Lisa practices exclusively in the area of pensions and employee benefits, advising plan sponsors and administrators across the private and public sectors and a wide range of industries. Her practice focuses on legal and regulatory issues affecting pension and benefit plans, with particular experience supporting boards of trustees administering multi-employer arrangements.

She regularly advises on compliance with pension standards legislation and the Income Tax Act, plan amendments involving benefit improvements or reductions, and administrator duties. Lisa also assists with commercial agreements, risk management strategies such as annuitization, governance issues, and responding to member inquiries and complaints. She liaises frequently with pension regulatory bodies across Canada and often presents to plan administrators on emerging legal matters.

Lisa is relied upon by over 20 boards of trustees, including union-sponsored and jointly sponsored plans, to provide practical and timely legal advice. She also supports litigation counsel in complex disputes, offering strategic input grounded in her deep knowledge of pension and benefit law.

In addition to her core practice, Lisa has developed expertise in privacy and data management, advising plan sponsors and administrators on compliance with legal and regulatory requirements in this area.

Languages
English

Bar Admissions
British Columbia (2002)

Education
Simon Fraser University (B.A., 1996)
University of Victoria (LL.B., 2000)

Significant Accomplishments
Lisa's pensions and employee benefits experience includes:

*Negotiating investment management agreements
*Negotiating a buy-in annuity purchase on behalf of a pension plan sponsor
*Establishing and overseeing governance of a multi-employer, non-collectively bargained pension plan
*Merging pension plans sponsored by one corporate entity
*Acting for a company determining whether changes can be made to the program of post-retirement group benefits
*Representing a multi-employer pension plan recover withrdrawal obligations from a former participating employer
*Acting for a company seeking to add new members to an existing pension plan
*Advising a health and welfare trust on a range of privacy issues, drafting requisite forms and negotiating with service providers
*Negotiating trust and custodial agreements and obtaining necessary regulatory approvals
*Drafting opinions on the tax rules that apply to pension plans and health and welfare trusts
*Representing trustees and other administrators in litigation matters including disputes among competing beneficiaries
*Drafting and amending plan texts for pension plans and health and welfare plans
*Drafting policies for plan administrators, including conflict of interest policies and other governance policies
*Drafting legal opinions on a variety of topics including: vesting, fiduciary, obligations, and privacy issues
*Negotiating group benefit arrangements

Lisa's recent services in the area of privacy law and document retention include:

*Drafting and finalizing privacy policies for numerous clients in both the private and public spheres
*Drafting consent language and authorization forms to permit the collection, use and disclosure of personal information
*Responding to specific privacy questions and concerns
*Drafting and finalizing document retention policies that comply with applicable law
*Representing clients in applications to the Privacy Commissioner of B.C.
*Consideration and application of Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL)


Additional Information
Rankings & Recognition
* Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory 2023-2026: Pensions and Employee Benefits - Employer (Leading Practitioner)
* Chambers Canada 2026: Pensions & Benefits - Nationwide (Band 3)
* Best Lawyers in Canada 2019-2026: Employee Benefits Law
* Chambers Canada 2024-2025: Pensions & Benefits - Nationwide (Band 4)
* Best Lawyers in Canada 2022: Lawyer of the Year - Employee Benefits Law (Vancouver)
* Martindale-Hubbell International Law Directory 2018: BV Peer Review rate

Seminars/ Presentation
"Canadian Legal Update”, International Society of Certified Employee Benefit Specialists 33rd Annual Symposium, Phoenix, Arizona (September 7, 2014), Speaker

"Application of CASL", Presentation to Victoria Advanced Technology Council (VIATeC), Victoria, BC (June 4, 2014), Speaker

"Cross Country Legislative Update", Canadian Legal and Legislative Update Conference, International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans, Ottawa, ON (May 29, 2014), Speaker

"Privacy and Record Management for Pension & Benefit Plans", Essential Tasks of Pension and Benefit Plan Trustees, Pacific Business and Law Institute, Vancouver, BC (February 26, 2014), Speaker

"You Be The Judge", Canadian Pension and Benefits Institute Western Regional Conference, Whistler, BC (October 11, 2013), Speaker

"2013 Legal and Legislative Update", The Changing Landscape for Trustees and Administrators, BC Building Trades 35th Annual Pension, Health & Welfare Seminar, Burnaby, BC (October 9, 2013), Speaker

"Liability and the Fiduciary" and "Trust Law Basics", 21st Essential Skills for Pension Committee Members, Federated Press, Vancouver, BC (November 19-20, 2012), Speaker

"Legal & Legislative Update", The International Foundation's Canadian Legal and Legislative Conference, Victoria, BC (May 24-25, 2012), Speaker

"Pension Plan Solvency", CPBI Continuing Education Session, Vancouver, BC (April 25, 2012), Speaker

"Liability and the Trustee", 7th Pension Law & Litigation Course, Federated Press, Vancouver, BC (March 12-13, 2012), Speaker

"Assessing & Managing Conflicts of Interest", 7th Pension Law & Litigation Course, Federated Press, Vancouver, BC (March 12-13, 2012), Speaker

"When an Employer Restructures Benefits", Pensions & Benefits: Critical Issues and What's Often Overlooked, Continuing Legal Education Society of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC (May 25, 2011), Speaker

"Pension Plan Funding", Pension Funding and Current Issues, Canadian Pension and Benefits Institute, Victoria, BC (February 22, 2011), Speaker

"Managing Service Provider Contracts", 16th Essential Skills for Pension Committee Members, Federated Press, Vancouver, BC (November 8-9, 2010), Course Leader

"Assessing and Managing Conflicts of Interest", 5th Pension Law & Litigation Course, Federated Press, Vancouver, BC (March 17-18, 2010), Speaker

"Plan Design in Difficult Times", Pension Basics - Beyond the Basics Continuing Education Series, Canadian Pension and Benefits Institute, Burnaby, BC (January 20, 2010), Speaker

"The Funding Fiasco: What you can do when Faced with Staggering Pension Funding Obligations”, Practical Tips for Tough Economic Times Seminar, Vancouver, BC (May 20, 2009), Speaker

"Foundations for Trustees", International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans, Vancouver, BC (June 23, 2008), Speaker

"Fiduciary Obligations and Liability”, Federated Press, Vancouver, BC (December 20, 2007), Speaker

"Introduction to Trust Responsibility”, International Foundation of Employee Benefits Plans, Vancouver, BC (September 27, 2007), Speaker

"Pension Division on Marital Breakdown: An Introduction”, Canadian Pension and Benefits Institute, Continuing Education Series (February 5, 2003), Speaker

Professional Activities and Experience
* Multi-Employer Benefit Plan Council of Canada, Advisory Director
* International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans: Chair, Legal/Legislative and Public Sector Committee; Member, Canadian Board
* Canadian Pension & Benefits Institute, Member
* Association of Canadian Pension Management, Member
* Law Society of British Columbia, Member
* Law Society of Alberta, Member

Pension Reform: Pension Benefits Standards Act in Force September 30, 2015 (May 14, 2015)

"'De-Risking' Picks Up Momentum as Insurers Offer Innovative Products", Pension Planning, Vol. XIX, No. 1, Federated Press (2014), Author

"New Wills, Estates and Succession Act Coming to BC - Application to Pension Plans" (February 4, 2014), Author

"Spam, Spammity Spam, wonderful Spam?" (January 24, 2014), Co-authors Lisa Chamzuk, Ben A. Heller

"Disengaged DC plan members could land a plan sponsor in legal hot water", Benefits Canada (October 1, 2012), Author

"DB to DC Plan Conversions - Litigation Update", Pension Planning, Vol. XVIII, No. 1, Federated Press (2012), Author

"Flexibility Key to Revised Pensions Benefits Standards Act" (June 18, 2012), Author

Lisa Chamzuk's response to a Your Say Benefits question appears in the March 2012 Benefits Canada issue (March 30, 2012), Author

Lawson Lundell Names New Partners (January 3, 2012)

"Restructuring Employee Benefits: Options and Restrictions", Pension & Benefits: Critical Issues and What's Often Overlooked Course, The Continuing Legal Education Society of British Columbia (May 25, 2011), Author

"Recent Changes Involving the GST and Pension Plans", Pension Planning, Vol. XV, No. 3, Federated Press (July 22, 2010), Author

"Pension & Benefits Law Briefing Note: Nolan v. Kerry (Canada) Inc." (August 7, 2009), Author

Practical Tips for Tough Economic Times (May 20, 2009)

"Pension Plan Funding Update”, Continuing Legal Education (April 2006), co-author with Murray Campbell

"Recent Legal Developments Affecting Trusteed Pension and Benefit Plans” (February 2006), co-author with Murray Campbell

"Cho v. Telus Communications (B.C.) Inc.: Consequences of Ambiguous Terms in Pension Plans”, Pension Planning, Vol. X, No. 3 (2003), Author

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