Cristen Gleeson was born in Thunder Bay Ontario where she was exposed to the great outdoors of the Northern Ontario wilderness. In addition to her fighting forest fires, Cristen was one of the most successful basketball players of her graduating year, leading her to play for the Queen’s University Varsity Women’s Basketball Team for several years during her undergraduate degree.
Cristen lived and worked in developing countries in her early twenties on two global outreach projects living in remote villages in Jamaica and Guatemala. Cristen was a participant in the Canada World Youth international exchange program. Cristen graduated with a degree in English Literature from Queen’s University in 1998 and obtained her Law Degree from Queen’s University in 2001. She articled with BC Hydro in Vancouver and was called to the Bar of British Columbia in 2002. Cristen joined Baker Newby in 2006, became a partner in 2010 and joined Baker Newby’s management team in 2019. Ms. Gleeson was appointed King’s Counsel in May 2023. The King’s Counsel designation is an honor conferred on members of the legal profession to recognize exceptional merit and contribution.
Cristen’s practice focuses on family law and personal injury law, and is known for being extremely tough and passionate about her work. Cristen has a commanding presence in the courtroom and does not shy away from difficult cases. Clients often comment that Cristen is a real person who has your back. Cristen is a new age lawyer who brings practical, tangible results in a timely fashion so you can move on with your life with a fair resolution.
Cristen is on the cutting edge of the new developments in family law and she works collaboratively with the leading mediators and parenting coordinators in Vancouver to achieve prompt resolution for her clients. Cristen’s practice is centered in the Fraser Valley but she receives direct referral work from former and current clients as far away as Dawson Creek and Vancouver. Cristen has a winning track record in court and relishes obtaining real, prompt results for clients facing unfair, difficult and complex personal injury and family disputes.
In the early stages of her career Cristen had the honour of working with Court of Appeal Judge Gail Dickson and the late Judge Russell MacKay who were then practising lawyers in the areas of plaintiff civil sexual assault, personal injury and criminal defence. Cristen appeared before the Supreme Court of Canada on a triple appeal involving civil sexual assault and abuses to children in foster care. She also worked and volunteered in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver, working with women facing issues of drug addiction and assault and served on the Board of the Pivot Legal Society.
Cristen is extremely proud to be the mother of son Levi and daughter Josie and this passion carries over into her law practice. In addition, Cristen and her husband own a tree farm located in beautiful Rosedale BC in the heart of the Fraser River delta. In her spare time Cristen enjoys hockey and soccer with her kids and is known for solo hiking the Westcoast Trail and backpacking Alaska and the Yukon. Cristen loves to snowboard, run and bike with her children and husband. Cristen welcomes inquiries in all areas of family law and personal injury.
