It is a big deal.
Squamish solicitor Ian Davis is one of only 40 B.C. lawyers to be appointed the honorary title of Queen’s counsel, or QC, by Attorney General and Minister of Justice Suzanne Anton.
Davis said he felt “really great” about the designation.
“I am pleased to follow my longtime partner, Nancy Wilhelm-Morden, who has always impressed me tremendously,” Davis said speaking of the Whistler mayor who received the title of QC in 2015 and is a partner at Race and Company.
Only seven per cent of practicing lawyers in the province can be awarded the designation, according to a provincial news release on the appointments last month.
“The recipients of the honour of the QC designation have enriched the justice system with their contributions to the practice of law. They have demonstrated professional integrity and dedication to their profession and have made valuable contributions as volunteers to communities across the province,” said Anton in the release. “This is a highly coveted honour, particularly because the recipients are nominated by their peers.”
Davis, managing partner at Race and Company, specializes in real estate transactions and development law. His volunteerism in Squamish goes back decades. He has been an in-school mentor with Big Brothers and Big Sisters, event volunteer with BC Biathlon and a long-time Rotary Club of Squamish member.
In 2013, he was awarded the Bill Manson Citizen of the Year Award for volunteerism.
Davis said Anton called him personally to tell him about the designation, but it took a moment or two for him to realize who she was.
“It was quite a surprise,” he said. “She just said ‘Hi, it is Suzanne Anton,’ … the coin didn’t drop until she said, ‘I am calling to congratulate you on your appointment.’ I thought, ‘Oh that Suzanne Anton.’”
He wasn’t able to tell anyone for about a week, but he cheated and told his mother, he said.
As a young man, before he even thought about law school, his mom planted the seed in his mind it might be a profession for him to pursue.
“She told me that I actually had a great-great grandfather Alexander George Cross who was a QC – actually it was a KC at the time – in the early 1900s,” he said. “I… thought maybe law would be a good thing. It may run in the blood.”
Davis said even though it has been almost three decades since he was admitted to the bar, he still enjoys his work.
“It is a difficult profession to do without enjoying what you do,” he said. “I have done all different types of law over my career… I really enjoy the solicitor’s work. My clientele is generally people that are optimistic about something. They are selling something they want to sell or buying something they want to buy or getting involved in a transaction they want to be involved in so there is generally a lot of optimism in the work.”
Others in the legal profession in Squamish also recognize the designation as a considerable honour.
“Ian is an exceptional lawyer and has been very involved in both the communities of Squamish and Whistler during his career,” said District of Squamish Coun. Doug Race, a now retired lawyer who practiced for 37 years. “[Ian’s] recent appointment as a Queen’s Counsel is a well deserved honour.”
