Taylor-Marie is a partner with Rush Ihas Hardwick LLP and a leading litigator in the market. She maintains a broad commercial litigation practice, acting frequently in complex business disputes and other corporate matters. As a litigator and advocate, she is agile, incisive, and dedicated to obtaining the best outcome for her clients. She has significant experience in general civil litigation, including complex estates, trusts, and torts.
Taylor-Marie regularly appears as counsel at the Supreme Court of British Columbia and the Court of Appeal. She is known for putting her excellence in legal acumen to work with a tailored, results-oriented approach. She has extensive experience in contract and related conflicts in the business arena, shareholder and other corporate disputes, fraud claims, debtor-creditor relations, estate and trust litigation, and employment disputes. She also acts in defence of various professionals, including lawyers.
Versatile as a litigator, Taylor-Marie maintains both a trial and appellate practice. The cornerstone of her practice is strategic foresight to minimize the expense and stress inherent in litigation, as well as leadership and pragmatism.
Taylor-Marie is dedicated to the practice of law outside the confines of the courtroom. She is a regular contributor to various professional development programs, seminars, and publications, including the Continuing Legal Education Society of British Columbia and its Annual Review of Law & Practice publication. She has also attended as a guest lecturer at Thompson Rivers University. Called to the Bar in British Columbia in 2015, she completed her articles and practiced with a long-standing and respected insurance defence firm in Vancouver. She joined Rush Ihas Hardwick LLP for its reputation as the preeminent boutique litigation firm in the Okanagan. She is Past President of the Kelowna Bar Association.
Taylor-Marie is a graduate of Thompson Rivers University and the University of Victoria with degrees in journalism, linguistics and law. As a member of the inaugural class of Thompson Rivers University’s Faculty of Law, Taylor-Marie has the distinct honour of receiving the Law Society of British Columbia Gold Medal, having achieved the highest cumulative grade point average over the course of the juris doctor program. She was also the recipient of various course prizes.
SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS & PUBLICATIONS
- “Style in Appellate Advocacy”, Canadian Bar Association, BC Branch Appellate Section Meeting 2023
- “Costs” in Annual Review of Law & Practice, CLEBC 2016-current (co-author Matthew Van Nostrand and Adam Howden-Duke)
- “Costs” in British Columbia Civil Trial Handbook, CLEBC 2018 and 2021 (co-author Matthew Van Nostrand and Adam Howden-Duke)
- “Special Costs: Entitlement and Assessment”, CLEBC 2020 and 2023
AWARDS
- Law Society of BC Gold Medalist (Thompson Rivers University Faculty of Law), 2014
Notable Cases
- Callahan v. Callahan, 2022 BCCA 387
- Dias v. Sabyan, 2022 BCSC 1384
- Laventure Estate v. Ovelson, 2022 BCCA 136
- Waterway Houseboats Ltd. v. British Columbia, 2020 BCCA 378
- Byland-Thorsen v. Byland, 2021 BCSC 466
- Waterway Houseboats Ltd. v. British Columbia, 2019 BCSC 581
Professional Affiliations
- Law Society of British Columbia, Member
- Canadian Bar Association, Member
- Kelowna Bar Association, Member
Community Activity
- Access Pro Bono, clinic volunteer
- Kelowna Bar Association, Past President
