Meet Our Sunshine Coast Law Firm Team
Spencer Keys, TEP
Managing Lawyer
I became a lawyer because I like taking care of people so they can relax and focus on living their lives.
Before law school I spent years as a government relations professional, explaining the effects of laws and policies to politicians so they could understand how their decisions affect people- from students to small business owners. Through my professional and personal experience, I know first hand that the law is a blunt instrument and a skilled lawyer can make it work for an individual’s needs.
Our practice at Charthouse includes corporate and commercial law, wills and estates, and real estate law, serving a variety of sectors, such as doctors, restaurants, medical marijuana and recreational cannabis investors, and developers. What that means is we can give you actionable advice to help you grow and protect the benefits of your life’s work. You don’t need to be concerned about the unexpected risks that you would never (and should never have to) think about.
My aim is always to ensure you feel listened to, understand not only what we are doing but why, and feel you have someone in your corner who you can talk to candidly about your legal issues in the future.
About Spencer:
Spencer is the managing lawyer of Charthouse Lawyers, the Sunshine Coast’s law firm for business and estates. He is a lawyer, entrepreneur, former lobbyist, and essayist who has appeared in national and local publications and broadcasts including The Globe and Mail, Maclean’s, The Vancouver Sun, The Province, CBC’s The Passionate Eye and CTV News, and has won numerous writing and debating awards, including the Dalton Camp Award, the Canadian Media Lawyers’ Association’s Freedom of Expression Writing Prize, and the McGoun Cup, amongst others. Currently, he’s a trustee with the Sechelt Downtown Business Association.
Spencer holds degrees in law, philosophy and political science, and a diploma in accounting from the University of British Columbia, where he served on the board of the UBC Alumni Association, Vice-President of the Student Legal Fund Society, Editor-in-Chief of the UBC International Law Journal, and as the elected student president of the 45,000 member Alma Mater Society of UBC. He is the only Trusts and Estates Practitioner (TEP) on the Sunshine Coast, certified by the international Society of Trusts and Estates Practitioners, which accredits professionals who focus on estate planning, administration, and tax.
Spencer lives in Gibsons with his partner Veronica, a local elementary school teacher, their children, Shep and Dottie, and the world’s most tolerant cat, Hammy.
Email: info@charthouselawyers.ca
Phone: 604-885-4151
Samantha Fenton
Project Manager – Real Estate
Samantha Fenton, Real Estate Project Manager, Conveyancer
I thrive on being your first point of contact when you have sold or are buying or refinancing your home or land. I enjoy being able to make this at times, stressful situation, as smooth as possible and provide you with the candid information and advice you need to make things happen in a timely matter.
About Samantha:
Samantha has worked and lived on the Sunshine Coast for the greater part of her life and has enjoyed serving the public in the banking industry and then moved on to Conveyancing in 2013. It stuck, and she now has just over 10 years of experience assisting clients with their specific property needs in our busy and sometimes unpredictable market.
Samantha grew up in Sechelt and spent a few short years away before starting her family back on the Coast to ensure that she could provide her two, now grown, sons the positive experience that she had growing up in our beautiful town.
Email: info@charthouselawyers.ca
Phone: 604-885-4151
Sarah Jenkins
Operations Manager
I enjoy working with people, providing advice and ensuring that both my clients and team are having the most positive and constructive experience possible. I am motivated to solve people’s problems, make recommendations and ensure that everyone’s needs are being heard and met.
About Sarah
Sarah has worked in the financial industry for over 16 years as a financial advisor, mortgage underwriter and team leader. She graduated from the Business Management program including a Legal Assistant Certificate at Vancouver Community College. Sarah thrives on ensuring her team is performing at their peak through encouraging a communicative, collaborative environment. Sarah is passionate about people management and nurturing a high-performing, sustainable team. Within a fast-paced, results-driven model, her goal is to ensure both her team and clients receive the best experience possible.
Sarah was born and raised in North Vancouver where her mother and father still reside and moved to the Sunshine Coast in 2010. Sarah has lived in Gibsons for over 13 years with her husband, 4 children, 1 Bernese Mountain dog named Charlie, and two rescued black cats named Jimmy and Michael.
Email: info@charthouselawyers.ca
Phone: 604-885-4151
Darlene McDougall
Announcement
Charthouse Lawyers is saddened to share the McDougall family’s announcement that our colleague, Darlene McDougall, passed away peacefully on September 8, 2023.
Darlene was a paralegal responsible for our estate planning and probate clients. She had a way of working with people who had faced loss and hardship to keep them on track and make sure they could get through a very difficult time with good humour and indefatigable energy. This was often reflected in the steady stream of gifts and flowers that seemed to come to the office from people who appreciated her knowledge and experience.
In addition, she was the memory of the firm, having joined us when it was Jones & Fairweather in 1990, through its time as the Lois Potter Law Office, and now named Charthouse Lawyers. During its history, Darlene was a consistent face that clients came to know well.
As no service is being held, Charthouse Lawyers is donating $1,000 to the Sechelt Hospital Foundation in memory of Darlene. At this time, Spencer Keys is the contact person for any matters Darlene was attending to. We are trying to contact everyone who had an ongoing matter with Darlene but please reach out to us if you are concerned that you may be missed.
Lois Potter
Retired
After more than 12 years of service to the communities on the Sunshine Coast – and a few long days and nights! – Lois Potter retired from the practice of law in June 2021. She and her family continue to be a part of Sechelt’s community.
