Chatwin LLP

Vaughn graduated from the University of Alberta Faculty of Law in 1984 and joined Chatwin LLP shortly thereafter. In 1985, he was admitted to the Alberta Bar and has remained with the Firm, with the past 24+ years as a partner.

Vaughn has earned a BV rating in Martindale-Hubbell’s annual peer-review rankings. The peer-review ranking serves as an objective indicator that a lawyer has the highest ethical standards and professional ability.

Vaughn’s main area of expertise has been in the field of litigation with many appearances at all levels of Court in Alberta. He has also participated in numerous mediations and judicial dispute resolutions.

Vaughn is a long-standing member of the Canadian Bar Association (civil litigation and insurance sections) and the Alberta Association of Insurance Adjusters. He is also a member of the Canadian Defence Lawyers Association – the only national organization representing the interests of civil defence lawyers.

Vaughn is trained as a mediator and will mediate matters upon request.

A resident of Edmonton, Alberta, since 1977, Vaughn has been married over 30 years with 3 children. He has supported the community by way of legal and non-legal volunteer work. He is an Alberta Bar Association instructor, CPLED instructor and active in the CBA mentor program. Vaughn has also taught several insurance law classes for the University of Alberta Faculty of Law. His non-legal volunteer work includes initiation/organization of the Edmonton River Valley Clean-up program (1988 to 1998), Edmonton’s $320,000 Large Item River Valley Clean-up (1990-1992), and has also helped organize his 25th, 30th, and 35th law school class reunions.

In 1994, Richard obtained a B.A. (high distinction) from Concordia College and graduated from the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Law in 1997. He has held membership with the Law Society of Alberta since 1998, and has also been admitted to practice law in Nevada since 2005.

Richard has been a member of the firm since being admitted in 1998. He has handled matters in Saskatchewan and British Columbia.

He is the past Chairman of the St. Albert Subdivision and Development Appeal Board, a Sessional Instructor at MacEwan University, and a member of the Canadian Bar Association.

Richard has appeared at all levels of Court in Alberta. His main area of expertise over the last 18 years has been in insurance defence involving all areas of the discipline including: bodily injury, professional liability, commercial general liability, construction losses, and environmental losses. His experience also extends to defending claims involving: fatal accidents, brain injuries, employee theft/fidelity actions, products liability actions, builder’s lien actions. Richard routinely provides advice and opinions to insurance industry clients on coverage issues and defends complex coverage disputes.

Richard employs Chatwin LLP’s longstanding proactive approach to resolving a client’s problems through the most effective means including the use of the Judicial Dispute Resolution process and mediation.

Kathleen is a 2008 University of Alberta Faculty of Law graduate, having previously completed a Bachelor of Arts at the University of British Columbia, graduating with First Class Distinction. Since joining Chatwin LLP in 2009, Kathleen has experience in all levels of Court in Alberta, and has made extensive appearances in the Provincial Court of Alberta and the Court of Queen’s Bench. She has practised predominantly in insurance defence since joining Chatwin LLP, and has developed expertise in personal injury, construction, product liability, and insurance coverage litigation.

Kathleen has resolved hundreds of insurance defence files, primarily through negotiated settlements. She has participated in scores of Judicial Dispute Resolutions and Mediations and conducted several Trials. In addition to practising in Alberta, she has run files in both British Columbia and Saskatchewan.

Kathleen has conducted many mediations and judical dispute resolutions since joining the firm and is a member of the Canadian Bar Association (litigation and insurance sections). She also has extensive experience dealing with self-represented litigants.

Michael graduated from the University of Calgary Faculty of Arts with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science in 2012. He received his Juris Doctor in 2017 from the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Law and achieved first class standing in his final year. During law school, Michael was actively involved in Student Legal Services in the Civil Law Project. From 2015 to 2017, he was also a member of the editorial board of the Alberta Law Review, which is the most cited legal journal in Canada.

In September 2018, Michael was admitted to the Alberta Bar after completing articles with a general practice firm in Edmonton. He joined Chatwin LLP as an associate shortly thereafter, practicing in the area of insurance defence. Michael has appeared in the Provincial Court of Alberta, argued regular and special chambers applications in the Court of Queen’s Bench, and ran a multi-day trial in the Court of Queen’s Bench. He actively tries to resolve cases through negotiation and mediation to suit his client’s interest.

Although he is originally from Calgary, Michael now considers Edmonton home. Outside of work, he is an active volunteer at the Edmonton Humane Society. He also enjoys trying new restaurants, learning how to cook new dishes, and watching Formula 1 auto racing.

Sonali graduated with her Juris Doctor from the University of Alberta in 2019. During her time in law school, she was a part of several initiatives including Student Legal Services as a volunteer, the Animal Justice student club as president, and the Faculty Newspaper as a writer and editor. Sonali also worked as a Research Assistant in the area of dairy economics. 

After summering at a civil litigation firm and completing her articling term at an insurance defence firm in Edmonton, Sonali joined Chatwin LLP and was admitted to the bar in June 2020. Sonali has appeared before the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta and has prepared written arguments for the Alberta Court of Appeal.

Outside of work, Sonali enjoys Bollywood dancing and spending as much time as possible with her dog. She is passionate about vegan baking and is currently working on learning cake decorating techniques as a personal project.

Mark graduated from the University of Alberta Faculty of Law with a Juris Doctor in 2016. While in law school, he was a volunteer with Student Legal Services in both the civil and criminal projects. He also worked as a researcher and writer with the Centre for Constitutional Studies at the University of Alberta, and competed in the Laskin Moot, a nation-wide court competition that focuses on constitutional and administrative law issues.

After graduating, Mark articled at a small personal injury firm in Edmonton and was called to the Alberta bar in June of 2017. He has appeared before the Provincial Court of Alberta and the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta. In January of 2021, he joined Chatwin LLP as an associate and is eager to resolve files for his clients in a fair, efficient, and proactive way.

Originally from the Calgary area, Mark has largely traded his snowboard for cross-country skis, but still gets out to the mountains when he can. He now considers Edmonton his home, but while his wife and son have adopted the Oilers as their team, he stubbornly remains a Flames fan. 

Christine graduated from Dalhousie University with a Bachelor of Science with honours. After working as a biologist (and also a barista), she decided to pursue a legal career. During her legal studies at the Université de Moncton, she was the recipient of scholarships and competed in the inter-university Laskin Moot competition, where she debated constitutional and administrative legal issues. During her common law studies, she took advantage of an exchange program and studied civil law at the Faculté de droit of the Université de Poitiers in France, completely immersing herself in French culture.

After completing her Juris Doctor in 2016, she continued on the academic route as a legal researcher for law professors, then she joined them as a colleague when she taught Insurance Law at the Faculté de droit of the Université de Moncton. She also worked as an insurance agent from 2018-2022.

Putting her insurance knowledge to good use, she started her articles with Chatwin LLP working on insurance defence files. She is eager to litigate for her clients, helping them achieve their goals in effective ways.

Beyond her life as a barista, biologist and (hopefully soon-to-be) barrister, she is also a beach sprinter. When she is not studying, you can find her in the kitchen with her family being creative and chaotic.

Peter graduated from the University of Alberta in 2018 with a Bachelor of Commerce with distinction. Thereafter he was admitted into the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Law and obtained his Juris Doctor in 2021. During his time in law school, he was a volunteer with the Student Legal Services in the criminal project. He was also a member of the Faculty of Law volleyball team.

Peter then went on to article at a criminal defence firm in Edmonton and was called to the Alberta Bar in September of 2022. Throughout his article Peter advocated for his clients on a daily basis before the Provincial Court of Alberta and Court of King’s Bench in courtrooms across Alberta.

Following this, he worked as an associate for a small civil litigation firm in Edmonton where he gained experience working on personal injury and property loss claims. He then joined Chatwin LLP as an associate in March of 2023. He is eager to apply his litigation background to the area of insurance defence and is working tirelessly to expand his knowledge in the area. He strives for effective and timely solutions for his clients. 

Outside of work, Peter helps run an established food blog and considers himself a foodie who is constantly trying out new dishes from local businesses. He is also a fitness enthusiast who you can find in his home gym, around his neighbourhood on long walks or far up in the Rocky Mountains when the weather permits.