Business Law Clinic
Source: https://allard.ubc.ca/research/research-centres-and-programs/centre-business-law/business-law-clinic Parent: https://allard.ubc.ca/about-us/our-people/careers-allard-law
Richards Buell Sutton LLP Business Law Clinic provides law students with an educational opportunity to use their substantive understanding of business law in a clinical setting for the benefit of the public. This clinical setting offers students a unique opportunity to develop a number of practical and legal skills. In addition to providing a client facing experiential learning environment for students, the Clinic serves another important purpose by expanding access to legal services for a range of business and non-profit organizations.
The Clinic provides business-oriented legal advice to small businesses, entrepreneurs, non-profit organizations, and individuals who cannot otherwise afford such legal advice. The purpose of the Clinic is to provide law students with an opportunity to use their substantive understanding of law in a clinical setting for the benefit of the public. This clinical setting allows students to gain practice skills along with a deeper understanding of professional ethics and professional responsibility.
Business Law Clinic Award
An award totalling $3,000 is offered annually to second- or third-year JD students enrolled in the Business Law Clinic at the Peter A. Allard School of Law who have demonstrated excellence in business law and a commitment to providing business-law services to nonprofit community organizations and underserved members of the public. This award is made on the recommendation of the adjunct directors of the Business Law Clinic and the Director of the Centre for Business Law at the Peter A. Allard School of Law.
In addition to the experiential learning component of the Clinic, students also participate in seminar discussions led by Clinic Adjunct Professors, David Harvey, Tamara Huculak, and Amir Ghahreman.
Meet the Clinic Adjuncts
David Harvey
David is a partner at Richards Buell Sutton LLP's Vancouver office. He obtained his J.D. from UVIC in 2010, after which he articled at a litigation firm before finding his true calling as a commercial solicitor. Following his articles, David practiced at a boutique business law firm in downtown Vancouver for a number of formative years before joining RBS in 2019.
David is a member of the firm's Business Law Group, Employment and Human Rights Group, and Technology and IP Group. He regularly advises his clients on a range of legal matters including mergers and acquisitions, business structures, corporate reorganizations, shareholder and partnership agreements, employment agreements, license and service agreements, and commercial leases.
David is regularly assisted in the office by his rescue legal support pup, Huxley (the Husky).
Tamara Huculak
Tamara obtained her LLB (now J.D.) from UBC Law (now Allard) and articled with Mawhinney & Kellough (now Dentons) being called to the bar in 1990. After being called to the bar of British Columbia, Tamara went to work with her father at a downtown Vancouver boutique real estate law firm becoming a partner then moving her practice to Surrey to be closer to home and her family. Tamara is now a partner at Richards Buell Sutton LLP practicing out of their Surrey office focussing primarily on real estate development and corporate/commercial law. Tamara is also a registered trademark agent. Tamara’s real estate practice focusses primarily on the needs of developers including advising on corporate structures, then assisting with the acquisition and financing of development property through to the leasing and/or sales of developed residential and/or commercial units. On the corporate side, Tamara assists clients in the start up of business, franchising, reorganizations and the sale and/or acquisition of businesses in a wide variety of industries. Early in her career, Tamara also started and ran a dog day care business in Whistler which taught her invaluable lessons in business!
Amir Ghahreman
Amir started out his career as a Chartered Accountant (now known as “C.P.A.”) at Deloitte while completing the Chartered Accounting Co-Op Program through his undergraduate business degree studies at SFU. After five “busy seasons” in accounting, Amir attended Dalhousie University and obtained his LL.B. in 2006. Amir primarily practices in private company business matters covering a wide range of matters from business formation (incorporations, limited partnerships) to business acquisition/divestiture (share sales, asset sales), and just about everything in between (commercial agreements, leases, shareholder agreements, employment matters), and in each case across a wide variety of industries. When pressed for a quick answer, Amir summarizes his work simply as “contracts”. Prior to joining Richards Buell Sutton LLP, Amir articled and practiced with a large regional firm and later was a partner at a mid-size Vancouver firm.
Current Student Clinicians
See student clinicians for the 2025/2026 year here
Former Student Clinicians
- See student clinicians for the 2025/2026 year here
- See student clinicians for the 2023/2024 year here
- See student clinicians for the 2022/2023 year here
- See student clinicians for the 2021/2022 year here
Background
The Business Law Clinic was established in January 2016 as a pilot program within the Centre for Business Law. Pilot funding for the program was provided by the Franklin Lew Innovation Fund. In September, 2016 a generous funding commitment from alumnus Robert P. Pirooz, Q.C. enabled the law school to continue to operate the Clinic through the 2016-17 academic year. Pirooz chose to name the Clinic in honour of former law school Dean, Professor Mary Anne Bobinski for the duration of his commitment.
Business Law Clinic Poster (PDF)
The Clinic is generously supported by: