Lawson Lundell’s BC operations span offices in Vancouver and two locations in Kelowna. The Vancouver office houses one of the city’s largest and most comprehensive litigation benches, composed of lawyers attending to a diverse array of practices encompassing several specialties – particularly, aboriginal law, energy and resource law, and labor and employment – in which the firm has long held dominant positions. “They are excellent lawyers - they are detailed but able to provide concise advice,” testifies an appreciative client. Keith Bergner, who elicits unwavering peer support as an authority in the aboriginal law community, provides counsel the Province of British Columbia in several matters, including one in which the plaintiff First Nations commenced litigation in 2014 seeking a declaration of Aboriginal title to certain lands in Richmond, British Columbia and adjacent lands under the Fraser River, much of which is highly developed and home to various industrial, commercial, recreational and residential developments. Bergner took this case over from the Province’s in-house counsel, and concluded written and oral argument in November 2023.
Craig Ferris and Mark Fancourt-Smith represent BC Hydro in a construction issue, valued between $10 and $30 million, relating to the structural integrity of the Big Bend substation in Burnaby as a result of a berm along the Fraser River approved by the City of Burnaby and installed by Canada Lands Corporation. Ferris, an all-purpose trial lawyer, garners unanimous acclaim from all familiar with him, and Fancourt-Smith is also developing a loyal following of his own. “Mark is an excellent problem-solver and all-around great lawyer,” raves a client. “His customer service is fantastic, his knowledge of his practice area is outstanding, his ability to strategize and come up with creative solutions is exceptional, and his ability to communicate complex subjects and distill them into layman's terms is a great trait. I would highly recommend Mark to anyone and have full confidence in his advice and his representations.”
Marko Vesely represents Orion Fund JV Limited in a cross-border dispute to recover USD$38 million from defendants, based in Peru, concerning a mine that went into receivership allegedly as a direct result of the defendants’ failure to pay the purchase price for shares in a restructuring transaction. Clara Ferguson, who attends primarily to energy and regulatory law, as cheered by a client as “exceptionally smart, very knowledgeable about her area and willing to work to understand if she is not. She is practical and able to see pathways through complex issues.” Lawson’s labor and employment practice, helmed by
Robert Sider and Nicole Skuggedal, is also addressed as one of Vancouver’s strongest. “Rob Sider is a pleasure to deal, which you can’t for granted in this field of law,” remarks a peer. A client addresses Skuggedal as “practical and responsive,” noting, “[She] provides excellent advice and counsel.”
