Jeffrey Hamel

Jeffrey T. Hamel, J.D., Major (Ret’d), C.D., P.S.C., B.A. (Hons) is Associate Counsel at Powell Litigation and a civil litigator with more than a decade of experience representing clients through the legal system. He has acted as senior counsel in more than a dozen trials and focuses his practice on commercial disputes, technology litigation, estates litigation, and defamation matters.

Jeff articled at a national law firm in Vancouver and practiced in British Columbia for approximately a decade before moving to Toronto. His litigation experience includes commercial and business disputes, corporate and shareholder matters, insurance litigation, professional negligence, fraud and asset recovery, appeals, and other civil disputes.

Jeff brings a calm and focused approach to litigation informed in part by 19 years of service in the Canadian Army Reserve. He served in the Signals branch, which provides information technology and communications services, and retired at the rank of Major after commanding more than 200 soldiers. His military experience also included work at the national level involving cyber defence and disaster response planning.

Practice Areas

• Commercial & Business Litigation
• Contract Disputes
• Estates & Trusts Litigation
• Corporate & Shareholder Disputes
• Insurance Litigation
• Professional Negligence
• Fraud & Asset Recovery
• Defamation & Reputation
• Appeals

Credentials

Education

• P.S.C. – Canadian Army Command and Staff College – 2018
• Juris Doctor (J.D.) – Western University – 2012
• B.A. (Hons) – Trinity Western University – 2007

Notable Results

• Dueck Chevrolet Cadillac Hummer Ltd v. Insurance Corp of British Columbia, 2012 BCCA 493 – Statutory interpretation appeal.
• Cyr v. Kopp, 2016 BCSC 679 – Personal injury litigation involving the cross-examination of multiple medical and accounting expert witnesses.
• Craig v. Martin, 2023 BCSC 785 – Personal injury litigation involving the cross-examination of multiple medical and accounting expert witnesses.

Representative Matters

• Villar v. Sutton – Obtained a Superior Court order for contempt on May 8, 2026, against an estate executor who had not disbursed funds to beneficiaries, with leave to request an arrest warrant should the order continue to be ignored.
• Representing a shareholder in a software development company in a dispute involving allegations that the shareholder was unlawfully denied information concerning the company’s value following a shift into enterprise software.
• Defending an IT services and web hosting provider in litigation involving claimed business losses following the termination of internet and website services for non-payment of invoices.
• Acting in a fraud matter involving allegations that more than $2 million was taken while the plaintiff was acting as the client’s realtor and investment advisor.

Speaking Engagements

• “Attacking the Expert’s Opinion at Trial” – Whitelaw Twining Group PD Seminar – October 22, 2019
• “Working with a Translator in Litigation” – Whitelaw Twining Group PD Seminar – August 14, 2018

Professional & Community Involvement

• Ontario Bar Association
• British Columbia Bar Association – Past Member
• The Advocates’ Society

Outside the Office

When not advocating for clients, Jeff enjoys recording music, reading about history, and spending time with his wife and daughter. He also reminisces about his many adventures on the boat he left behind when he moved away from the ocean.