Profile

Rodolfo Assinger is an associate lawyer with ATAC LAW. He is a multidisciplinary lawyer with legal experience in construction law, employment law, immigration, torts, tenancy disputes, contracts, family, driving prohibition reviews, debt collections, and more. He is both a litigator and solicitor.

A  large portion of Rodolfo’s practice is dedicated to construction law because he enjoys helping individuals with complex legal issues while improving their businesses and completing successful projects. His prior experience in construction management allows him to comprehend the ins and outs of the industry as someone from within. That gives him an edge when assisting and advising owners, contractors, consultants and suppliers with their construction disputes.

Rodolfo’s work experience is also broad, both in Canada and Brazil. Before joining ATAC LAW, he worked for a mid-sized construction company for about two years, where he coordinated, managed, and supervised envelope-remediation projects. Before that, he was a store operational and sales manager for the world’s largest coating company, where he worked for about three years.

As someone born and raised in Brazil, Rodolfo’s native language is Portuguese.

Education

Bachelor of Law, Universidade de Direito de Curitiba (UNICURITIBA), Brazil – 2015

Completed further legal education at the Peter A. Allard School of Law, University of British Columbia (UBC) – 2021

Accredited to enter the law society bar admission program by the National Committee of Accreditation (NCA) – 2021

Recent Dispute Resolution Experience:

A client with a lien on a project came to Rodolfo after four months of trying to collect payments from the contractor who hired him. After a one-hour consult where Rodolfo explained his rights under the Builders’ Lien Act, the client immediately contacted the project’s owner. The owner paid all his outstanding invoices in about a week. Sometimes, simply understanding your rights makes all the difference.

After months of trying to collect payment for his work on a new residential construction project, a painter retained Rodolfo to represent him in the Small Claims Court against the general contractor. The general contractor countersued Rodolfo’s client after the action started. However, the general contractor withdrew the counterclaim in the settlement conference at the BC Provincial Court and agreed to pay a substantial amount to Rodolfo’s client to settle the case. Often someone who denies his obligations at first turns back around after realizing the legal consequences of defaulting on his contractual duties.

Rodolfo’s other recent experience includes:

• Acting as second chair in a six-week construction litigation matter involving claims for unpaid work, delay claims, construction defects, builder’s liens, and lost profits, where the Rodolfo acted for a sub-trade making a claim against a developer of a large condo project in Vancouver, where Rodolfo successfully obtained judgment for his client for unpaid work and delay claims
• Acting for a professional engineer in a regulatory dispute with Engineers and Geoscientists BC that proceeded to a full discipline hearing
• Acting for multiple clients in relation to disputes over the Vancouver Empty Homes Tax bylaw
• Acting for a shareholder in a corporate dispute in a commercial arbitration
• Acting for homeowners in a dispute with their contractor on a large luxury home development project
• Acting for a BC First Nation on multiple major construction and infrastructure projects in the areas of contract drafting and dispute resolution
• Acting for a number of contractors in actions to enforce builders liens against general contractors and owners
• Acting for an entrepreneur before the Supreme Court of British Columbia in a complex civil litigation involving multiple parties, shareholder disputes, and commercial lease disputes;
• Acting for a creditor in a consumer proposal under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. B-3);
• Acting for a client before the IRCC in a sponsorship application for permanent residence under the Family Class.
• Successfully represented a client defrauded in an oral agreement, securing a judgment exceeding $150,000 without a trial, through effective court applications, resolving the matter in under a year.
• Successfully negotiated recovery of investments for a client threatened with the loss of her home due to a past agreement placing the property in a family member’s name, thus preserving her financial interests in the property.
• Successfully mediated a long-standing, emotionally charged dispute involving a physical altercation, resulting in not only a settlement but also reconciliation between the parties, evidenced by mutual cordiality post-mediation.
• Successfully assisted a homeowner in removing a lien and countersuing a contractor who inadequately altered her property, and facilitated the transfer of her legal representation to insurance-appointed counsel while securing coverage for her legal expenses.
• Successfully advocated for small and medium-sized contractors to secure payment for their work by effectively utilizing and leveraging the Builders Lien Act, ensuring compensation through liens and judgments.

Areas of Expertise

• Construction Law
• Immigration Law
• Employment Law
• Civil Litigation
• Torts
• Debt Collection