Profile
Sandra Hawes is a Civil Litigation Lawyer, and Partner in the Edmonton office of Miller Thomson. She is the Chair of the Alberta Insurance Speciality Group. Sandra’s practice is focused primarily in the area of insurance defence litigation including defence of life, disability and critical illness insurance claims, professional errors and omissions claims in a construction context, commercial insurance claims, and insurance coverage issues. Sandra also handles contested estate matters.
Sandra has continued her legal education through the completion of the Intensive Trial Advocacy Course and received leadership training through the Queen’s School of Business. Sandra has also advanced her legal education interests as a volunteer instructor for the Legal Education Society of Alberta teaching Interest Based Negotiations to Bar Admission Students. In addition she has been an instructor for the Insurance Institute of Canada teaching “Insuring Against Liability”. Sandra also participates as an evaluator of Principled Negotiations for the Canadian Centre for Professional Legal Education.
Sandra has represented clients in a variety of litigation disputes appearing at all levels of court in Alberta. She also has experience in resolving dispute through alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, including arbitrations, mediations, judicial dispute resolutions and mini-trials.
Education
- LL.B., University of Alberta, 1996
- Faculty of Arts, Department of English, University of Alberta, 1993
- B.Sc., Biological Sciences / Chemistry, University of Alberta, 1991
Community Involvement
- Fundraising Committee Member, A "Pursenal" Mission, STARS Foundation, 2012 - Present
- Board Member, Knox-Metropolitan United Church, 2005 - Present
Memberships
- Member, Canadian Bar Association, Insurance and Civil Litigation Sections
- Member, Law Society of Alberta
- Member, Edmonton Bar Association
- Member, Canadian Defence Lawyers
- Member, DRI, International Association of Defence Lawyers
- Member, Alberta Civil Trial Lawyers Association
Speaking Engagements
- Chair, Advanced Advocacy Panel, Canadian Bar Association - Alberta Law Conference, February 2013
- Speaker, Institutional Responsibility for Preventing Sexual Abuse, Marsh Insurance Canada, October 2012
- Negotiation Instructor and Evaluator, Bar Admission Course/CPLEDs, Legal Education Society of Alberta, 2005 - Present
- Faculty, "The New Rules of Court: A Seamless Transition", Legal Education Society of Alberta, September 2010
- Speaker, Judicial and Regulatory Decisions Across Canada, Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association, September 2010
Publications
- Privilege Over Adjusters' Files and Surveillance, Alberta Civil Trail Lawyers Association, 2012
- Missed Life Premium Payment - No Relief from Forfeiture, Canadian Journal of Insurance Law, Vol. 28, No. 4, 2010
- Missed Life Premium Payment - No Relief from Forfeiture, Insurance Law Newsletter, May 2010
- Regular Care Clauses and Entitlement to Disability Benefits, Insurance Law Newsletter, October 2009
Industry Expertise
Key Practice Expertise
Areas of Focus
- Life, Health and Disability
- Insurance Defence
- Insurance Coverage Disputes
- Commercial Insurance Claims
- Subrogated Claims
- Professional Liability Claims in
- Construction
- Contested Estate Litigation
Year of Call
- Alberta Bar, 1997