A Vancouver litigation boutique that has been on a noticeable growth kick in its headcount and its branding traction, Eyford Partners has attained a sweet spot in the market, adding steadily to its bench. “They are alumni from big firms, and they bring that pedigree in terms of the ethos of excellence and doing things right but doing so on a smaller level and without the bureaucracy,” asserts one peer. “The work they do is also the kind of work that actually gets you into court more than many big firms do.” Under the leadership of all-purpose civil litigator Douglas Eyford since its inception, the firm got a considerable boost of star power in early 2017 when seasoned veteran Angus Gunn joined the firm from his previous post at Borden Ladner Gervais. Gunn maintains a professional focus of appeals, with the remainder of his practice being dedicated to public law, typically for the Province of British Columbia. “Angus continued to be regularly active in the BC Supreme Court, the BC Court of Appeal and even the Supreme Court of Canada,” confirms a peer. “They often get brought in to take over as appellate counsel.” Gunn has also developed a niche in arbitration at both the domestic and international levels. Most recently, Gunn has been engaged by the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) on several significant appeals that have showcased a unique niche fluency with the intersection of appellate, arbitration and insurance practices. “This is really his sweet spot,” observes a peer. On the other end of the generational spectrum,
Nathalie Baker was welcomed into the partnership in 2022 and has since then taken cases forward with aplomb. Baker, along with
Ryan Parsons, act for GSR Capital Group on judicial review, on appeal, and on an application for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada. The matter was an important test of the reasonableness of a local government's legislative authority to interpret the Local Government Act with respect to binding two-year development permits. The case involved terms of a development contract with a municipality regarding a parcel of land bought by the client for development. The terms were altered – not to the client’s benefit – by the municipality’s new incoming local government. Parsons
meanwhile assisted trial counsel on appeal at the BC Court of Appeal in a local authority's appeal from a trial judgment in an expropriation matter. Parsons also acted with lead partner
Evan Cooke in serving as counsel for the City of Surrey at trial and on appeal, defending against claims brought by a car dealership against the municipality for expropriation, injurious affection, and business losses.
