About
Outside the courtroom, Brian likes to keep his business law skills sharp too. He says the two areas of law are complimentary, like when you need to prove the impact of an injury on business profits, or when learning to draft airtight contracts by seeing one ripped to shreds in court. Strong advocacy and communication skills are vital to both. That explains why, after forming a personal injury law firm with his law partner, John McKiggan, Brian continues to represent a select number of business owners and professionals, many of whom have been clients for over 20 years. Brian stays with clients through thick and thin and has overseen the purchase and sale of multiple businesses. With the utmost respect and admiration for entrepreneurs, Brian even partners with some clients by providing start-up and early-stage legal services in exchange for equity in their business. Brian graduated fromDalhousie Law Schoolin Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1988. Prior to law school, Brian attended Saint Francis Xavier University where he earned recognition for academic excellence while pursuing a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Economics and was elected to both the University Senate and Board of Governors. Brian started at legal aid. He later joined a small litigation firm taking on some big cases: mining disasters, Aboriginal rights, and wrongful death. When the firm’s principal relocated to Toronto, Brian chose to stay in Halifax and start his own firm. He was an early adopter of practice management, remote access, and voice activation software to keep fees down and improve response time. Not content to simply help people after they were injured, Brian once teamed up with a local Highway 101 activist to lay private charges against the Nova Scotia Minister of Transportation under theOccupational Health and Safety Actfor failing to twin the infamous Highway 101. The Provincial government of the day was not impressed.