Living in a rural community doesn’t mean you have to settle for services of a lesser quality – at least not at Villani & Company. Lawyer Rob Villani is more than confident that any one of their lawyers could hold their own in the big city. “We have incredible staff that provide top-notch service to the point where you don’t need to go out of town,” he said. “I would put our staff up against anybody in big cities.” His Duncan Street office currently houses four lawyers covering a full range of services. “Myself and Katya Buck do real estate, corporate, commercial, wills and estates; Stacey Fletcher does a full line of litigation, family, personal injury and family mediation; and in January we hired Ian TullyBarr (former Crown Counsel) who is now doing criminal defence work, so we provide all areas of service.” Villani was born and raised in Powell River and attended the University of Victoria and University of British Columbia before being called to the BC Bar in 1990. After articling in Vancouver, he returned to his hometown in 1993 to set up his own practice. Today, Villani & Company is the largest and most comprehensive law firm in the area. But the move home wasn’t all to do with business. “My brother Lorne had Cystic Fibrosis and I thought it was very important to come back and be with him,” said Villani. The two enjoyed more than 20 years of quality time together as Lorne continued to beat the odds. He succumbed to his illness in 2014 at the age of 52, but not without a brave fight and a legacy of contributions toward CF research. Throughout Lorne’s life, as his family and community rallied around him, that total grew, and Powell River became a leader in Canada for donations to the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. “Probably well over a million dollars came out of this town,” said Villani. “I’ve been fundraising since I was five years old.” Coincidentally, five was once the average life expectancy for someone with CF. Today, it has increased to the mid30s or more, due in no small part to the contributions spurred on by the Villani family and the people of Powell River over the past 50 years. “It’s important to give back to your community,” he said. “The other lawyers in the firm volunteer a lot as well; with Rotary, the sustainability committee, the Chamber of Commerce, to name a few.” Villani’s latest calling is that of a hockey executive, as he currently serves as president of the Powell River Kings Junior A Hockey Club. The same go-big-or-go-home attitude that applies to his volunteerism is a pillar of his law practice as well. Working hard, looking after clients and remembering your roots are some of the main factors in its success and growth over the past two decades. “We don’t let things just sit, we tackle them full-on,” said Villani. “At the end of the day it’s all about caring. Our clients problems become our problems.” Villani & Company is proud to be your local law firm.
#103 - 7020 Duncan Street Powell River, British Columbia V8A 1V9 604.485.6188 villaniandco.com