Maya Ollek is an associate at JFK Law’s Vancouver Office.   Maya practices in both JFK’s Nation Building and Governance Group and Dispute Resolution Group. She brings a sharp intellect, strategic thinking, and a client-focused approach to her practice.

Before joining JFK Law in 2024, Maya spent several years at a leading litigation boutique in Vancouver, where she had a broad civil litigation, public law, regulatory and administrative law practice. She represented individuals, private parties, professional bodies, non-profit organizations, and First Nations. Maya is passionate about working collaboratively with her clients to achieve mediated and negotiated settlements wherever possible. She takes pride in building close client relationships and adopting a careful, thorough and sensitive approach to understand her clients’ priorities and needs. Maya has appeared as counsel in a wide array of settings, including in the Supreme Court of British Columbia and the Court of Appeal of British Columbia, before diverse administrative law and professional disciplinary bodies, before arbitral panels, and before the Commission of Inquiry into Money Laundering in British Columbia. Maya also maintains an active pro bono practice, representing both individuals and non-profit organizations.

Maya clerked for the Hon. Justice Rosalie Abella at the Supreme Court of Canada and at the Supreme Court of British Columbia. Before completing law school, at which she received awards for leadership and professional excellence, Maya spent several years working on human rights policy in conflict and post-conflict settings, including as Canada’s lead policy advisor on human rights and governance in Afghanistan at Global Affairs Canada.

Outside her work, Maya can be found deeply engrossed in cooking adventures, out in the woods, on her bike, and volunteering in her community.

Bar Admissions

Law Society of British Columbia, 2019

Law Society of Ontario, 2016

Education

University of Toronto, Faculty of Law, JD (2014)

University of California-Berkeley, Faculty of Law (Visiting Student, 2013-2014)

Master of Arts (Political Science) (Honours), McGill University, 2008

Bachelor of Arts (Political Science and International Development Studies) (First Class Honours), McGill University 2005

Representative matters

• Ip v College of Physicians and Surgeons, 2023 BCSC 2198: Acted as counsel in a successful application by the College of Physicians and Surgeons to strike out a petition by a former member as being unnecessary, scandalous, frivolous and vexatious, under Rule 9-5(1)(a), in petition proceedings brought against it. Also acted as counsel for the College of Physicians and Surgeons in several proceedings brought by the petitioner against the College in the Supreme Court of British Columbia and Court of Appeal.

• Chu v China Southern Airlines Company Limited, 2023 BCSC 21: Acted as co-counsel at summary trial for a 67-year-old wrongfully dismissed former senior manager. Despite the summary procedure, the plaintiff was awarded $50,000 in aggravated damages for mental distress suffered due to the employer’s breach of its duty of good faith and fair dealing in the manner of the dismissal and $100,000 in punitive damages.  The Court found that the plaintiff, after eight years of employment, was entitled to 20 months’ salary for his employer’s failure to provide reasonable notice and that the Defendant’s conduct was highly blameworthy, abusive, and reprehensible.

• McLeod v. Law Society of British Columbia, 2022 BCCA 280 and 2023 BCCA 217: Acted as co-counsel for the Law Society of British Columbia at proceedings before the Law Society Hearing Panel and as respondent in the appeal. The appellant, a member of the Law Society, was found guilty by a Hearing Panel of the Law Society of multiple counts of professional misconduct for failing to discharge his professional obligations to both the court and to opposing counsel, arising from his conduct during and after a summary trial. The Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal in substance, finding in favour of the Law Society. The Law Society also prevailed in a cross-appeal. The Law Society was successful in obtaining an order for costs in both the appeal and cross-appeal.

• Pinnacle Gaming Solutions Inc. v BC Lottery Corporation, 2022 BCSC 1177: Acted as co-counsel successfully resisting an application to add an individual as a defendant in an action alleging misfeasance of public office where that action was commenced several years earlier.

• Woodward & Company Lawyers LLP v The Tsilhqot’in National Government, 2021 BCSC 16: Counsel for the defendant and applicant Xeni Gwet’in First Nation Government, in a successful application to strike duplicative actions against it by each of its former lawyer and former law firm as an abuse of process under Rule 9-5(1)(d). The Court struck out one of the two actions brought against Xeni Gwet’in First Nation Government and the TsÎlhqot’in National Government by its former lawyer as an abuse of the Court’s process and awarded special costs for the application to strike that action.

• Commission of Inquiry into Money Laundering in British Columbia: Co-counsel for the President and Chief Executive Officer of the British Columbia Lottery Corporation, a leading participant in the gaming sector hearings at the public inquiry into money laundering in British Columbia.

Recent Community Involvement

Access Pro Bono Referral Counsel (2021 – present)

Board of Directors, Elizabeth Bagshaw Clinic (2019 – present, Past co-Chair 2020-2022)

Jules Quesnel Parent Advisory Committee (2023 – present)