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Keita Szemok-Uto
"I am committed to advocating for our clients' best interests. I strive to provide effective representation and support."
Contact Info
Phone:
604.642.5693
Fax:
604.688.8193
Reception Phone:
604.688.8193
VCard:
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E-mail:
[email protected]
Assistant Info
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Keita is an Associate in the Family and Workplace law groups at Watson Goepel. He has appeared before the Provincial Court of British Columbia and the Supreme Court of British Columbia.
Keita attended the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University. As a law student, he volunteered with the Dalhousie Legal Aid Clinic, providing legal information and assistance to members of the public primarily in the areas of residential tenancy and family law.
He has also participated in pro bono initiatives to assist self-represented litigants draft court pleadings, and to draft wills for low-income seniors.
In his spare time, Keita enjoys swimming, playing virtual reality ping pong, and spending time with family.
Education
- J.D., Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University, 2023
- B.A., University of British Columbia, 2019
Bar
- British Columbia, 2024
Publications and Presentations
- Author, “Conflicting Decisions: Why the Privy Council Drifted from Precedent in Deciding Cunningham v Homma,” Dalhousie Law Journal Vol. 47 Iss. 1, April 2024.
- Author, “We are Not Ready for Deepfakes,” Canadian Bar Association, October 2023.
- Witness, “Harms Caused to Children, Women, and Men by the Ease of Access to, and Online Viewing of, Illegal Sexually Explicit Material”, House of Commons Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, June 2024.
Work Highlights
- Antoniuk v. Beveridge, 2024 BCSC 2034
Acted for the Respondent in successfully defending against the Claimant’s claim that the parties were in a marriage-like relationship. The Claimant’s action was dismissed with costs in our client’s favour.
Professional and Community Affiliations
- Trial Lawyers Association of British Columbia
- Member, Canadian Bar Association
- Member, Law Society of British Columbia
- Member, Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers (British Columbia)
Recent news from Keita Szemok-Uto
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- Workplace Law
Secret Recordings in the Workplace
Our lawyers Sarah Hentschel and Keita Szemok-Uto discuss the recent of the British Columbia Court of Appeal, that, in certain circumstances, an employer can terminate an employee for “just cause” if they make secret workplace recordings.
- Litigation & Dispute Resolution
Responding to Banking Scams: Tracing Beneficiaries of a Hack
Increasingly, scam victims have asked Watson Goepel LLP’s Litigation & Dispute Resolution Group to help recover funds stolen from a bank account.