The Honourable John Hogan QC, Minister of Justice and Public Safety is pleased to announce the province’s newest appointments to the Queen’s Counsel by the Lieutenant Governor in Council.
The honourary title of Queen’s Counsel recognizes senior lawyers for exceptional merit and contribution to the legal profession. These lawyers have served a minimum of 10 years as a member of the bar in Newfoundland and Labrador, have gained the respect of the legal community and are in good standing with the Law Society of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Appointments are made after consultation with the Legal Appointments Board as outlined in the Queen’s Counsel Act.
Those appointed to Queen’s Counsel are; B. John Barrett, Erin Breen, Janis Byrne, Valerie Hynes, Chris King, Ken Moyse, Blair Rogers, Stacy Ryan, Karen Stone and Andrew Wadden. Biographies of each appointee are in the backgrounder below.
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“Congratulations to this year’s Queen’s Counsel appointees. These 10 lawyers are being recognized for their contribution and commitment to their profession and province. The QC designation is a way to honour those who have earned the respect of the legal community. I thank this year’s appointees for their dedication, leadership, and continued contributions to the justice system.”
Honourable John Hogan, QC
Minister of Justice and Public Safety and Attorney General
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BACKGROUNDER
Biographies of Queen’s Counsel Appointees
B. John Barrett
B. John Barrett is a father of two children, Raymond and Meghan Barrett. Mr. Barrett was a high school graduate from Prince of Wales Collegiate in 1973 before attending Memorial University where he obtained a Bachelor of Commerce in 1978. Mr. Barrett then attended the University of Windsor in 1985 where he obtained his Bachelor of Laws Degree. He was called to the Newfoundland and Labrador Bar in 1985.
Mr. Barrett articled to Stephen Roy, LLB and Gerard O’Dea and is currently a partner with Smyth Woodland Del Rizzo Barrett. His areas of general legal practice include residential and commercial real estate; corporate/commercial; personal injury; criminal law; fisheries/marine; civil litigation; family; charities, non-profit organizations and individual; pro-bono consultations and representations; wills and estates; copyright and trademark patents; municipal, provincial and federal legislations and regulations; labour/employment; and agriculture.
Mr. Barrett has been involved with numerous community groups including Past Master Saint John’s Masonic Lodge, and Past President St. John’s Shrine Club. Mr. Barrett counseled multiple community associations including Newfoundland Pony Society, Chinese Association of Newfoundland and Labrador, and Newfoundland Athletic Dog Association Inc.
Erin Breen
Erin K.A. Breen was called to the Newfoundland and Labrador bar in 2003 and is a partner with the criminal defence law firm Sullivan Breen. She is a Gonzaga High School graduate of the Class of 1992. She completed her Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in 1997 and earned her Master of Arts (History) in 1998 at Memorial University. In 2002 she graduated from the University of New Brunswick Law School with a Bachelor of Laws degree and was the recipient of the Canadian Counsel of Criminal Defence Lawyers prize and the Blake Lynch prize in criminal law and evidence.
Erin previously volunteered with the Association in Defence of the Wrongly Convicted in Toronto, Ontario as a case review lawyer. From 1998-2018 she volunteered at MacMorran Community Centre and served as a board member. From 2010-2016 she was the Canadian Bar Association representative on the Judicial Advisory Committee for Newfoundland and Labrador. In 2013 she was named the recipient of the Michael F. Galway Gonzaga High School Alumnus of the year award.
In 2017, Erin represented the family of Donald Dunphy at the Dunphy Inquiry. Since 2017, she has been included in the Best Lawyers in Canada and was named Lawyer of the Year in the practice area of criminal defence for 2020. In 2019 she was named a fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America. Erin practices in all aspects of criminal defence with a special focus in the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. Alex, Dylan and Jack Levandier keep Erin on her toes outside of the courtroom.
Janis Byrne
Janis Byrne was born in St. John’s and graduated in 1991 from Memorial University with a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) degree and in 1994 from the University of Windsor with a Bachelor of Laws degree. She then received a Licence en Droit Civil (LL.L – civil law) from the University of Ottawa in 1995, and was admitted to the Law Society of Newfoundland & Labrador in 1996. She also holds the ICD.D designation, having completed the Directors’ Education Program through the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto, in 2017.
After practicing with Poole Althouse in Corner Brook from 1996 to 1999, Janis joined Pennecon as corporate counsel, where her practice involved mostly real estate, construction, corporate and commercial law. Early in her career, and continuing for many years, Janis worked closely with Mr. Ches Penney during the period when he built the Penney Group to one of Newfoundland and Labrador’s largest private commercial enterprises. She is currently part of the Executive Team of Pennecon, in the role of Executive Vice President-Legal.
Janis recently served as Chair of the St. John’s Board of Trade, and is currently a Director on the Boards of the Atlantic Lottery Corporation, the Interprovincial Lottery Corporation, and Golf NL. She is also a roster member for the Canadian Free Trade Agreement Dispute and Appellate Panel.
She is a Past President of the Canadian Bar Association (NL Branch); a past member of the Canadian Bar Association National Board of Directors; a past member of the Lawyers Financial Board of Directors, and a past Director of the Canadian Corporate Counsel Association. Janis has previously served as a member of the Disciplinary Committee of the Law Society of Newfoundland and Labrador, and as a lecturer at the Law Society’s Bar Admission Course (corporate/commercial). Janis has also been a Director on the Boards of Theatre Newfoundland and Labrador, the SPCA and the Ches Penney Family YMCA, as well as a member of the Rotary Club of St. John’s East. She is currently a member of the International Women’s Forum of Canada.
Valerie Hynes
Valerie A. Hynes obtained a Bachelor of Commerce (Co-op) from Memorial University in 1996, graduated from Dalhousie University’s Faculty of Law in 2000, and was jointly awarded the Puddester award for outstanding achievement in the area of Public Law. Ms. Hynes was admitted to the Newfoundland and Labrador Bar in 2001 and is a Partner with the law firm Roebothan McKay Marshall. She maintains a general law practice including personal injury; real estate; civil litigation and commercial finance law.
She has appeared before all levels of court in the province, with a concentration on the Supreme Court (General Division) and the Court of Appeal. She has served as a guest lecturer for the Law Society of Newfoundland and Labrador’s Bar Admission Court in Civil Litigation. She presently serves as an elected Bencher of the Law Society of Newfoundland and Labrador and an Adjudicator for the Newfoundland and Labrador Human Rights Commission. She is an active community volunteer and a member of the Canadian Bar Association. Ms. Hynes lives in St. John’s with her husband, John Veitch, and their three children, Andrew, Isabella and Benjamin Veitch. In her spare time Ms. Hynes enjoys hiking throughout our beautiful province.
Chris King
Chris King is a partner with the law firm McInnes Cooper, where he has worked since being called to the Bar in 2004. He was born and raised in St. John’s, and attended Memorial University of Newfoundland, where he received a degree in Political Science (2000) before receiving his law degree from the University of New Brunswick (2003).
Mr. King practices in the area of labour and employment law, advising employers in the private, public, and non-profit sectors on effectively managing their workplaces. He is a director of the Janeway Children’s Hospital Foundation and the Canadian Association of Counsel to Employers, teaches the Bar Admission Course section on employment law, and holds a 5th-degree black belt in kenpo karate. Mr. King lives in St. John’s with his wife, Jennifer Miles, three children, Isaac, Alex and Serena, and their two dogs recently adopted from Natuashish.
Ken Moyse
Ken Moyse was born and raised in St. John’s. He graduated from Memorial University in 1995 with a Bachelor of Arts with a double major in Political Science and History. Shortly thereafter, he attended the University of New Brunswick graduating with his LLB in 2000. He was called to the Newfoundland and Labrador Bar in 2001.
His legal career commenced with Lewis, Sinnott, Sorthall, Hurley under the guidance of John Sinnott, Q.C. and the late Honourable Justice David Hurley. While at Lewis, Sinnott, Shortall, Hurley, Ken was afforded the opportunity to experience all levels of court in the Province as well as with the Federal Court of Canada.
In 2008, Ken founded Bristow Moyse Lawyers and in the following years, took great pride in growing the firm from a two person operation to more than a dozen lawyers and staff. Bristow Moyse Lawyers merged with Rogers and Associates in 2015 creating Rogers Rogers Moyse Lawyers where Ken is currently a managing Partner running the day-to-day operations of the firm with a varied practice that now focuses mostly on personal injury litigation.
Ken has a long history of volunteering starting as a student at Gonzaga High School and most recently as a Member of the Board of Governors for St. Bonaventure’s College and as a hockey coach. Ken continues to support the local community and in particular, children’s sports teams, at-risk youth and with the firm’s annual community Christmas Dinner for disadvantaged individuals and families.
He lives in Torbay with his loving and supportive wife Angela and their two teenage sons, Andrew and Ian.
Blair Rogers
Blair J. Rogers was born and raised in St. John’s and graduated from Memorial University with a Bachelor of Science (Biochemistry) (Honours) in 1998, and a Master of Business Administration in 2001. In 2005, he graduated from Dalhousie University with a Bachelor of Laws degree and was called to the Newfoundland and Labrador Bar in 2006.
Mr. Rogers articled at Williams Roebothan McKay and Marshall and entered the partnership of Roebothan McKay Marshall in 2012. Mr. Rogers has a diverse practice, primarily in the field of personal injury litigation, as well other civil litigation, real estate, municipal and corporate law. He is a member of the Canadian Bar Association and has served on a number of related committees since his call.
Since 2014, he has served as a director of Ronald McDonald House Charities Newfoundland and Labrador as the Chair of Corporate Governance. Mr. Rogers is highly involved in local baseball and is a past Vice President of the St. John’s Senior Baseball League. He currently resides in Torbay with his wife Pamela and their two very active daughters, Mya and Quinn.
Stacy Ryan
Stacy Ryan was appointed a Judge of the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador March 24, 2021.
Karen Stone
Karen Stone was born and raised in St. John’s. She was educated at Holy Heart of Mary High School. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Business, and a Certificate in Public Administration from Memorial University in 1988, a Bachelor of Laws from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1991, and a Certificate in Alternative Dispute Resolution from the University of Windsor in 2009. She was introduced to health law at Mercer Orsborn Benson Myles where she articled and worked as an associate until 1995 when she began her public service career at the Department of Justice.
In 2005, she joined the Department of Health and Community Services as its Legislative Consultant. She was appointed as the Assistant Deputy Minister of Policy and Planning at the Department of Health and Community Services in 2013, and the Assistant Deputy Minister for Population Health in 2015. She served as the Assistant Secretary to Cabinet for Social Policy from 2017 to 2019 when she was appointed the Deputy Minister of Health and Community Services.
She is a past presenter at the Law Society’s Bar Admission Course and has given many presentations on health professional regulation and governance, and the Mental Health Care and Treatment Act. She has served on numerous boards including Habitat for Humanity and the Newfoundland and Labrador Health Research Ethics Authority. She is currently on the board of the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technology in Health. She is married to the very patient, Andy Mackay, and is the proud mother of Alexander, Bridget and Andrew Mackay.
Andrew Wadden
Andrew Wadden graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Memorial University in 1997 and received a Diploma in Public Administration from Dalhousie University in 1998. He attended Dalhousie Law School and was valedictorian of the class of 2002. He was also awarded the H.G. Puddester Prize for demonstrated academic and leadership ability.
He joined the firm of Patterson Palmer (now Cox & Palmer) serving articles under Fred Constantine and was called to the Bar in 2003. In 2009, he took the position of in-house litigation counsel with Johnson Insurance. He returned to private practice in 2013, working with Denis G. Barry, QC, and then joined with two friends and colleagues, Christopher Peddigrew, and John Hogan, QC, to form the firm now known as Wadden Peddigrew Law. He practices mainly in the area of insurance and injury litigation. He often acts for members of the Law Society in relation to insurance claims, for registered nurses in relation to disciplinary proceedings, and has been counsel to the Consumer Advocate.
In the community, Mr. Wadden spent nine years with the Royal St. John’s Regatta Committee and rowed for many years. He has served on the Holy Heart of Mary Theatre Advisory Board, Clean St. John’s Board, and as a Big Brother with Big Brothers Big Sisters. In 2014 he was presented with the Rotary St. John’s Northwest Aidan Maloney Award for his work in the community and potential to further impact his vocation and community in the future.
In 2020, Mr. Wadden was Chair of the St. John’s Board of Trade. He sits on both the Law Society of Newfoundland and Labrador Education Committee, and Disciplinary Committee. He was recently appointed by the Law Society as a member of the Board of Governors of the Law Foundation. He currently sits as Vice President of the Newfoundland and Labrador branch of the Canadian Bar Association. He has taught each of the Business Law courses at Memorial University’s Faculty of Business and has taught Legal Aspects of Recreation and Risk Management in the Faculty of Human Kinetics and Recreation. In addition, he is an Adjudicator with the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary Public Complaints Commission.
Mr. Wadden and his wife Amy Wadden, live in St. John’s.