These were the top corporate and commercial litigation law firms in British Columbia based on the results of our 2021 peer survey. You can see the full list of the province’s most recommended lawyers and law firms in the field in our list of the best corporate and commercial litigation law firms in British Columbia here.
Corporate and commercial litigation governs almost every type of dispute that can in a business context. In our survey, the practice encompasses the provision of advice and representation, whether by way of negotiation, civil proceedings, alternative dispute resolution, mediation or arbitration. It involves all matters relating to the breach of or disputes regarding commercial contracts, and purchase and sale of assets, equipment or other lease agreements.
The practice also covers banking and financing litigation, which includes secured and unsecured enforcement and recovery, multi-party creditor disputes, asset recovery and tracing, and disputes regarding various security, financing or trade instruments. Additionally, it involves business organization disputes resulting from shareholder agreements, joint ventures, partnerships, distribution, agency and other such matters.
Most frequently recommended corporate and commercial litigation law firms
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
Year established: 2000
Number of lawyers: 19 (Commercial litigation)
Number of ranked lawyers: 3
Partners: Brook Greenberg, Gavin Cameron, Tracey M. Cohen, Simon R. Coval, Geoffrey Cowper, Jenny Francis, Jonathan Lim, Andrew I. Nathanson, Mark Pontin
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP is a full-service law firm with a more than 700-strong roster of lawyers worldwide. In Canada, its offices are located in Vancouver, Surrey, Toronto, Ottawa, Montréal, Québec City and Calgary. The firm also has international headquarters in London in the UK, Johannesburg in South Africa and Beijing in China. Fasken specializes in complex business and litigation matters. The firm takes pride in having a diverse and inclusive workplace, and its community involvement, pro bono work and membership in respected legal organizations globally. Fasken’s commercial litigation team resolves business disputes relating to contracts, commercial insurance, breach of fiduciary duty, professional negligence and a range of other issues. Much of the group’s commercial litigation work involves cross-border considerations such as tax, trade and corporate governance.
Read more about Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP on the growth of capital markets during the pandemic
Nathanson, Schachter & Thompson LLP
Year established: 1987
Number of lawyers: 16
Number of ranked lawyers: 5
Partners: Karen L.M. Carteri, Murray A. Clemens, R.J. Randall Hordo, Julia E. Lawn, Julia K. Lockhart, Kevin D. Loo, James C. MacInnis, Irwin G. Nathanson, Stephen R. Schachter, Peter R. Senkpiel
Nathanson, Schachter & Thompson LLP is consistently recognized as one of Canada’s top litigation and dispute resolution firms. The firm has litigated many of British Columbia’s largest and most complicated commercial and civil lawsuits, including contract disputes, shareholders’ disputes, securities and oppression claims, real estate development and property disputes, hostile take-over bids and derivative actions, administrative proceedings, actions for professional negligence, defamation actions and employment disputes, class actions and representative proceedings, mining claims and pension litigation. It was established to build an elite team of litigators capable of advocacy and litigation and has carefully expanded to include leading counsel at all levels. NST’s clients include private and public companies, many of whom are referred by leading Canadian and international law firms.
Consistently recommended corporate and commercial litigation law firms
Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
Year established: 1856
Number of lawyers: 21 (Corporate litigation)
Number of ranked lawyers: 2
Partners: Sean Boyle, Peter Bychawski, Tony Crossman, Laura Cundari, Alexandra Luchenko, Joe McArthur, Roy Millen, Robin Reinertson, Peter Rubin, James Sullivan
Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP (Blakes) is one of Canada’s leading full-service business law firms. It has offices in Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary and Montréal, and international headquarters in New York in the US and London in the UK. The firm provides clients with access to its full spectrum of capabilities in virtually every area of business law. Blakes handles transactions of all sizes and levels of complexity whether an issue is local or multi-jurisdictional, or practice-area specific or interdisciplinary. The firm’s litigation and dispute resolution group boasts extensive experience in corporate and commercial litigation. The team’s litigators regularly appear before all levels of court in Canada, including the Supreme Court of Canada, and have been involved in precedent-setting cases related to hostile take-overs, indemnification of directors and officers, proxy contests and directors’ duties.
Read more about Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP on restructuring in a challenging economy
Hunter Litigation Chambers
Year established: 2006
Number of lawyers: 25
Number of ranked lawyers: 2
Vancouver-based boutique firm Hunter Litigation Chambers specializes in litigation and dispute resolution. The firm boasts the depth and capability to handle the full range of commercial disputes and class actions, including in the antitrust and product liability areas. It also has the expertise to handle matters across a broad spectrum encompassing professional negligence, natural resources, labour and employment, defamation, public and constitutional law, Aboriginal law, and criminal and quasi-criminal prosecutions. Hunter Litigation Chambers appears regularly in all levels of court, including the Court of Appeal for British Columbia and the Supreme Court of Canada, the Federal Court and Federal Court of Appeal.
Repeatedly recommended corporate and commercial litigation law firms
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG)
Year established: 1823
Number of lawyers: 19 (Commercial litigation)
Number of ranked lawyers: 1
Partners: Leon Beukman, Jake Cabott, Brad Dixon, Krista M. Johanson, Michelle T. Maniago, Grant H. Mayovsky, Sarah C. MacEachern
Full-service firm Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG) boasts a more than 700-strong pool of lawyers in its offices in Vancouver, Montréal, Toronto, Ottawa and Calgary. It advises businesses and other institutions on all aspects of business law, including mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, major disputes, financing, and trademark and patent registration. BLG is a bilingual English-French firm that excels under both the common and civil law systems in Canada. The firm is one of the first in North America to implement client service standards and takes pride in having a diverse and inclusive workplace. BLG’s multidisciplinary commercial litigation team is experienced in all areas of the practice, including, shareholders’ and contractual disputes, directors’ and officers’ liability, commercial fraud, banking, securities, bankruptcy and insolvency, estates and trusts, franchise and distribution.
FARRIS
Year established: 1903
Number of lawyers: 14 (Corporate & commercial litigation)
Number of ranked lawyers: 4
Partners: Scott Dawson, Ludmila B. Herbst, Nicholas T. Hooge, Yun Li-Reilly, Robert J. McDonell, Teresa M. Tomchak, Mike Wagner
British Columbia-based Farris has offices in Vancouver, Kelowna and Victoria. It is one of Canada’s leading corporate and litigation law firms, representing some of the largest public and private institutions and corporations in the province. Farris’ litigation group has significant and extensive experience in all areas of litigation. Its lawyers appear regularly in all BC Courts, the Federal Court of Canada and the Supreme Court of Canada. The firm’s experience includes trial and appellate advocacy, commercial transactions, product liability, class actions, labour relations, administrative and regulatory matters, securities litigation, bankruptcy and creditors’ rights, aboriginal matters, internet and social media issues, defamation and other media related law.
Lawson Lundell LLP
Year established: 1886
Number of lawyers: 37 (Commercial litigation)
Number of ranked lawyers: 1
Partners: Scott R. Andersen, Laura L. Bevan, Kinji C. Bourchier, Gordon B. Brandt, Tamela J. Coates, Lauren E. Cook, Michael J. Donaldson, Mark E. Fancourt-Smith, Craig A.B. Ferris, Kelly Hannan, Shannon K. Hayes, Sheila M. MacPherson, Michael B. Morgan, Amy M. Nathanson, Anna Paczkowski, Lisa A. Peters, Peter J. Roberts, Jonathan H. Selnes, Marika R. Strobl, Marko Vesely, Grant Vogeli, Shannon L. Wray
Lawson Lundell LLP is one of Canada’s leading commercial law firms. It advises public and private sector clients on a wide range of areas, including mergers and acquisitions, private equity and venture capital, corporate finance, mining, energy, banking, real estate, pensions and employee benefits, technology transactions and taxation. The firm boasts extensive experience regulatory and commercial litigation, including in the areas of Indigenous, environmental, energy, labour and employment law and insolvency. The firm’s commercial litigators are led by several senior members of the bar who are complemented by energetic younger lawyers working out of offices in Vancouver, Calgary and Yellowknife. As members of a leading business law firm, its litigators can readily access knowledge in all commercial areas of the law, including securities, mergers and acquisitions, corporate, tax and real estate.
McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Year established: 1855
Number of lawyers: 12 (Corporate commercial litigation)
Number of ranked lawyers: 2
Partners: Katherine Booth, Alexandra Cocks, Michael Feder, Scott Griffin, Miranda Lam, Jill Yates
McCarthy Tétrault LLP is one of Canada’s leading full-service law firms, representing both domestic and international clients. It has offices in Vancouver, Montréal, Québec City, Calgary, Toronto, New York in the US and London in the UK. The firm offers integrated business, litigation, tax, real property, and labour and employment services. It boasts industry groups that provide advice in a broad range of industries, including, banking and financial services, energy and infrastructure, private equity and investments, resources and extraction, retail and consumer markets, capital markets, real estate, technology and communications, and healthcare and science. McCarthy Tétrault’s corporate commercial litigation group boasts extensive experience in domestic and cross-border dispute resolution, both in and out of the courtroom. Its top-ranked practitioners represent clients in disputes across multiple provincial and international jurisdictions. They partner with specialists across the firm in various practice areas, including banking, competition, corporate finance, government, intellectual property, labour and employment, professional liability, real estate, securities, tax and technology.
Read more about McCarthy Tétrault LLP on changes in Canada’s sales and income taxes