Christopher Rusnak, KC*
*Christopher Rusnak Law Corporation
Senior Counsel & Arbitrator
With over thirty years of experience, Chris is a recognized leader in civil litigation.
Biography
The focus of Chris’ litigation and arbitration practice is complex, multi-party disputes. He has acted as counsel in some of Canada’s largest and most technically challenging cases in the fields of environmental contamination, engineering, construction, and product liability. He now applies that experience to his work as an arbitrator.
Chris’ education and background in the field of chemical engineering make him particularly adept at dealing with complex issues and evidence. He has represented his clients in courts across Canada, including the Supreme Court of Canada, the courts of appeal in British Columbia, Ontario and New Brunswick and the trial courts of British Columbia, Ontario, New Brunswick, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Newfoundland, and the Yukon. He has worked on several inter-jurisdictional matters with counsel in the United States and the United Kingdom. Chris’ clients also seek his advice on climate change related matters and he works with First Nations to support their efforts to achieve reconciliation through recognition and redress of past wrongs.
In 2020, Chris was appointed King’s Counsel for distinctive merit as legal counsel and exceptional contributions to the legal profession. For many years Chris was an adjunct professor at the University of British Columbia Faculty of Law where he taught Ethics and Professionalism. Chris has also lectured at the University of British Columbia Faculty of Engineering. Chris is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and a Fellow of the Canadian College of Construction Lawyers. Additionally, Chris regularly volunteers to teach and lead seminars for the British Columbia Law Society’s Continuing Legal Education program and the Chief Justice’s Inns of Court program.
Chris sits on the Board of Directors of Suzanne Simard’s Mother Tree Network Society and writes about old growth forest protection and climate change, including In Defence of the Trees: Presenting the Case for Ancient Forest Rights, UCLA Journal of Environmental Law and Policy, (2023), 41(2).
Chris was one of two lawyers from British Columbia nominated for the title of the country’s Litigator of the Year in the 2020 Canadian Law Awards. More details of Chris’ case work, contributions and recognitions are found below.
Assistance Team
Expertise
Education
Chartered Arbitrator, Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, 2021
University of Victoria, LL.B., 1992
Queen’s University, B.A.Sc. in Chemical Engineering (Hons.), 1989
Languages spoken
- English
Experience
Climate Change
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Counsel on behalf of clients providing advice on legal issues relating to climate change
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Academic research and writing on issues relating to forest protection and climate change
Greenwashing
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Counsel on behalf of an environmental justice organization in a Competition Act complaint against an international fashion apparel company.
Product Liability & Class Action
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Counsel for parties in litigation advanced by Canada’s ten provincial governments seeking recovery of billions of dollars health care costs expended on the treatment of tobacco related disease.
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Counsel for parties involved in a national class action advanced by the province of British Columbia on behalf of all provinces and the federal government seeking billions of dollars in health care and related costs expended to address opioid addiction and treatment.
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Counsel for clients in class action proceedings relating to the manufacture and sale of alleged defective products.
Environmental Law & Construction Litigation
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Counsel on behalf of a port authority in proceedings relating to historic hydrocarbon contamination of a large industrial site.
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Counsel to an international engineering firm in respect of claims arising from the failure of the Mount Polley Mine tailings storage facility. The failure has been described as the largest environmental disaster in the history of Canada.
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Counsel to a national bank in significant arbitration proceedings arising within the context of bankruptcy proceedings. Through the receiver, the bank pursued claims against an international mining company for damages and monies owed to the bankrupt entity.
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Counsel to a national geotechnical engineering firm in several actions arising from two large landslides. In total, more than 20 separate actions were commenced.
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Counsel to a joint venture of three international engineering firms sued over their involvement in large-scale expansion of a wastewater treatment plant. The case related to alleged design and construction defects associated with the project’s wastewater digesters.
Administrative Tribunals
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Counsel to clients with respect to matters before WorkSafeBC, the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of BC, the Association of Professional Engineers of Yukon, the Architectural Institute of BC, the BC Environmental Appeal Board, the Institute of Chartered Accounts of BC, College of Registered Nurses of BC and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC.
Professional Credentials
Leadership
- UBC Allard School of Law, Adjunct Professor (2018-2024)
- Inns of Court Program, Seminar Leader
- Continuing Legal Education Society of BC courses and Professional Legal Training (Bar Admission) course, Lecturer and Written Content
- Faculty of Engineering, University of British Columbia, Lecturer (2002-2004, 2024)
- Moot Court Volunteer Judge, UBC Undergraduate Moot Court Competition (2020)
- Continuing education seminars held by architects, engineers and industry organizations regarding professional liability and environmental risk management issues, Presenter
- Harper Grey Construction & Engineering Law Group, Past Chair
- Harper Grey Mentoring Program, Mentor
- Harper Grey Pro Bono Committee, Member
Memberships
- College of Canadian Construction Lawyers. Fellow
- Canadian Bar Association, Member
Recognition
Recognized as a “Leading Lawyer” in the area of General Commercial Litigation (Regional-British Columbia) by Chambers Canada®
2017 – 2026
Recognized as a “Leading Lawyer” in the area of Product Liability Law by Best Lawyers® in Canada
2024 – 2026
Recognized as a “Leading Lawyer” in the area of Construction Law by Best Lawyers® in Canada
2015 – 2026
Recognized as a “Leading Lawyer” in the area of Insurance Law by Best Lawyers® in Canada
2015 – 2026
Recognized as a “Leading Lawyer” in the area of Appellate Practice by Best Lawyers® in Canada
2026
Recognized as a “Litigation Star” in Canada in the area of Construction Law by Benchmark Canada®
2026
Recognized as a “Litigation Star” in Canada in the area of Environmental Law by Benchmark Canada®
2026
Recognized as a “Litigation Star” in Canada in the area of Product Liability and recall by Benchmark Canada®
2026
Recognized as a “Local Litigation Star” in British Columbia in the area of Construction Law by Benchmark Canada®
2013 – 2025
Recognized as a “Local Litigation Star” in British Columbia in the area of Environmental Law by Benchmark Canada®
2013 – 2025
Recognized as a “Local Litigation Star” in British Columbia in the area of Product Liability by Benchmark Canada®
2013 – 2025
Recognized as a “Repeatedly Recommended” in the area of Litigation – Commercial Insurance by Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory®
2018 – 2025
Recognized as a “Repeatedly Recommended” in the area of Construction Law by Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory®
2024 – 2025
Recognized as a “Consistently Recommended” in the area of Construction Law by Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory®
2022 – 2023
Commentaries
The Latest
