Practice Overview

Called to the Bar in British Columbia in 1992, Robbie Sheffman practices Canadian Citizenship and Immigration Law, focusing on many different kinds of Canadian citizenship, permanent residence and temporary residence matters, from the routine to the complex.

Robbie is a former member of the executive of the Canadian Bar Association, British Columbia Branch, Immigration Subsection and has presented papers and moderated panels at British Columbia and Canadian national immigration law conferences, on such subjects as:

• skilled worker permanent residence applications,
• disclosure requirements and misrepresentation, and
• ethics in the context of an immigration law practice.

Robbie also acts as a media resource providing media commentary for news organizations covering current immigration and citizenship news.

Robbie’s practice experience includes a background in Business Law, with an emphasis on corporate and commercial matters for private and institutional clients. He has also appeared before the British Columbia Supreme Court on a wide variety of commercial and insolvency matters.

He has lectured on corporate law, creditors’ remedies and personal property security for the Law Society of British Columbia’s Professional Legal Training Course (the “bar admission” course), and he is a past Instructor of Remedies and Business Associations at the University of Victoria’s Faculty of Law.

He has also been an adjudicator of Canadian Employment Insurance appeals for nine years and is a past member of the Victoria Bar Association executive.

In his spare time, Robbie plays keyboards for rock ‘n roll bands. He has also been active in amateur sports and loves to golf. Prior to his law career he was a sports analyst and associate producer at TSN, Canada’s national television sports network. He also led a team that went on to successfully establish an FM radio station at Toronto’s York University.

Lectures / Publications / Seminars:

• Moderator of panel presentation “Ethics and Professional Responsibility in a Citizenship and Immigration Law Practice” at the May, 2015 Canadian Bar Association, National Immigration Section Law Conference, Ottawa, ON
• Presenter on “Ethics and Professional Responsibility in a Citizenship and Immigration Law Practice” at the May, 2014 Canadian Bar Association, National Immigration Section Law Conference, Calgary, AB
• Moderator of panel presentation on the “Federal Skilled Worker Permanent Residence Application Category” at the May, 2010 Canadian Bar Association, National Immigration Section Law Conference, Halifax, NS
• Moderator of panel presentation on the “Federal Skilled Worker Permanent Residence Application Category” at the March, 2010 Canadian Bar Association, BC Immigration Subsection Law Conference, Vancouver, BC
• Moderator and Co-Presenter on “Ethics in a Citizenship and Immigration Law Practice” at the February, 2009 Canadian Bar Association, BC Immigration Subsection Law Conference, Vancouver, BC
• Moderator of presentation on “The Law of Misrepresentation” at the February, 2008 Canadian Bar Association, BC Immigration Subsection Law Conference, Vancouver, BC
• Moderator and Co-Presenter on the “Federal Skilled Worker Permanent Residence Application Category” at the April, 2007 Canadian Bar Association, National Immigration Section Law Conference, Victoria, BC
• Moderator and Co-Presenter on the “Federal Skilled Worker Permanent Residence Application Category” at the February, 2006 Canadian Bar Association, BC Immigration Subsection Law Conference, Vancouver, BC

Memberships & Professional Affiliations:

• Former Vice-Chair (Victoria Lawyers Group), Canadian Bar Association, British Columbia Branch, Immigration Subsection
• Member, Canadian Bar Association, National Immigration Section
• Member, Canadian Bar Association
• Member, Law Society of British Columbia
• Member, Victoria Bar Association
• Past Member, Victoria Bar Association Executive

Positions:

• Past Chair, Employment Insurance Board of Referees
• Past Instructor, University of Victoria, Faculty of Law – Remedies, Business Associations
• Past Lecturer, BC Bar Admission Program (Corporate Law, Creditors’ Remedies and Personal Property Security)

Recognitions / Awards:

Law School Academic Awards:

• Contract Law
• Business Associations
• Securities Law
• Advocate’s Prize in Legal Writing
• Wootton Scholarship in Law

Other:

Outstanding Contribution to York University Athletics March 1986

Community Involvement:

• Keyboard player in rock ‘n roll bands (including fundraising performances for the Canadian Bar Association’s Lawyers Benevolence Fund)
• Past Director, Greater Victoria Amateur Boxing Society
• Past Coordinator, United Way of Greater Victoria Lawyers’ Campaign
• Past Coach, Bays United Youth Soccer Association

Law School:

University of Victoria, LL.B., 1991

Other Education:

York University, B.A. 1986