Peter Unruh grew up in a small town near Edmonton, Alberta. After graduating from high school, he climbed on his ten-speed with a tent and a food budget of $3 per day, and headed south. After several wonderfully strange months and endless mountain passes, he made it half way through the US. Life on the road taught him, among other things, that there were perhaps easier ways to see the world, and he eventually pedalled home. He enrolled at the University of Alberta and went to work with his characteristic intensity, obtaining his B.A. in History and Political Science, and then his LL.B. degree. He was a champion “mooter” in law school, winning several provincial and national moot court competitions. He moved to the west coast soon after graduating in 1987.

Over the course of his career in law, Peter has litigated a wide variety of criminal, administrative and personal injury cases. His experience is broad and includes claims of both high and low complexity. In particular, he has handled cases involving post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic pain, spinal cord injuries, head injuries, orthopaedic injuries, auto-immune disorders, and complex family compensation cases. He has conducted numerous trials before judges and juries, and has significant experience with alternative dispute options such as mediation. Prior to joining Kane, Shannon &Weiler as a partner, he ran a successful law and mediation centre in Abbotsford for many years.

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In addition to his legal practice, Peter is a skilled mediator and a member of the BC Mediator Roster Society, now known as Mediate BC. He has taken numerous courses on mediation and conflict resolution and completed his Masters degree in Conflict Analysis and Management. He has most recently received Qualified Arbitrator Status and is currently working towards completing Commercial Arbitrator Status. Peter feels that his skills and experience in this area assist him immensely in obtaining the best possible results for his clients.

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Peter also teaches criminology and criminal law at Simon Fraser University and Kwantlen Polytechnic University, and is a regular lecturer for the Professional Legal Training Course. He is married with a young daughter and a little son, and whenever possible enjoys combining his love of history with travels with his family. And he is still pedalling.

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