Sam’s perspective in life is that nothing is impossible. She sees opportunities where others may see limitations. Known as a tireless champion for our clients, Sam thinks beyond the box to solve problems laterally and to achieve objectives with lucrative and protective solutions.

Work Highlights

Domestic insurer

  • Won precedent-setting lawsuit enforcing corporate identification principles and creating new law in Canada on insurance covenants
  • Provided coverage opinion on $7 million coverage matter, resulting in full resolution of the issues without litigation

BCAA Insurance

  • Assisted client insurer with developing new and innovative products and riders
  • Assisted with development of policy wording

International engineering firm

  • Extricated international engineering client from a multi-party construction lawsuit related to complex construction claims with zero payment of damages and before mediation and significant defence costs were incurred
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Anything but mechanical in her practice, Sam is alive to the challenges that clients face and the strain that litigation places on their resources. She views law with a business lens and overcomes obstacles with an unflappable, pragmatic approach.

Insurance Services
Coverage advice and disputes Bad faith claims
Complex liability defence and multi-party litigation Fire claims
Professional indemnity defence and coverage Underwriting advice, policy wording drafting and product development
Construction Services
Contract drafting and negotiations Tender disputes
Delay, productivity and acceleration claims Deficiency claims, including technical subject matters such as refractory linings, feller bunchers and other heavy machinery, piping, glazing, tiling, cement applications, processed wood, roofing and building envelope related deficiencies
Surety bond negotiations and claims Liens
Professional negligence claims
Commercial and Product Liability Services
Product liability claims relating to construction and industrial products Contract disputes
Complex PPSA priority disputes involving international jurisdictions Shareholder disputes
Commercial disputes Admiralty law and with the Canada Shipping Act, including the unique liability provisions
Shareholders remedies Joint venture and development disputes

Sam delivers results that matter. She provides applicable advice on which clients can base decisions and take action. With her instincts and experience, Sam thinks on her feet and anticipates the opposition’s next move, instilling confidence in her clients both in and out of the courtroom.

Sam has a great stamina for work, which developed early on in her life when she pursued performance piano at the Royal Conservatory of Music. Sam now incorporates this work ethic as head of our insurance litigation group, where she is proud to lead a team of likewise smart and dedicated lawyers.

Although disputes are adversarial, Sam believes in the power of people and problem solving. She leads negotiations and litigations to address the human element of resolution and persuades the court in our clients’ favour through advocacy and with integrity.

*Samantha Ip Law Corporation
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Domestic insurer
  • Won precedent-setting lawsuit enforcing corporate identification principles and creating new law in Canada on insurance covenants
  • Provided coverage opinion on $7 million coverage matter, resulting in full resolution of the issues without litigation
BCAA Insurance
  • Assisted client insurer with developing new and innovative products and riders
  • Assisted with development of policy wording
International engineering firm
  • Extricated international engineering client from a multi-party construction lawsuit related to complex construction claims with zero payment of damages and before mediation and significant defence costs were incurred
Private insurer
  • Assisted client insurer with fine tuning of policy wording for a specialized product
Lloyds of London
  • Provided coverage opinion on $2 million environmental coverage claim resulting in full resolution of the issues without litigation
  • Defence of insured in significant multi-party fire claim and achieving resolution post mediation at 30% of amount claimed
  • Provided coverage opinion on claim by insured for losses relating to damage to servers and lost data Extricating insured contractor out of a multi-party construction claim for over $4 million early on by proactive advocacy with zero payment of damages
  • Successfully represented client insurer on a claim for equitable contribution as between insurers
Alberta-based contractor
  • Providing delay claim advice to contractor with respect to oil and gas projects in Alberta
BC-based industrial contractor
  • Acting as counsel for unpaid fees and contract disputes
Abbarch Architecture
  • Assisted client with professional services contracts with US grocery retailers using contracts not well suited for Canada
Emco Corporation
  • Defence of claims against client and managing client’s risks with respect to import of potentially defective parts
International grocer
  • Assisted client with development of security protocol in stores and general risk management
BC education institution
  • Successful representation in a multi-party and multi-action construction lawsuit in which all parties were well entrenched in their positions. After failed mediations and failed judicial settlement conferences, Sam was able to achieve resolution of all on the eve of a one-year trial
Insured corporation
  • Successfully defended a $3.5 million fire claim based on corporation identification principles and making new law on insurance covenants in Canada
Insured defendant
  • In a multi-party severe brain injury claim, Sam negotiated out of the continuing lawsuit early after a failed mediation. This result was particularly significant given the limits issues facing the insured
International insurer
  • Excess counsel on a product liability claim by four separate plaintiffs, two of whom were rendered high lesion quadriplegics at a young age as a result of the incident. As counsel for a prime defendant’s excess insurer, Sam led negotiations with the plaintiffs, resulting in settlement of all claims after a 14-hour mediation. Each of the other defendants tendered their limits almost immediately. The claims were settled well under the excess insurer’s risk while ensuring reasonable and fair settlements for the disabled plaintiffs
Insured contractor
  • As counsel in a $6M multi-party fire claim by the subrogating insurer, Sam successfully negotiated a settlement at less than 30% of the claim—due in part to a novel defence theory that Sam developed with the fire engineer
"I first met Samantha when I was in house counsel at an international engineering firm and she acted as defence counsel on a construction lawsuit. She defended that engineering firm proactively and effectively. Since moving into private practice, I have referred several of my clients to Samantha over the past three years because I know that I am leaving them in excellent hands. Samantha is a responsive, effective lawyer whose work ethic and integrity produce results that exceed expectations."

Samantha Ferguson, Former in-house counsel for Ausenco, now moved to private practice

"I have worked with Samantha Ip for over a decade and she has consistently provided our firm with excellent service. She is exceptionally knowledgeable about insurance, provides us with timely service and is always responsive to our needs in both our Claim and Underwriting departments. I would not hesitate to recommend Sam to anyone looking for a high level of expertise and exceptional service."

Patricia Stirling, Associate Vice-President Underwriting & Claims, BCAA Insurance Corporation

"Samantha is an outstanding and responsive counsel. Her analytical ability and extensive experience enable her to provide thoughtful, thorough and practical legal advice on a variety of insurance coverage, defence, construction and other areas. Samantha is a great problem solver and an expert in alternative dispute resolution. BCAA Insurance Corporation has worked with Samantha for many years and she has developed a great working relationship with our staff and policyholders."

Roy Fan, Risk Management Specialist, BCAA Insurance Corporation

"We have worked with Samantha for several years on a number of difficult client contract negotiations. Samantha has always been incredibly thorough, as well as skilled in negotiating with the other parties lawyers – to achieve a final resolution while protecting our interests. Samantha is very knowledgeable in construction law and construction/professional insurance issues and one of the things I most appreciate is the incredibly prompt response when I contact her with a problem. I would not hesitate in recommending Samantha and her team."

Jeremy Woolf, Managing Principal, Architect AIBC AAA SAA MAA OAA NSAA AANB MRAIC CP, Engaging Design™

"For more than a decade, we have entrusted our more complex cases to Sam. She has provided advice and effectively defended our insureds on a variety of subject matters, from environmental issues to product liability claims. Not only is she organized & thorough in her analysis, she is also innovative & certainly thinks outside the box."

Raymond Ma, Claims Supervisor, AIG Insurance

"I first worked with Sam over two decades ago when she retained me as an expert in a construction litigation matter. I continue to work with her to this day as an expert. I think so highly of her effectiveness that not only do I recommend her to our clients, but several years ago moved to Sam as our firm’s counsel, where she and her team has continued to provide excellent advice and service for us. I have always found her to be passionate and thorough in her work and committed to her clients while maintaining the big-picture perspective and no-nonsense, practical approach."

Joel Schwartz, P.Eng, FEC, Managing Principal & Senior Building Science Specialist, JRS Engineering Ltd.

"JRS Engineering has worked with Sam and her team primarily as counsel on construction and engineering related issues. Because of our trust in her, she and her team are now our corporate counsel as well. Most recently, Sam and her team were instrumental in driving the negotiations on an intellectual property transaction in a different jurisdiction that had dragged on for several years under with different counsel. Sam has a ‘get er done’ attitude and she balanced our desire to complete the deal in a pragmatic way while prioritizing our financial and other interests. We have worked with Sam in various capacities for about 10 years and I can say what sets her and her legal team apart is a thorough and thoughtful understanding of her clients’ needs. She looks for solutions rather than focus on roadblocks. Her understanding and approach have resulted in better value received than I have experienced with other counsel. The value she brings to the table is evident whether we are working with her firm as consultants on construction related claims or in our corporate dealings."

Scott Croasdale, M.Eng, P.Eng, PE Principal of JRS Engineering

"We have been working with Samantha and her team for many years now and consistently get positive results; achieving this from a great depth of knowledge and resources to draw upon. We are a Lloyd’s Coverholder and she is thoroughly familiar with the intricacies of working with the multiple of layers. She offers great options and advice when needed. Working closely with Sam leaves you trusting that you are definitely in the right hands."

Allison Bergen, CIP CRM CAIB, Claims Manager, InsureBC Underwriting Services Inc.

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Industry Involvement
  • Canadian Bar Association
  • Canadian Bar Association of British Columbia
  • CBA Construction, Insurance, and Civil Litigation Sub-Sections
  • Canadian Construction Women (CCW)
  • The Continuing Legal Education Society of British Columbia, CLE Annual Law Review editor
  • University of British Columbia Alumni Board, Director
  • US Law Network
Community Commitments
  • Women Insurance Cancer Crusade
Education
  • University of British Columbia, Bachelor of Laws
  • University of British Columbia, Bachelor of Arts
Additional Languages
  • Cantonese
  • French
  • Mandarin
External Publications & Presentations