Sarah Kirby

Email: sarah.kirby@ritchdurnford.com

Phone: 902-429-3400 ext 371

Education: Dalhousie Law School, LL.B. (1999); Honours Bachelor of Science (Marine Biology and Oceanography), Dalhousie University, (1994) Awards: Elkanah Rafuse Prize in Admiralty Law

Called to the Bar: Nova Scotia (2000)

Profile:
Sarah's practice focuses on commercial litigation, with her preferred areas being transportation and maritime law. Her experience in this area includes freight brokerage and carrier liability issues, hull and machinery claims, P&I representation, defence of regulatory prosecutions, contract disputes, ship arrests, marine pollution, collisions, cargo claims, crew issues including personal injury, stowaways and deserters, and demurrage. Sarah also enjoys transactional work, advising clients on and drafting charterparties and other marine-related contracts.

Sarah is an active member of the maritime law community. In addition to being one of the founding Executive members of WISTA Canada and currently serving as WISTA Canada's Immediate Past President and VP (Atlantic), she is Past Chair of the Canadian Maritime Law Association's sub-committee on Limitation of Liability, currently serves on the CMLA's sub-committee concerning the Fair Treatment of Seafarers, and is a Director of the Eastern Admiralty Law Association. She is named in the maritime law section of the publication "The Best Lawyers in Canada" for the years 2008, 2009 and 2010.

Areas of Practice:

Admiralty environmental and marine

Insurance defence

General litigation

Professional Activities:
Nova Scotia Barristers' Society, member
Canadian Bar Association, member Maritime Law Section
Canadian Maritime Law Association, member
Women's International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA Canada), Immediate Past President and VP (Atlantic)
Eastern Admiralty Law Association, director

Community Service
Scouts Canada - Beaver Leader
Laing House Foundation - Board of Trustees

Sarah Kirby