Elisabeth Sadowski

Elisabeth Sadowski is a litigation lawyer whose main areas of practice are plaintiff personal injury, civil sexual assault litigation, medical negligence, and estate litigation.

She has extensive experience representing clients across BC who have been seriously injured as a result of motor vehicle accidents (occurring prior to May 2021), assaults, slips and falls, and occupiers’ negligence (injuries on someone else’s property) claims. Before joining Hammerco, Elisabeth practiced at a plaintiff-only injury firm and a prominent midsize firm practicing civil litigation, both in Vancouver.

Elisabeth’s familial background in medicine (a neurologist father and orthopaedic surgeon brother) and her own experience surviving a car accident (and subsequent legal process) inspired her to become a lawyer. As a result of her experiences, she is uniquely able to empathize and takes a supportive role with her clients. In her role as counsel, Elisabeth has appeared as an advocate before all levels of court in British Columbia (the Provincial and Supreme Courts of British Columbia and the British Columbia Court of Appeal).

Born and raised in Vancouver, Elisabeth strongly believes in giving back to her local and legal communities. She has served on several executives and boards, including nearly a decade on the board of CLICK: Contributing to Lives of Inner City Kids, along with her current roles with Parkinson Society British Columbia and the discipline committee of The Vancouver Club.

In 2023, Elisabeth was the president of the Trial Lawyers Association of British Columbia. More recently, Elisabeth was appointed by the president of the Law Society of BC to serve on the credentials committee.

Assistant

• Nikki Stephenson
  Legal Administrative Assistant
  Email: nstephenson@hammerco.ca
  Phone: 1.604.269.8500

Education

• Admitted to the Bar of British Columbia, 2016
• LLB, City University of London, 2014
• BA (Double major – English literature, political science), University of British Columbia, 2009

Memberships and Affiliations

• Member, Law Society of British Columbia
• Law Society of British Columbia, Credentials Committee (appointment January 2024 – December 2024)
• Member, The Advocates’ Society
• Member, The Medical Legal Society of BC
• Member, Canadian Bar Association, BC Branch
• Member, American Association for Justice
• The Vancouver Club, Discipline Committee (2022 – present)
• Board Member, Parkinson Society BC (2017 – present)
• Governor (2017 – 2024), Past President (2023), Trial Lawyers Association of British Columbia
• Board Member, CLICK: Contributing to Lives of Inner City Kids (2014 – 2021)
• Committee Member, Young Lawyers Advisory Committee, Canadian Bar Association, BC Branch (2018 – 2019)
• Vice-Chair of Marketing & Communications, BC Women Lawyers Forum, Canadian Bar Association, BC Branch (2017 – 2018)
• Executive Member, Civil Litigation Vancouver Section, Canadian Bar Association, BC Branch (2016 – 2018)

Publications

• “The Horrors of No Fault Insurance in BC,” Alberta Civil Trial Lawyers Association: The Barrister, 2024
• “Overview of the Legal Provincial and Federal Committees in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic,” Trial Lawyers Association of BC: The Verdict, 2020
• “Compassion in the Time of COVID-19,” Vancouver Bar Association: The Advocate, 2020
• “Amendments to the Employment Standards Act in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic,” Canadian Bar Association – BC Branch: BarTalk, 2020
• Author and Speaker, “Guide to the New Galaxy of “Minor Injury and “Serious Impairment,” Trial Lawyers Association of BC: Life After CAPS: “Minor Injuries,” 2019
• “It’s Never Too Early to Start Giving Back,” Vancouver Bar Association: The Advocate, 2019 ·
• Co-Author, “Personal Injury Update on Case Law and Legislation,” Continuing Legal Education Society of BC: Personal Injury Conference, 2017
•  “From Plaintiff to Personal Injury Lawyer,” Trial Lawyers Association of BC: The Verdict, 2017
• Co-Author, “Personal Injury Update on Case Law and Legislation,” Continuing Legal Education Society of BC: Personal Injury Conference, 2016 ·
•  “The Growing Demand for Articling Positions,” Trial Lawyers Association of BC: The Verdict, 2016

Conferences and Lectures

• Co-Chair, “Medicine Bootcamp for Lawyers’” conference, Trial Lawyers Association of BC, 2022
• Moderator, “Nothing But the Truth: A Conversation with Marie Henein,” Trial Lawyers Association of BC, 2021
• “Harnessing Opportunities: Career Transitions during COVID-19”,  Canadian Bar Association BC Branch: Women Lawyers Forum, 2020
•  “Speed Coaching: How to Market Yourself Outside Your Firm to Build Your Practice and Your Value to Your Firm,” Canadian Bar Association BC Branch: Women Lawyers Forum, 2019
• Speaker & Mentor, “Collaborative Mentorship Workshop,” Trial Lawyers Association of BC: New Lawyers Retreat, 2019
• “The Business of Law: Marketing,” Trial Lawyers Association of BC: New Lawyers Retreat, 2018 ·

Media Coverage

• The Financial Impact of ‘No Fault’ Car Insurance in British Columbia
  Mind Your Money Podcast with Mehul Gandhi | July 2024

Personal Interests

• Travel, tennis, volunteering, windsurfing

Home Region

• North Shore/Vancouver