Kelowna LawyerPaul J. Hergott B.Admn., LL.B.

Paul grew up in Saskatchewan and achieved his Bachelor of Business Administration at the University of Regina. He has lived in British Columbia since attending the University of Victoria for his Law Degree, which he received in 1995. Paul has practised Law in the Okanagan since 1996, when he came on board with Bassett & Company in Westbank. After over 11 years of a rewarding affiliation with the Lawyers of Bassett & Company, Paul founded his own firm, Hergott Law.

Paul joined Bassett & Company as a junior litigation lawyer, he was soon heading up Bassett & Company's litigation department, and his practise developed to having the focus in Personal Injury and Collection work, including Foreclosures. Paul has one of the largest personal injury practises in the Okanagan, is on retainer with leasing companies in Alberta and Saskatchewan, and has a number of lenders who utilize his services for Foreclosures.

With the assistance of Terri Hergott, one of the most senior conveyancing secretaries in the Okanagan, Paul has a rapidly growing conveyancing practise, serving the purchasers, sellers and mortgagees with prompt, efficient work.

Paul has distinguished himself with excellence in customer service, having been presented with a Customer Service Excellence award by the Westbank Chamber of Commerce. Paul is also proud to have achieved his grade 10 piano certification with the Royal Conservatory of music, and has received various awards through his previous service with the Canadian Military Reserves

Paul is a founding member of Okanagan Business to Business, a well established business group, having a growing membership of more than 60 mainly Westside businesses.

In January, 2007, at the request of the newspaper, Paul began writing a weekly column entitled "Achieving Justice", which is published in the Westside section of the Sunday Capital News.

Kelowna Real Estate LawTerri Hergott, Real Estate Assistant

Terri has lived on the Westside for 33 years.

In 1989 Terri began her legal career working with Lyle Brown, a prominent Westbank Lawyer.

Over the following 10 years, she developed an expertise in real estate conveyancing and mortgages, to the extent that she programmed conveyancing software that she continues to use today. Terri also developed her administrative and accounting skills, managing Mr. Brown's firm.

Terri left Lyle Brown's firm in 2000, but continued her conveyancing work at other firms until 2005, when she started her own business providing freelance conveyancing services to various law firms in the Okanagan and elsewhere in British Columbia.

It was through Terri's well rounded experience that the vision of Hergott Law became a reality.

While Terri continues to provide freelance conveyancing services, her priority will be towards providing excellent service to Hergott Law's growing conveyancing practise. She has become distinguished in her ability to make deals happen quickly and efficiently.

Three young children inhabit the Hergott residence bringing all the love and entertainment that two daughters and a son can. Terri also has an older daughter studying at the University of British Columbia Okanagan.

Kelowna Legal ServicesDenise Nowik, Legal Assistant

Bio coming soon.

Kelowna Legal ServicesDella Brulotte, Legal Assistant

Bio coming soon.

Kelowna Legal ServicesRachel Green, Litigation Assistant

Rachel has worked in the Okanagan as a legal assistant since graduating from the Legal Secretarial Program 15 years ago.

Before joining the personal injury team at Hergott Law, Rachel had worked a number of years doing primarily ICBC defence work, most recently at Pihl & Associates. That exposure to the ICBC defence side of personal injury litigation gives Rachel a valuable perspective in her work at Hergott Law, where we act only for crash victims and never for ICBC.

Rachel and her husband are long time residents of the Westside, and are the proud parents of a 6 year old son.

When not serving our clients at Hergott Law or volunteering at her son's school, Rachel and her family enjoy entertaining, spending time with friends and family, and enjoying the Okanagan outdoors.

Kelowna Legal ServicesIona Morrison, Litigation Assistant

Iona is the international member of our legal team, with a 14 year legal assistant career divided between her time in Nottingham, England, and the Westside.

She was born and grew up in Nottingham. She moved her young family to the Westside in 2006, and Hergott Law was lucky to snatch her up as soon as she was settled in. She now lives in Peachland with her husband, 10 year old daughter, and 5 year old son.

Iona began her legal career in litigation, doing primarily personal injury and insolvency work. After a few years, she moved from litigation in a small firm to large scale commercial solicitor work with a huge international law firm with 38 offices in the UK, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia. Although she enjoyed this area of work and worked with a great team, she had always missed her work in litigation.

Her move to the Westside has brought her back to litigation with a small firm, and back to the areas of practice she initially enjoyed, namely personal injury and foreclosures. She is also our front line customer service person, giving all of our clients the opportunity to enjoy her accent.

Iona and her family are enjoying their new life here. They enjoy camping, quadding, and especially the lake in the summer. The children are enjoying activities that they would never have done in England, as well as the open spaces and outdoor lifestyle. This year, Iona is determined to master skiing, so she can keep up with her husband and daughter on their snowboards, and her son on his skis.

Kelowna Legal ServicesDebra Airth, Litigation Assistant

Debra was born and raised in Terrace, British Columbia, but Kelowna has been home for her and her family for the past 16 years. Deb and her husband, Rob, are recent "empty nesters", with three grown children.

Her early legal experience was at law firms in Calgary, Abbotsford and then at a correctional facility in Terrace.

Deb joined Hergott Law in February, 2008, after having enjoyed a banking career with TD Canada Trust for 8 years. During her time with TD Canada Trust she made strong connections in the Westside community and further developed her strong customer service skills, both of which are proving to be an asset at Hergott Law.

Deb is re-establishing her litigation career by providing support and assistance to the team at Hergott Law.

In her past, Deb took one year away from the work force to volunteer overseas with an Aids Orphan Relief program in Zambia, and she continues to be involved in global awareness. Local initiatives to enhance our own community are also a priority. Deb has served with the Kelowna Track and Field Club, has assisted with fund raising for the local food bank, is involved in church music productions and has a co-ordinator for the annual Bike to Work program.

Deb's passions include spending time with family and friends, and enjoying the diverse outdoor activities of the Okanagan such as hiking, cycling, skiing and patio dining lakeside.

Kelowna law teamNicole Fisher, Office Assistant

Nicole was born in and grew up in the Okanagan.

Her legal career started at Bassett & Company on the Westside, where she was a casual employee for approximately three years while completing high school at Mount Boucherie and beginning her university education at UBC Okanagan. When Paul Hergott branched off from Bassett & Company, Nicole joined the new team of Hergott Law.

Nicole is continuing her university education at the Sauder School of Business at UBC in Vancouver and provides her assistance to the Hergott Law team as her university schedule allows her. She has proven herself to be a conscientious, detail oriented worker and we take advantage of her availability as it occurs.

Nicole's career aspirations are not finalized, but her step-father, Paul, hopes to see her working beside him at Hergott Law before he's gone completely gray.