David Thomas

Expert Overview

David Thomas is a lawyer and mediator in British Columbia. From 2014 to 2021, he was the Chairperson of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal in Ottawa. In addition to private business interests, David is a part-time Vice-Chair of a professional discipline tribunal and a mediator for the BC Human Rights Tribunal.

Called to the bar in 1989, David began his career as a business lawyer with one of Canada’s oldest and largest firms, Bull, Housser & Tupper (now Norton Rose Fulbright Vancouver). He worked in the firm’s international practice, which had offices in Hong Kong, Taipei and Shanghai. David’s practice evolved as he became a specialist in corporate and business immigration, taking him to various countries around the world, including the Middle East and with a particular focus in South Korea. Shortly after becoming a partner in 1994, David started his own law firm to work with a select group of clients. Active in the community, David served several terms as the President of the Canada-Korea Business Association in Vancouver and as a Director of the Canada-Korea Society in Ottawa. He made two extensive trips through North Korea as the founder of a charity that donated vitamins to orphans in that country. While still in private practice in Vancouver, David was appointed as a part-time Member of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal in 2013.

David has lectured in his field to the Canadian Bar Association, the BC Society for Continuing Legal Education and to the Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants (now CICC). He has been quoted in Canadian Lawyer magazine, appeared on national radio and television and is a contributing author to The Credit Suisse Guide to Managing Your Personal Wealth (Edinburgh Publishing.) He has appeared before Parliament, been a guest speaker at numerous law schools and colleges as well as at international human rights conferences. While serving in Ottawa, David attended several human rights conferences at the United Nations in Geneva. He has also been a contributor to the National Post.

David graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School (York University) serving as the President of the Legal and Literary Society (student council) in his final year. He played basketball for the University of British Columbia but finished his undergraduate studies at an international liberal arts college in Switzerland.