Southeast BC's Law Firm
LAWYERS & NOTARIES
Our lawyers are committed to providing our clients with top quality legal advice and representation. At Rockies Law we have the experience, capacity and professionalism of a large full-service firm and the friendly conscientious and personal service of a local firm.
Cranbrook Office
Marko M. Maryniak, J.D.
Marko received his J.D. degree from the University of Toronto in 1991 and was called to the British Columbia Bar in 1992. He has practiced in Victoria, Vancouver and has been General Counsel to Wampole Brands Inc., a manufacturer of vitamins and pharmaceutical products. Marko’s areas of practice include real estate and development law, corporate law, insolvency and reorganizations, estate planning, and wealth preservation. He is the Managing Director of the firm.
After moving to Fernie in 1998, Marko founded Rockies Law Corporation in 2004. He and his family are based in Cranbrook. Marko is very involved in the community, having been a Hospital Trustee, a director of the Fernie Hospital Foundation, a Trustee and the Treasurer of the Fernie Heritage Library, an auxiliary firefighter with Fernie Fire Rescue, and a Lecturer and Chair of the Board of Governors of the College of the Rockies. Currently, Marko is a Director and Secretary of the Cranbrook Kimberley Development Initiative. In his spare time Marko and his family can be found exploring and enjoying the mountains, whether on a trail, river or ski slope.
Areas of practice:
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Real Estate Development
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Business Law
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Trusts
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Strata Property
David F. Collins, LL.B.
I was born and raised in Newfoundland. I obtained my Bachelor of Commerce Degree at the Memorial University of Newfoundland in 1990. After business school, I attended Law School at the University of Saskatchewan, where I graduated in 1993.
My first experience of B.C. was skiing at Fairmont Hot Springs during Law School. Upon graduation, I commenced my articles with Morelli Chertkow in Kamloops where I had the pleasure of working and learning under several senior counsel. I left Morelli Chertkow in 1996 to come back East to the Kootenays. I actually worked as an associate for Steidl Kambeitz (the predecessor Firm to Rockies Law Corporation) before moving to Fernie in December of 1997 to work with Majic Purdy. That association continued until I set up my own practice in Cranbrook in 2005.
My experience is as a litigator and I have done a little bit of everything over the years. I currently practice Family and Civil Law, Estate Litigation, and Criminal Law.
One of the things I enjoy about living and working in the East Kootenays is the connection to the community that comes from practicing in a smaller center. I am thrilled to have joined a firm that epitomizes that connection for me.
Areas of practice:
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Family Law
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Civil Litigation
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ICBC
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Estate Litigation
Andrew Bird, J.D., LL.M. (Tax)
Andrew practices civil litigation encompassing corporate and commercial disputes, wills and estates litigation, and tax litigation.
Andrew earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Toronto in 2006 and articled at a national firm in Vancouver. Andrew moved to the Kootenays and joined Rockies Law in 2010. After earning a Masters degree in tax law from the University of British Columbia in 2016, and graduating top of the program, Andrew practiced tax law at a national firm before returning to Rockies Law and settling down permanently in Cranbrook.
Andrew is a member of the Christian Legal Fellowship and serves on the Provincial Council of the Canadian Bar Association, BC Branch, as representative for Kootenay County. Andrew was President of the Kootenay Bar Association in 2019/2020. He served as a director of Mountainside Community Church in Fernie from 2012 through 2016, and has served as a director of a constituency association for the Conservative Party of Canada. In 2014, Andrew went to El Salvador on a mission trip that built eight houses for the rural poor dislocated by earthquakes and war.
Before becoming a lawyer, Andrew was a meteorite hunter across the Prairies, finding two meteorites; a roughneck on a drilling rig in northern Alberta; and a treeplanter in northern BC.
Andrew is an avid ski mountaineer and mountain biker. He has climbed Mt. Elbrus, a peak in the Caucasus region of Russia and the highest peak in Europe at 5,642 metres. Andrew has a first ski descent of the northeast face of Mt. King George, an 11,000er in the Canadian Rockies, which descent was featured in the 2013 Canadian Alpine Journal.
Areas of practice:
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Civil Litigation
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Wills and Estates
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Tax Litigation
Kobus van Wyk, B.Com, LL.B.
Originally from South Africa, Kobus van Wyk earned a Bachelor of Commerce Degree in Law and a postgraduate degree in Law from the University of Stellenbosch. After completing his degrees, Kobus joined a legal firm in Cape Town for about eight years, before joining a national Banking Group, first as an in-house legal counsel before becoming the head of compliance and risk management for the business division of the bank. After immigrating to Canada with his family he practiced at the a local Cranbrook firm from 2016 until 2023 recently when he joined Rockies Law.
Kobus Van Wyk’s areas of practice include Real Estate, Wills & Estates, and Business Law.
In response to the question, “What do you do outside of work?” Kobus’s responds, “Spending time with my family, which is and will always be my main priority. Traveling the beautiful country and beyond. Enjoying nature, whether it is the mountains, walks, or spending time at the lake, and very occasionally having a traditional South African BBQ! I am a big sports fan and still love to follow the South African national rugby team, the Springboks.”
Areas of practice:
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Real Estate
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Wills and Estates
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Business Law
Fernie & Sparwood Office
Graeme R. Nunn, J.D., LL.M. (Tax)
Graeme received his J.D. from the University of Victoria and his Masters degree in Taxation and Business Law from Osgoode Hall Law School. Prior to moving to Fernie, Graeme practiced law at a prominent boutique law firm in downtown Vancouver. Graeme’s practice areas include Real Estate Law, Wills and Estates, and Corporate and Business Law and Commercial Litigation.
Graeme loves his home in the mountains and has become an active member of the Fernie community. He is a former President and Director of the Fernie Chamber of Commerce, and a former member of Fernie Search and Rescue. When not in the office, Graeme, his wife Karen and their young family can be found hiking, biking or on the ski slopes.
Areas of practice:
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Real Estate
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Corporate Law
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Business Law
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Wills & Estates
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Commercial Litigation
Karen Tse, J.D., Family Law Mediator
Karen practices family law and assists her clients by negotiating disputes, drafting cohabitation and separation agreements, and conducting applications and trials. She works with her clients to find solutions for parenting time, spousal and child support, property division, divorce and child protection. She has appeared before the Provincial Court and Supreme Court of British Columbia. Karen also practices in civil litigation encompassing corporate and commercial disputes, construction, and wills and estates litigation.
Karen is an accredited Family Law Mediator. As a mediator, Karen facilitates respectful discussions between the parties. She does not take sides and does not judge. A mediation with Karen can cover all aspects of a separation or divorce, including parenting time, guardianship, division of assets and debts, child support and spousal support. Karen can also prepare separation agreements and court orders following a mediation.
Karen received her Juris Doctor from the University of Victoria, where she received a number of academic and community service awards. She was also the class valedictorian at Simon Fraser University and the recipient of the university's Gold Medal and Humanitarian Award. Prior to joining the firm, Karen worked at a boutique family firm in downtown Vancouver.
After moving to Fernie with her husband, Graeme Nunn, the two of them can be found exploring the mountains by skis, hiking boots or snowshoes. Karen and Graeme were named Volunteers of the Year by the Fernie Chamber of Commerce. Karen serves as a Director of the Fernie Women's Resource Centre, the Fernie Pets Society and the Fernie & District Historical Society. She also organizes children's activities at the annual Fernie Griz Days festival.
Areas of practice:
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Family Law
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Family Law Mediation
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Civil Litigation
Jim Ashford, J.D.
Jim is an associate lawyer with Rockies Law who focuses on real estate transactions (both residential and commercial), Real Estate Development and Subdivisions, First Nations land, Construction Law, business acquisitions and sales, general business legal advice, Corporate Law and Incorporations, business structuring, Wills and Estate planning, probating Estates in the BC Supreme Court, and notarial services.
In his spare time, Jim can be found trail running, biking, or skiing around Fernie with his border collie, Tasman.
Areas of practice:
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Real Estate Conveyancing
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Real Estate Development
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First Nations Land Law
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Wills & Estates
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Business Law
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Corporate Law
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Strata Property
Marian Gravelle, Notary (retired)
Marian is born and raised in Fernie, and practiced as a Notary Public from 1984 until 2023. Now retired, Marian remains very active in the community, and has been involved in many community organizations, including the Snow Valley Wranglers Association, Fernie Minor Hockey Association, Catholic Women’s League and the Long Haulers Association of the East Kootenays.
Invermere Office
Jeff Martin, LL.B., B. Comm.
Jeff is a lawyer who advises clients primarily on commercial and residential real estate transactions and business transactions. Prior to joining Rockies Law, Jeff spent several years in Asia working for international law firms, advising clients on cross border finance and direct investment transactions and disputes. One notable transaction was providing local counsel advice to a syndicate of lenders on the first major telecom infrastructure rollout in Myanmar (Burma), which included a combined loan facility of US$250 million.
In 2018 Jeff returned to the Kootenays, where he was born and raised, to spend time with his family.
Areas of practice:
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Real estate sales / purchases, both commercial and residential
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Indian lands transactions
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Construction finance
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Finance, including representing lenders and borrowers
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Commercial leasing
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Business acquisitions and sales
Robert Hamilton, J.D., B.A.
Robert is a commercial litigator originally from Trail, BC. He received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Calgary in 2017 and was called to the bar in Alberta in 2019. Robert previously worked as an associate for a national law firm in Calgary primarily in the areas of civil litigation and insolvency.
Robert practices general civil litigation. He assists clients with a wide range of matters, including debt claims, contractual disputes, negligence claims, and business and tenancy disputes.
Robert is thrilled to be living in the Kootenays again, and in his spare time, he can be found hiking, golfing, skiing, and enjoying downtime with his wife and twin sons.
Areas of practice:
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General civil litigation
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Commercial litigation
Kimberley & Invermere Office
Steven M. Brine, LL.B.
Steve lives in Kimberley and primarily practices in the areas of Real Estate, Wills & Estates and Business Law in Kimberley and Invermere. Steve received his law degree from the University of British Columbia in 2004 and was called to the bar in New York State in 2005. After graduation, Steve worked as an associate for a New York law firm primarily in the areas of securities, banking and finance.
After a few years working in the City, Steve decided to return to the East Kootenays to enjoy the lifestyle opportunities this area has to offer. When not in the office, you’ll usually find him skiing in winter and mountain biking in summer. Steve is actively involved in the Community He is a current director of the Kimberley Trails Society, past director of the Kimberley District and Community Foundation, and has provided pro-bono advice, donations or volunteer services to various other local organizations over the years, including the Greenways Trail Alliance, Kimberley Chamber of Commerce, Kimberley Golf Club, Kimberley Independent School, Northstar Rails to Trails Society, Kimberley Alpine Society, Round the Mountain Festival and Kimberley Food Bank.
Areas of practice:
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Real Estate Conveyancing
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Real Estate Development
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First Nations Land Law
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Wills & Estates
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Builders Liens
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Business Law
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Strata Property
Anna Bara, J.D.
Anna was born and raised in Alberta. She earned her Bachelor of Commerce degree in Accounting from the University of Alberta and then her law degree from the University of Victoria. During her law degree she studied abroad at the University of Utrecht, in Utrecht, Netherlands. Prior to joining the firm, Anna had a general law practice at a regional firm in southern Alberta and was an active volunteer at the Medicine Hat Legal Help Centre.
Anna has moved to British Columbia from the Alberta prairies and enjoys the lifestyle and activities that the Kootenays have to offer. During her spare time, she enjoys travelling, hiking, climbing and has recently taken up skiing.
Anna’s main areas of practice are real estate, wills and estates and business law. Anna is a member of both the Alberta and British Columbia Bar Associations.
Areas of practice:
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Real Estate
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Wills & Estates
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Business Law