176 THE ADVOCATE
VOL. 79 PART 2 MARCH 2021
never supersede the demand for billable hours. And it wasn’t just a matter
of ensuring a stream of increasingly challenging assignments
(although that was certainly part of it). I was once told by Master McCallum
that Dean had inquired with him about how my colleagues and I
were acquitting ourselves in chambers! Apparently, we were “always prepared”
and “appropriate”, which appeared to satisfy Dean. I’m not surprised—
for Dean, the hard work behind preparation, and the decency
behind courtesy, were supreme job requirements.
In his personal life, Dean treasures his time with his family and keenly
maintains his health with squash and cycling. His ongoing learner pursuits
at home include the in-depth study of wine. His ability to recommend
amazing reds or whites at a modest price is something to remember. Chris
Considine, Q.C., has known Dean starting from his early days as a lawyer.
Over the years, they have enjoyed great chats about almost any topic
including travel and wine. Chris advises that:
If you want to find Dean for a word in the early morning on a weekend,
look for him spiritedly driving a classic English sports car obviously not
the car pictured on the cover of this issue – Ed. on the back roads of Vancouver
Island while being awed by the beauty of our province.
As for Dean’s next role, I fully agree with Chris that:
Dean appreciates the ideals of integrity, compassion, and intellectual
learning and contribution to the legal profession and the broader B.C.
community, and he will bring these ideals to his new role. His quest for
creative approaches to solving the current significant challenges faced by
the legal profession should give us all confidence in his tenure as
president.
Nancy Merill, Q.C., takes up the narrative.
I first met Dean Lawton, Q.C., when he was elected as one of two benchers
from Victoria in 2014. From our earliest acquaintance, Dean impressed me
with his intellect, his diplomacy, his work ethic and his kindness. This is
what helped me move beyond my initial alarm about his penchant for English
sports cars that don’t run again — not the car Dean showed up with for
his cover photo shoot! – Ed. and his seemingly endless supply of cufflinks.
Dean is a very gifted communicator. He has this innate ability to listen
and to hear what is being said. He also hears what is not being said. As his
bencher colleague Pinder Cheema, Q.C., has confirmed, Dean is one of the
best listeners she knows. I could not agree more.
Dean’s patience and diplomacy are legendary. The genius of his communication
style is his ability to be both honest and kind at the same time. He
continues to be the elder statesman at the bencher table. Dean brought his
superb diplomacy skills to his work as a bencher. It was his gift to his fellow