This month’s spotlight shines on Eric Clavier of Fasken Martineau DuMoulin.
How did you first get involved with CLEBC?
My initial exposure to CLEBC was attending seminars and conferences. In around 2016, my partner Helen Low invited me to participate as the online moderator at a two-day conference that she was chairing. Later, I was included as a co-speaker from time to time, which escalated to writing papers and presenting at several seminars. In 2023, I first co-chaired the Basics of Wills and Estate Planning two-day conference.
What are you currently working on (or have most recently worked on) with CLEBC?
As co-chair, I am working with CLEBC towards making the 2025 version of the Basics of Wills & Estate Planning two-day conference this November another success. I also continue to present when invited, and since 2024, I serve on the editorial board for CLEBC’s Estate Disputes in British Columbia: A Litigator’s Guide.
What inspired you to become a lawyer?
Hard to remember, considering how long ago I made that decision. The actual (and not all that inspiring) answer is that as a child, I took a liking to an 1980s TV drama called LA Law. We had no lawyers in my immediate family, so the world of make-belief law opened my eyes to this profession that I had heretofore known nothing about, and – in particular – to litigation. I read up about the practice of law, spoke to lawyers about what it was really like being a lawyer, and realized that it may be something I would be interested in pursuing down the road. As I grew older and the time came to make a career call, there was never any doubt that I wanted to be a litigator.
So, you’re originally from South Africa? What made you decide to move to Canada?
Until I moved to BC, I spent my whole life in South Africa but travelled extensively all over the world. Travel opens your eyes to possibility and for me, it was time for a new adventure! Since moving countries as a lawyer is not easy, I had to pick somewhere where I could successfully transition my years of experience in a common law (albeit hybrid) jurisdiction to a new country. After considering the UK, Australia, and Canada, a trip to Vancouver during a sunny stretch in May inspired me to make this place home. Vancouver reminded me of Cape Town: the mountains, the ocean, the beauty of the place – I had always vowed that if I moved, it would be to somewhere that offered access to nature and outdoor activities in a scenic setting.
How did you decide to focus your practice on estate and trust litigation?
An opportunity to work alongside one of the premier trust and estate litigators in BC presented itself somewhat unexpectedly. In the past, my litigation practice had been largely commercial and insurance-based, but I had done prior trust work and had always found this area complex and interesting. Considering the impending transfer of generational wealth over the next few decades and the likelihood of complex disputes arising from that, it presented itself as an area of practice that would thrive and grow exponentially, so I did not want to pass on the opportunity.
You are very active in the legal community both as a contributor to publications and as a speaker. What motivates you to give back to the profession?
In South Africa, pupil advocates (barristers) joining the Bar are mentored gratis for up to a year by experienced barristers, as part of senior lawyers’ commitment to give back to the profession (bearing in mind that they themselves enjoyed a similar entry to the practice of law). I believe my start in the profession as a barrister in this manner instilled the same responsibility to giving back. I also quickly realized that, while the independent practice of law is both a profession and a business, it is also a fundamental part of a functioning democracy. To preserve that, lawyers have to maintain the high standards of the legal profession and ensure that future generations enjoy the same benefits and deference to the law, something I hold dear. We do this by contributing as much as we can, despite the extreme demands on our time that a legal practice already imposes. A lawyer’s work is never done…
Other than law, what are you passionate about?
I love dogs! The best part of my day is seeing my dog Schatzi’s smiling face when I get home from work (although I am obviously also very happy to see my wife, once Schatzi allows me to greet her, too). Aside from playing with Schatzi, I love to read, travel, explore new places, exercise, go hiking, and spend my time laughing with friends and family. I recently took up boating, and I am still trying (mostly failing) to master snowboarding. So, I am pretty busy.
If you weren’t a lawyer, what career path would you have chosen?
Like probably most teenagers, I fancied a career as a musician or film director. My parents wisely suggested I have a fallback option. I never really seriously considered something else, since my mind had been made up early on. But I have always enjoyed statistics, numbers, and math, so perhaps I would have pursued a career in actuarial science or banking.