Derek Haines
Derek Haines is a family man. A third-generation Kamloops resident, he can often be seen volunteering or attending events around his community. He has been mentoring law students at the TRU Law School for the last six years and is a longtime member of the Lawyer Referral Service, which provides free legal advice. Access to justice by the public has always been important to Derek. His ability to communicate across various disciplines and provide real world examples to complicated legal problems extends to the way he practices law, at his firm, Watson & Haines.
Derek co-founded Watson & Haines in 2003, along with Gerald Watson and Ronald Watson (retired), and this year they are celebrating their 20th anniversary. He and Gerald both had infant children at the time, when they started Watson & Haines, and raised their children—and their business—together. They offer all types of solicitor services, such as estates, wills, real estate, corporate, commercial, and construction, as well as civil litigation, including estate, construction, family, and debt collection. Essentially offering everything outside of criminal law, their objective is helping people with legal problems. They understand that legal services are not one-size-fits-all, and have the breadth of knowledge to find solutions. “Our goal is to become somebody’s lawyer for years or decades to come,” he shares. Once Derek earns a client’s business, he hopes to serve them throughout their life, bringing them in like part of an extended family. He’s there for his clients and their family’s needs, much like he is there for his own family.
What makes Watson and Haines unique is that their experience and longevity allows them to provide legal advice across many areas of law. What he likes best about this approach is finding solutions for individuals whose needs don’t always ‘fit inside the box.’ “Practicing in different areas of law keeps me on my toes because it requires continuous learning and researching. To put it simply, our niche is not having a specific niche,” he says.
Derek Haines received his Bachelor of Business Administration (Finance) from Simon Fraser University and attended law school at the University of British Columbia. He currently serves on the Thompson Rivers University Awards and Honors Committee.
Derek Haines
Lawyer — Watson and Haines
Website: www.WatsonHaines.ca