Robert Villani
Robert Douglas Villani was born in Powell River, British Columbia in 1963 and is married to Cindy Villani. They have two children, Cole, born in 2000 and Rylan in 2003.
Rob received a B.A. in Economics from the University of Victoria in 1986 and graduated from the University of British Columbia, Faculty of Law, in 1989. He was called to the B.C. Bar in 1990. Rob articled and practiced with the Vancouver law firm of Tupper, Jonsson and Yeadon before returning to Powell River in 1993. He has practiced continuously in Powell River since that time, first as an associate, then in partnership and now as the principal of Villani & Company.
Rob practices mainly in the areas of real estate, company and commercial law, wills and estates and personal injury. He regularly writes a feature "The Law Corner" for the Powell River Peak Newspaper answering questions regarding real estate matters and has presented at many seminars on such topics as Real Estate, Company Law and Estate Planning.
Rob has for many years been involved with many local groups, societies and charities such as the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, United Way, Powell River Kings Society, Powell River Community Futures Foundation and coaching minor baseball, basketball and soccer. Rob is currently the co-chair of the Brad Bombardier Golf Classic which raises funds for both the Powell River Kings and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
Rob's leisure time includes family, fishing, travel, spending weekends with the kids at the local hockey arena and puttering around his cabin on Powell Lake.
Milda Karen-Byng
Milda Karen-Byng was born in Kirkland Lake, Ontario.
Milda received a B.A. from Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario in 1975, graduating "with distinction". She graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Ottawa Law School in 1974 and was a Gold Medallist of the graduating class. She was called to the B.C. Bar in 1976 (and was a member of the Alberta Bar between 1981 and 1986).
She articled (and practiced briefly) with Davis & Company, in Vancouver and then spent ten years in Dawson Creek, becoming senior partner in a six lawyer firm. She moved to Powell River in January 1986 and started her own office in December of that year, and then joined Villani as Associate Counsel in 2001.
Milda practices mainly in the area of real estate, company and commercial law, wills and estates and has taken Family Law Mediation training. She offers estate planning and regularly prepares documents such as wills and trusts, enduring Powers of Attorney, Representation Agreements, deeds of gift and joint tenancy transfers.
She has been a member of the Provincial Advisory Council of People's Law School, and an ad-hoc Bencher for the Law Society Competency Committee (1992). She has given seminars on various aspects of wills and general estate planning to clients and to various community and charitable groups. Milda writes a regular feature "The Law Corner" for the Powell River Peak newspaper, answering questions regarding wills and estates.
Milda has in previous years been involved with various local groups or societies such as Home Support (Director), Scouts (Secretary), Powell River Aquatic Club (President), Hospital Ethics Committee (Member), Friends of Olive Devaud (Spokesperson) and currently assists with various activities at Myrtle Point Golf Club.
Stacey McCausland
Stacey McCausland was born and raised in Powell River. After graduating from Max Cameron High School she participated in the launch of Malaspina College's university transfer program and completed the first year curriculum. She then left to go traveling; living in the United States and then traveling Europe. Following her return to BC, she completed her Bachelor of Arts degree (Political Science) at the University of British Columbia in 1996. She went to law school at the University of Victoria and graduated in 2000.
After articling in Kelowna, Stacey returned to Powell River to practice law following her call to the Bar in 2001. She worked at Johnston & Company for seven years. She has been with VIllani as an associate counsel since the start of 2009. She practices in all areas of litigation, including personal injury, estate litigation and criminal defense. Stacey also has a large family law practice and is a qualified family law mediator.
Stacey is the vice president of the Powell River Chamber of Commerce and sits on the Board of Directors for the Powell River Kiwanis Housing Society and the Powell River United Way. In her free time she loves being outdoors; camping and boating being two of her favourite activities.
Katrin Roth von Szepesbéla
Katrin grew up in Berlin, Germany.
She graduated from the Berlin University of Co-operative Education of Banking and Insurance with a business administration (banking and finance) degree in the top ten of her class in 1996.
During her first North American vacation in Vancouver in 1997 Katrin fell in love with Canada and made it her adoptive home. She started out in Canada as a retail store manager in training and later moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba, to work for the RBC Royal Bank as a Personal Financial Services Advisor and Mutual Funds Specialist.
Starting in 2001, Katrin attended Robson Hall law school, where she placed on the Dean’s Honour List, became a Pitblado Scholar, and received the D.A. Thompson, Q.C. Prize for International Business Law. She summered at the Manitoba Securities Commission after the first year and worked there as a student legal researcher and provincial prosecutor during subsequent law school years. Katrin was awarded her LL.B. in 2004. She completed her articles-of-clerkship at the Calgary office of Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP and was called to the Alberta Bar in 2005. She joined Peterson & Purvis LLP in Lethbridge, Alberta, before seizing the opportunity to work at Alberta Justice as a Barrister & Solicitor and Crown Prosecutor in Edmonton, Alberta. In 2007, she spent one fall session at the Legislative Assembly of Alberta as a Legal Research Officer at the Parliamentary Counsel Office.
Katrin came to Powell River to join Villani & Company and was called to the B.C. Bar in the fall of 2011.
Katrin is currently enrolled in a Master of Laws degree programme specializing in dispute resolution at Osgoode Hall Law School. She holds certificates in conflict management and conflict transformation conferencing.
Katrin has a general law practice including wills & estates, business law, real estate, family law, employment law, and civil litigation. In addition, Katrin offers a wide range of dispute resolution services, including civil mediation, arbitration, and individual or group conflict coaching. Katrin is pleased to provide legal services in German.
Katrin’s passions include travelling near and far to explore foreign cultures, languages, architecture, history, and cuisine. She also enjoys hiking with her dog, nature photography, musical theatre and anything and everything on, in or under water, i.e., boating, kayaking, swimming, snorkelling, and is considering taking up S.C.U.B.A. diving.
