DIRECT: 604 895 2885
skovacs@harpergrey.com
Biography
Sandy Kovacs is an associate with the aviation, health, commercial litigation and insurance law groups at Harper Grey.
Sandy was elected President of the Vancouver Bar Association (VBA) for the 2010-2011 term. She is one of the youngest lawyers to have been elected to the position and has served as an executive in that organization for several years. Founded in 1892, the VBA's mandate is to foster harmonious relations and support its members' relations with the judiciary. Ms. Kovacs speaks on behalf of the VBA at special sittings of the British Columbia Supreme Court and the British Columbia Court of Appeal. She was instrumental in ensuring that the VBA became one of the six funding partners of the Public Commission on Legal Aid carried out in 2010.
Sandy is an avid golfer and runner, having completed the New York marathon and several half marathons. In her last half-marathon, Sandy was the top fundraiser for Big Sisters of British Columbia.
Education
- University of Alberta, LL.B., 2004
- Simon Fraser University, B.A., 2000
Bar Admission
- British Columbia, 2005
Leadership
- Past-President, Vancouver Bar Association, 2011-2012 (President, 2010-2011, Director since 2007)
- Committee Member, Peter S. Hyndman Mentorship Award, 2011
- Chair, Associates Committee, Harper Grey LLP
Awards
- Shocter Award for significant contribution to student life, University of Alberta Faculty of Law, 2004. Sandy was the Vice President Social for the University of Alberta Law Students Association from 2002-2004.
- Nominee for the University of Alberta Alumni Horizon Award, 2011
Client Work
Aviation
- Co-counsel for a defendant at the mediations of several bodily injury and wrongful death actions brought against multiple defendants as a result of a tragic hot air balloon disaster
- Lead counsel for the corporate plaintiffs in a products liability action arising from a 2005 heli-logging accident
- Co-counsel for a third party supplier in a products liability action involving metallurgical failure, resulting from a heli-logging accident
- Co-counsel in several actions arising from an aircraft crash resulting in multiple fatalities
- Counsel for insured defendants in trip-and-fall actions against aviation-related occupiers
- Counsel for insured and uninsured defendants in bodily injury actions alleging pilot error
- Petitioning to enforce Letters Rogatory
- Opinions regarding coverage matters for aviation underwriters
- Jurisdictional forum non conveniens matters
Commercial Litigation
- Lead counsel through trial in a civil action alleging an express trust and a constructive trust interest in land
- Counsel in a commercial contractual dispute between an international supplier and a local distributor
Insurance
- Lead counsel through trial, appeal, and leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada in the successful defence of an action alleging defamation and nuisance
- Lead counsel for insured defendants in several occupiers liability personal injury actions
- Lead counsel for both insured plaintiffs and defendants in multi-party subrogated recovery actions following fire and/or water damage to property
- Speaking at client institutions regarding the impact of legislative changes, such as the Health Care Costs Recovery Act
Health
- Defending medical professionals against allegations of negligence
- Defending complex multi-plaintiff historical sexual assault civil claims against medical and dental professionals
Human Rights
- Counsel for two infant complainants before the British Columbia Human Rights Commission alleging discrimination in the provision of a service on the basis of disability. The complaints were brought following the Medical Services Commission's denial of out-of-country coverage for surgeries to correct deformities causing the infants' disabilities.
Privacy
- Co-counsel for a corporate client in an inquiry before the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner in response to a Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act request
