Meghan Forhan

Principal

Meghan Forhan (she, her, hers) is a Principal at Pender Litigation and an accomplished trial lawyer with over a decade of litigation experience. Before joining the firm, she served as an Equity Partner at another boutique criminal defence firm in Vancouver, BC. Over the years, Meghan has earned a strong reputation with both the courts and her colleagues for her skillful advocacy and tenacious representation of her clients.

Her practice encompasses a wide range of serious criminal matters, including sexual assault, child luring, drug trafficking, possession for the purpose of trafficking, domestic assault, aggravated assault, firearms offences, and fraud. With a strong emphasis on Charter litigation, she consistently works to protect her clients’ constitutional rights and hold police and state actors accountable when those rights are breached.

Meghan is also a respected driving-law lawyer with extensive experience across both criminal and administrative regimes. She is trusted with serious, high-profile cases such as dangerous driving and impaired driving causing death, while also helping everyday drivers navigate 90-day Immediate Roadside Prohibitions (IRP), RoadSafetyBC licence suspensions, and Judicial Reviews arising from unfair or unreasonable IRP decisions.

With experience as an ad hoc prosecutor, Meghan possesses a keen ability to identify weaknesses in the prosecution’s case. She is also a skilled negotiator, adept at securing optimal plea deals when advantageous. Meghan listens to her clients’ needs and works with them to ensure they get the best result possible.

Meghan is likely best known for her work defending individuals facing sexual offence allegations—cases that carry profound personal and legal consequences. A significant portion of her practice is devoted to guiding clients through these matters with discretion, clarity, and unwavering advocacy. She takes a strategic, detail-driven approach to every case, including advancing complex s. 276 and s. 278 applications where required and conducting rigorous, effective cross-examinations. Where appropriate, Meghan also supports the use of Restorative Justice.

After receiving her Juris Doctor from the University of Victoria in 2014, Meghan was called to the bar in British Columbia in 2015. In 2022, she was admitted to the Yukon bar as well. She has successfully argued cases at all levels of court in British Columbia, including the Court of Appeal, Supreme Court, and Provincial Court, and has experience conducting jury trials.

Recognized for her expertise in criminal law, Meghan is frequently invited to share her knowledge with her colleagues. She has contributed to the Canadian Bar Association (CBA), writing on the constitutionality of mandatory minimum sentences and presenting on legislative amendments to impaired driving laws. Additionally, she has presented for the Trial Lawyers Association of BC (TLABC) on pre-charge negotiation tactics with police and Crown Counsel, the implementation of Restorative Justice in sexual assault cases and how to effectively conduct sexual assault sentencing hearings. Meghan is also a contributing author in the 5th edition of CLEBC’s "Introducing Evidence at Trial" textbook.

Beyond her legal practice, Meghan supervises young lawyers through the UBC Law Students Legal Advice Program and volunteers with Access Pro Bono. When not immersed in law, you can find her hiking the beautiful West Coast trails with her partner and rescue pup, Joey.

Education

  • University of Waterloo, Bachelor of Arts, 2011

  • University of Victoria, Faculty of Law, Juris Doctor, 2014

  • Admitted to the British Columbia Bar, 2015

  • Admitted to the Yukon Bar, 2022

Positions

  • Pender Litigation, Principal, October 2024 – Present

  • Mickelson, Whysall, Moore & Forhan, Law Group, Equity Partner, September 2022 – September 2024

  • Mickelson & Whysall Law Corp., Associate Counsel October 2016 – September 2022

  • Jabour, Sudeyko, Lucky Law Firm, Associate Counsel, November 2015 – September 2016

  • Articled Student, Hon. Judge Mark Jetté, Sutherland Jetté Barristers, May 2013 – May 2015

Selection of Reported and Notable Cases

Criminal Cases

IRP Judicial Review Cases

Selection of Articles, Publications & Speaking Engagements

  • Presenter, “Sexual Assault Sentencing: TLABC Annual Criminal Law Conference”, Trial Lawyers Association of BC (September 2025).

  • Contributing Author, “Introducing Evidence at Trial: A British Columbia Handbook”, 5th Ed. Sept. 1, 2024, CLEBC; Chapters on Judicial Notice & Collateral Fact Rule.

  • Presenter, “Defending Clients in Sexual Offence Prosecutions 4: Resolving Charges or Stopping Them Before They Start”, Trial Lawyers Association of BC (June 2023).

  • Contributing Author, “Adams v British Columbia (Superintendent of Motor Vehicles) 2019 BCCA 225: Counsel Comments”, Take Five British Columbia Edition (Jul 1, 2019).

  • Author, “The Fight For Judicial Discretion: Constitutional Challenges to Mandatory Minimum Sentences in Canada”, Canadian Bar Association paper.

 
Meghan Forhan

Contact Meghan Forhan
604-669-6699
mkf@penderlitigation.com

Refer Meghan