Partner
Nicholas M. Vaartnou
Office
Vancouver / Victoria
Key Practice Area
Advocacy & Litigation
Year of Call
2017
Qualifications
British Columbia Bar (2017)
Education
Western University (J.D., 2016)
University of Victoria (B.Comm., 2011)
Nicholas is based in Victoria and represents clients throughout the province. Nicholas’ practice primarily involves commercial and administrative litigation and he routinely acts for clients involved in disputes related to contracts, property, or the management of private companies. Nicholas also acts for creditors in collection and foreclosure matters.
Nicholas is an experienced trial and appellate lawyer. He has also acted for clients before various administrative and arbitral tribunals.
- Nicholas has acted on behalf of the provincial Director of Civil Forfeiture on a number of matters, including the following reported decisions: 2023 BCSC 1639, 2024 BCCA 11, and 2024 BCSC 562.
- Scala Development Consultant Ltd. v. Spirit Bay Developments Limited Partnership, 2024 BCSC 1755 (with Sean Hern, K.C.) – Appointed a receiver over a limited partnership due to its failure to satisfy our client’s judgment.
- Thomson v. A.R. Thomson Group, 2023 BCSC 1498 (with Rebecca Morse) – Defended an application to dismiss our clients’ claim as an abuse of process on the basis that their previous affidavit evidence was allegedly inconsistent with their claim.
- Spirit Bay Developments Limited Partnership v. Scala Developments Consultants Ltd., 2022 BCCA 407 (with Sean Hern, K.C.) – Obtained and defended various challenges to an arbitral award ordering a developer of a large residential project to pay amounts owing to a housing contractor pursuant to their various contracts.
- Paynter v. The Board of Education of School District No. 61, 2022 BCSC 1671 – Successfully challenged the jurisdiction of a Board of Education to indefinitely suspend a school trustee.
- Brockman et al. v. Valmont Industries Holland B.V. et al., 2021 BCSC 500, varied in part 2022 BCCA 80 (with Matthew Pierce) – Obtained relief for a minority shareholder from the unfairly prejudicial conduct of a majority shareholder who was operating the business as if it was a wholly owned subsidiary.
- Member of the Law Society of British Columbia
- Member of the Canadian Bar Association
- Member of the Victoria Bar Association
- The “Ones to Watch” Best Lawyers in Canada for 2025