Our presenters

Ron started at the City of Vancouver 15 years ago as a laborer and enjoyed the challenge so much that he became the Trench Safety Instructor 3 years later. He took adult educational courses to help him deliver the courses and soon became the Subject Matter Expert in the Trenching/Excavation Safety field.

Ron loves to learn and found that many other associations and companies outside the City were interested in finding training on this topic. 5 years later he was teaching across BC. Ron has designed many courses around underground infrastructure construction and teaches not only the WSBC Regulations but how to do it safely within the regulations. Ron was previously an instructor for the Water & Wastewater courses across BC for Kwantlen Polytechnic University.

Ron is now a supervisor, in the Sewer and Drainage Operations department at Metro Vancouver. Ron started in the public sector in 2002 at the City of Vancouver - Engineering Department working in many positions over the years he began to take an interest in safety and instruction. He soon became the A/Superintendent of OH&S and begun teaching part time for BC Water & Waste Association, World Water & Wastewater Solutions.

Recently he was part of an instructional team training in the Caribbean with the Belize Water Service through Operators without Boarders. Ron was soon recognized for his passion for better quality education and was asked to join Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) in 2015 to develop and manage the Water & Wastewater and Utility Locator Education in BC, Western Canada & the Yukon (5-year commitment).

Ron is now current employed as a Supervisor of Metro Vancouver’s (GVRD) Sewer Collection System servicing 1.4 million People and continues to instruct in his spare time. Ron is also an Executive Board Member on the BC Common Ground Alliance, a member of their Education Committee and presenter for their BC Ground Disturbance Seminars, a member of the Resource Membership Committee for BC1Call and he is a member of the BC Water Sector Development Committee.

Rosalie is a senior Associate in Clark Wilson LLP’s Infrastructure, Construction & Procurement Group. She has extensive experience advising clients both locally and across North America with the negotiation of contracts, as well as a wide range of litigation issues including builders’ lien claims, delay and deficiency claims and other construction disputes. Rosalie is committed to working diligently alongside her clients to establish practical legal solutions.

Roy’s career in design-build construction started about 50 years ago as a student construction labourer and then as a superintendent on a small design-build renovation project.  Roy is a Professional Engineer who owned a design-build company from 1974 to 2019 and a Professional Engineering company for over 30 years.

Roy has served on the Ontario Building Code Commission, is a Past President of the Ontario General Contractors Association, past Chairperson of the Canadian Design-Build Institute, the Niagara Regional Chamber of Commerce, and the Niagara Industrial Association, as well as other organizations.

Currently, Roy acts as an owner’s agent and a strategic advisor to design and build contractors.  Roy has experience in the private sector industrial, commercial, and retail projects plus municipal work as an owner’s agent and a design-builder.  These projects have ranged from small to $32,000,000.

Roy has received many honours, including a Life Membership from the Ontario General Contractors Association, and a Niagara Engineering Award of Merit.

Ryan has over 20 years of experience as a construction professional, and in his current role at EllisDon, he is responsible for overall execution of EllisDon projects, including staffing, training, and risk management. With extensive experience in hospital construction and complex projects, Ryan brings an intense but energetic and engaging approach to his work. Recognized as the top academic student each year while graduating from the Construction Engineering Technology Program at Fanshawe College, Ryan is also a Certified Engineering Technologist (C.E.T), a LEED AP accredited professional, and is Gold Seal Certified (GSC) by the Canadian Construction Association.

Samantha Ip is a Senior Partner in our Infrastructure, Construction & Procurement Practice and the Head of our Insurance and Risk Management Group.  She specializes in complex liability, coverage, and construction matters. Sam has taken a proactive and pragmatic approach to assisting her clients with risk. She has achieved success for insurers at the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal level but realizes more can often be gained from a relational approach to problem solving or conflict resolution.

Sam has particular expertise in coverage analysis on all species of policies and is regularly retained to provide risk management advice on projects and claims management and prevention. 

Sara Friedrich is a Registered Dietitian, Certified Intuitive Eating Counsellor, and weight-inclusive provider. Completing her education with the University of Guelph, Northern Ontario School of Medicine, and International Olympic Committee, has provided Sara with the necessary skills and knowledge to help clients of all shapes, sizes, and backgrounds meet their nutrition needs and athletic goals without restriction, food fear or external rules.

Sara supports her clients to add things back into their diets and lives, whether that is specific foods, coping skills, positive self-talk, exercise that is enjoyable, and/or brain space to focus on pursuing their passions! Sara’s specific areas of expertise include sports nutrition, intuitive eating, chronic disease management, and plant-based nutrition. Outside of work, you will find Sara hiking up a mountain, finding a new running route, or searching for the best fish taco in the Lower Mainland!

Satinder is a partner at Clark Wilson LLP. Satinder's area of expertise is Infrastructure, Construction & Procurement, Insurance. She views every file as an opportunity to advocate for clients while working to achieve a favourable and economical resolution of the construction or insurance matter at issue.

The construction clients that Satinder works with bring projects to life proficiently. The insurance clients that she works with manage a large volume of claims with expertise and efficiency. Satinder mirrors these qualities in her practice, ensuring that clients can execute their projects and resolve their claims in a timely and skillful manner.

Scott is a partner at Clark Wilson LLP. He practices in construction law, acting for owners, general contractors, specialized contractors, consultants, and material suppliers in institutional, commercial, and residential projects. Scott’s practice encompasses negotiating and drafting construction contracts, construction disputes and builder’s lien claims. He has been recognized in 2018 and 2019 by Best Lawyers in Canada for construction law.

Scott is a Senior Codes Engineer with the Building and Safety Standards Branch. His primary focus is on the development and successful implementation of the BC Energy Step Code and the transition to net-zero energy ready buildings and zero-carbon new construction.  With over 12 years of experience as a building enclosure engineer, Scott brings his strong technical background and passion for green building design to the development of policies and technical regulations relating to building performance and the BC Building Code.

Seema Lal is a Partner in the Construction and Infrastructure and Commercial and Business Litigation practice groups at Singleton Urquhart Reynolds Vogel LLP.

Seema is focused on the negotiation and preparation of construction contracts, procurement issues, builders’ liens, disputes; and construction dispute resolution, including claims for extras and delays. She seeks to provide strategic legal advice to assist her clients in making informed and effective legal and business decisions.  Through her practice and her involvement in industry associations, she has built up an in-depth understanding of the construction sector and the unique issues facing its stakeholders. She is also experienced in assisting clients with insurance matters and professional liability claims.

She is a Fellow of the Canadian College of Construction Lawyers, an association of lawyers who are distinguished for their skill and experience in the practice or teaching of construction law. Seema regularly provides lectures and seminars, including for the Independent Contractors Association of British Columbia, Buildex, Vancouver Regional Construction Association, and Pacific Business & Law Institute. She is also an adjunct professor at the University of British Columbia for engineering students – Legal Aspects in Engineering Practice.

Seema is involved in the Vancouver community and holds board positions for a number of industry groups and non-profit organizations. She also volunteers with Access Pro Bono and the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada’s Volunteer Legal Advocacy Program.