Sandra has practiced labour law and civil litigation (with an emphasis on employment and personal injury law) for over 35 years.
Born and raised in the lower mainland, Sandra graduated from law school at the University of British Columbia, and was subsequently called to the British Columbia bar in 1982, after completing a clerkship with the British Columbia Supreme Court.
Sandra regularly appears at the British Columbia Court of Appeal, the British Columbia Supreme Court, labour arbitrations, the British Columbia Labour Board, and the Human Rights Tribunal. She has also appeared before the Quebec Court of Appeal, the Quebec Superior Court and the Manitoba Queen’s Bench.
Sandra is an extraordinary advocate; her oral advocacy and cross-examination skills are highly respected by clients and counsel alike. In 2011, her ability and achievements in the legal profession were recognized when she was designated Queen’s Counsel (now King’s Counsel).
In addition, Sandra acted as Special Counsel to the BC Transit Board on issues of successorship and contracting out and represented the Ministry of Small Business, Tourism and Culture as Special Advisor on the Status of the Artist.
Sandra regularly volunteers with organizations providing ongoing legal education. She is a speaker at and co-chair of seminars and conferences, including those organized by the Continuing Legal Education Society of BC, the Trial Lawyers’ Association, the Labour sub-section of the Canadian Bar Association, the Benchers of the Canadian Bar Association, Insight, Lancaster House, the Centre for Labour Management, and the B.C. Federation of Labour. She designed the British Columbia Labour Law course at the Canadian Labour Congress’ Winter School and has taught it since 1985
In addition to being a past president of the P.N.E., she served for ten years on the Board of the Vancouver Museum and as a director of the Vancouver International Film Festival.
e-mail: banister@banisterlaw.com