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REGIONAL WRAP-UP LawyeRs anD cOwbOys gO hanD IN HAND IN CALGARY having a presence for about 100 years in Calgary, it's no surprise their paths would eventually cross. In March, Michael Casey, a partner at Field Law, was elected for a two-year term as president and chairman of the Calgary Stampede's volunteer board of directors. "Being elected chair and director is a humbling experi- ence as you are really standing on the shoulders of so many vol- unteers you have worked with over the years. The opportunity to work with a talented group of people on the board is exciting and challenging," says Casey. In the early days of Casey's law career, he took horseback rid- F ing lessons as a way to get out of the office and get some fresh air and exercise. After a few years of lessons, Casey developed a pas- sion for western heritage. Today, he embodies the Calgary spirit to preserve and promote western heritage and values. In keeping with Field Law's strong penchant for community service, as a newly minted lawyer Casey decided to start volun- teering for the Stampede in 1975. After serving on five different committees, he became a director in 1997 and vice chairman in 2007. He then set his sights on the top job. ield Law has been serving clients and providing legal solu- tions since 1915. The Calgary Stampede has been serving guests and providing tons of fun since 1912. With both As president and chairman, Casey will lead the Calgary Stampede's 20 volunteer direc- tors. His main duties will include chairing the board meetings, working with the strategic com- mittees of the board, liaising with the CEO, and ensuring all aspects of the business are moving forward including risk assessment, succession planning, financial accountability, and strategic planning. Casey says the firm is behind him in his volunteer position. Field Law partner Michael Casey is the new Stampede president. "Field has been totally supportive in my role. I am fortunate to have a terrific group of lawyers in my practice group who are supportive and always willing to take on any extra work that is necessary." He will also be writing an ongoing blog about it (www.fieldlaw.com/blogs/stampede/). During Casey's two-year term, the Calgary Stampede will celebrate its 100th birthday, so much of his time will be spent on planning that event. Casey says, "I am focused on ensuring that the Calgary Stampede remains in our community and I want to pos- ition the Calgary Stampede for success for the next 100 years." — DC move animal law forward ernment to beef up its Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act is one example of how Vancouver lawyer Rebeka Breder sees animal law evolv- ing. The act now allows for increased fines to a maximum of $75,000 and jail terms of up to two years. "I look at animal law as being at the same place that environmental law was 20 years ago," says Breder, who heads the Canadian Bar Association B.C.'s first animal law division in Canada, and handles corporate but also animal law litigation at Boughton Law Corp. "We are just in the beginning stages." As human encroachment pressures wildlife T habitat and pets are acknowledged by society as playing a greater role in human life than simply being "property," animal law is evolving on two fronts, she says. These changes in Canada simply follow what has been occurring down south. "In the U.S., the American Bar Association he post-Olympics culling of sled dogs that sparked international outrage and prompted the British Columbia gov- has had an animal law division at the national level since 2000," says Breder, who admits she is passionate about animal rights. At 13, she presented her city council with a dead duck, shot by hunters, and rounded up a petition signed by hundreds to ban duck hunting in her area. Breder says the bar association's animal law division plays a strong educational role bringing in speakers such as the SPCA's head of cruelty investigations Marcie Moriarty, who spoke about the sled-dog cull after the 2010 Olympic Games. "She was not able to say too much as there is still an investigation going on but she gave us a background on how the dogs were treated and where the law should go with this." In June, the animal law division partnered with the environmental law division to host a session on the Federal Court decision that saw Ecojustice win a landmark ruling aimed at protecting endangered orca whales. The Depart- ment of Fisheries and Oceans is seeking to overturn the decision, claiming that the Fisheries Act already legally protects the critical habitat of aquatic species such as the killer whale. Breder says she is seeing other changes in animal law and recently represented a client in the B.C. Interior who is suing a veterinarian for malpractice over the loss of a pet. "You do see a progression in the law and interestingly these cases are coming out of Ontario," says Breder, adding she drew upon case law in Ontario where judges "had the idea that a dog is more than simply a piece of property." This cognition by the courts begins to remove pets or companion ani- mals away from simple "chattels" under property law and into a more complex realm where they play an integral role and have a value in daily human life. "I am thankful there are clients who are willing to push forward these cases as they can be stressful and expensive." Breder, who is also a director at the Van- couver Humane Society, is battling the new "dangerous dog" bylaw. She believes animals www.CANADIAN Lawyermag.com JULY 2011 13 Sled do gs' deaths C ontinued on pa g e 15