. Betsy concentrates her practice on construction related disputes, insurance coverage and defence, complex commercial litigation and professional liability defence.

Betsy specializes in resolving her clients’ problems and delivering innovative solutions for each of their unique issues. She is skilled in resolving multi-party claims, corporate disputes and challenges involving insurance coverage, which include negotiation, mediation, arbitration and litigation at all levels of court. Betsy regularly appears in British Columbia Supreme Court and the British Columbia Court of Appeal, acting on behalf of a wide range of construction industry clients, including owners, general contractors and design professionals, insurers and corporate clients.

In the insurance field, Betsy advises her insurer clients on coverage, policy wording and regulatory compliance, and regularly drafts and facilitates negotiation of their licensing, distribution and service contracts. She has also developed a niche focus on cyber risk, and assists clients with cyber coverage opinions, policy wording and risk management strategies.

Education

  • Called to the British Columbia Bar, 2008
  • Call to the Ontario Bar, pending
  • Call to the Alberta Bar, pending
  • Bachelor of Laws, University of British Columbia, 2007
  • Bachelor of Science, Simon Fraser University, 2003

Rankings + Recognitions

  • Ranked in the areas of Construction Law, Corporate and Commercial Litigation, and Insurance Law by Best Lawyers Canada®
  • Recognized in Benchmark Canada – The Definitive Guide to Canada’s Leading Litigation Firms & Attorneys as a “Litigation Star”

Memberships

  • Member, Canadian Bar Association, Insurance Law Section
  • Member, Canadian Bar Association, Construction Law Section
  • Member, Canadian Bar Association, Appellate Advocacy Section
  • Member, Canadian Bar Association, Civil Litigation Section

Community + Volunteering

  • Volunteer, Access Pro Bono Society of British Columbia – Court of Appeal Program
  • Vancouver Rowing Club (a Society), Board of Directors

Counsel on the following successful appeals:

 

Betsy has appeared in all levels of court in British Columbia and has represented clients in a range of matters including:

  • providing opinions on and defending first party coverage, and advancing subrogated recovery claims on behalf of insurers
  • defence of design professionals and contractors in construction-related liability claims
  • advancing and defending corporate commercial disputes in many different sectors
  • defence of accountants and others in commercial and civil fraud litigation
  • prosecution of commercial civil fraud
  • cross-border litigation, including jurisdictional challenges and enforcement of foreign judgments
  • defamation prosecution and defense (for both people and business organizations)

Publications

Presentations

  • Presenter, Pacific Business Law Institute,  “Managing Ongoing Construction Issues,” January, 2021
  • Presenter, “Quirks of Travel Insurance,” CBA Insurance Law Section Meeting, February, 2020
  • Instructor, “Professionally Liability: Suing the Professional,” IBABC November, 2019
  • Moderator & Instructor, “Architect & the Law,” AIBC, May 17, 2019
  • Presentation for insurers on first and third-party insurance coverage obligations
  • Seminar for Insurance Adjusters, Claims Examiners and Brokers on builders risk, professional liability, GL and wrap-up insurance, bonding and “good faith” in insurance dealings
  • CLE BC presentation and paper: Internet Defamation
  • Adjunct Professor, University of British Columbia, Faculty of Law

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