Professional Regulation
Over 30 professional bodies in BC regulate themselves under statute or participate in voluntary self regulation. A number do not have in house counsel and many are experiencing increase legal costs. We have over 20 years experience acting for professionals and their regulatory bodies in the legal, education, dental, and police sectors.
We are able to draw on all of the firm’s resources to provide regulatory bodies and their members with a full range of services. We take a common sense approach and work with our clients to address emerging issues before they arise and as a result we are often successful in minimizing problems or avoiding them altogether. Clients often find we get the job done – and we get it done skillfully and proficiently.
WWE can offer the following services:
For Members of Professional REgulatory Bodies
- Defence Counsel
Professional reputations are at peril when professionals face allegations of misconduct or incompetence and they need prompt, quality assistance and support. As defence counsel for professionals, WWE assures that members receive strong and supportive representation. Defence counsel services include: preparing responses to the regulatory body at the investigation stages: negotiation with the regulatory body where pre-hearing resolution is appropriate; preparation of a defence including investigation of witnesses and documents, legal research, and submission drafting; assuring compliance with statutes and procedural fairness requirements by regulatory bodies, and seeking court review where necessary; representing professionals at formal hearings, and carrying out judicial reviews and appeals to courts where tribunals have committed errors
For Regulatory Bodies
- As General Counsel
- Counsel for Credentials, Registration or Discipline Hearings
- Independent Hearing Counsel
WWE can assist regulatory bodies to deal with the growing complexity of professional regulation providing a range of services, including; analysis and advice on legislative changes, bylaws, standards, policies and procedures; training of committee members and staff; public relations; strategic planning; assisting with certification, quality assurance, complaints and investigations, disciplinary and competence hearings, privacy and freedom of information, and responding to court actions, judicial reviews and appeals.
WWE can assist regulatory bodies and their general counsel at all these stages, including: performing investigations; assessing if a matter should proceed to a hearing; settlement or consensual resolution negotiations; preparing cases for hearing; acting as prosecution counsel at hearings, and representing regulatory bodies in judicial reviews and appeals.
As Independent hearing counsel WWE can assure no appearance of bias and can provide advice concerning procedure, evidence, administrative law, and the sufficiency of reasons.
Contact Our Firm
Contact Wiebe Wittmann El-Khatib LLP by phoning or by viewing our contact page on this site. Our lawyers are available by appointment. We offer services in English, French, German, Greek, Italian, Afrikaans and Farsi.
