Professional Memberships & Activities
· Vice President, Canadian Media Lawyers Association, 2009-
· Faculty member, UBC Graduate School of Jounalism, 2006-
· Freedom of Information and Privacy Association, since 1991
· British Columbia Civil Liberties Association, continuing pro bono contributions
· Jack Webster Foundation, annual speaker and Director as of 2008
· UVic Law Alumni Association executive, 1993-6
· Continuing Legal Education Society, chair and panelist on various conferences
· Member, British Columbia Bar Association, 1988
Recent Professional Recognitions
· Best Lawyers in Canada: Defamation & Media law
· Lexpert: "consistently recommended" for Defamation & Media litigation
· Friend of the Industry Award, 2007: RadioTelevision News Directors Association of Canada
· LexisNexis - Martindale-Hubbell: BV Peer Review Rated
Dan Burnett has represented clients in litigation before all court levels including the Supreme Court of Canada on precedent setting cases in areas such as defamation, free speech, privacy, injunctions and estate disputes. Dan is on the faculty of the UBC Graduate School of Journalism, teaching media law. He is frequently a featured panelist, moderator and lecturer on issues ranging from freedom of information to internet legal issues to libel. Before joining Owen Bird in 1988, Dan was selected to spend a year as law clerk to the Honourable Nathan Nemetz, Chief Justice of British Columbia.
Dan heads Owen Bird's Media Law Practice Group and is a founding member of the Canadian Media Lawyers Association. He is recognized for his prominence in the area of defamation and media law in both Lexpert and The Best Lawyers in Canada.
In estate disputes, Dan handles claims under the Wills Variation Act, disputes over assets and trusteeship as well as issues regarding the interpretation and validity of wills. In other areas of litigation, Dan has been counsel on injunction cases as well as disputes involving health care professionals.