Manitoba law society names Kyle Dear of Taylor McCaffrey as president

Ken Mandzuik, Tradition Law LLP partner, elected vice president

Manitoba law society names Kyle Dear of Taylor McCaffrey as president
Kyle Dear

The Law Society of Manitoba’s benchers have announced the election of Kyle Dear, civil litigation partner at Taylor McCaffrey LLP, as the 105th president and Ken Mandzuik, trust and estate litigation partner at Tradition Law LLP, as vice president. 

Dear’s profile on Taylor McCaffrey’s website provided more information on her professional and educational background. She has co-chaired the firm’s associates committee and continuing legal education committee. 

At Taylor McCaffrey, her civil litigation practice focuses on insurance litigation, including insurance defence, construction, professional errors and omissions, product liability, subrogation, and coverage. 

Dear’s experience also extends to pension law, Indigenous law claims, and the healthcare, construction, and infrastructure industries. She has been a fellow of the Construction Lawyers Society of America. 

She has appeared and offered submissions before all Manitoba’s court levels, the Supreme Court of Canada, and various administrative, professional, and regulatory tribunals and bodies. 

Dear has been a bencher of the Manitoba law society; chairperson of its complaints investigation committee, practice and ethics committee, admissions and education committee, and admissions and education appeals committee; and vice chairperson of its professional liability claims fund committee and reimbursement fund claims committee. 

She has also belonged to the insurance law and pensions and benefits law sections of the Canadian Bar Association (CBA) and the civil litigation, alternative dispute resolution, construction and infrastructure law, administrative law, health law, securities law, Aboriginal law, and women lawyers sections of the Manitoba Bar Association (MBA). 

Dear’s firm profile stated that she joined the Manitoba bar in 2000. She earned her LLB in 1999 and her BA (honours) in 1995, both from the University of Manitoba. 

About vice president

Mandzuik’s biography on Tradition Law’s website gives more information on his practice. While he exclusively works in trust and estate litigation, he has garnered experience in civil and commercial litigation and represented the survivors of Indian residential schools. 

He has appeared before all the province’s court levels, the Supreme Court of Canada, administrative tribunals, arbitrators, and mediators. He regularly presents on subjects regarding powers of attorney, estates, and estate litigation. 

Besides being the Manitoba law society’s newly elected vice president, Mandzuik has served as one of its benchers and chaired or sat on multiple committees, including the access to justice, discipline, equity, and Indigenous advisory committees. 

He has been Manitoba’s representative on the CBA’s board, a member of its policy and governance and equality committees, and chair of its legislation and law reform committee. 

At the MBA, Mandzuik has been president, a life council member, a wills section executive member, and chair of its sexual orientation and gender identity committee. He has also chaired the Insurance Agents’ and Adjusters’ Licensing Appeal Board. 

According to his firm bio, he joined the Manitoba bar in 1997 after receiving his LLB and BA from the University of Manitoba.