Guild Yule occupies, and some would argue dominates, an insurance-focused space in the Vancouver community. “Guild Yule has the insurance industry on lockdown in this market,” confirms a peer. The firm has also grown in its geographic footprint; a planned office in Kelowna, in British Columbia’s inland, has become a reality and has seen a steady build-out, with Shauna Gersbach and Shaun Frost helming this expansion. A peer extols, “Shauna Gersbach is a detail-oriented, efficient, intelligent and strategic lawyer.” Clients are equally appreciative; one testifies, “Guild Yule handles a high volume of litigated claims and human-rights complaints. This includes work with my client institutions prior to a claim being filed, right through the litigation process to the Supreme Court of Canada as the file demands. When Guild Yule is retained, they are the only external counsel representing my client institution and handle all aspects of the litigation. Guild Yule also provides general legal and insurance advice, including coverage, as requested.” Another client raves, “The firm excels at handling complex, high-stakes litigation with depth, discipline, and strategic focus. They bring strong legal analysis, careful preparation, and sound judgment to every stage of the matter, from chambers proceedings through appeal. The team works cohesively, communicates clearly, and is able to manage difficult files with multiple moving parts and significant financial exposure. While the work is necessarily resource-intensive, the firm’s capability, experience, and strategic approach have made a meaningful difference in the progress and outcomes of the case.” One client humorously quips, “They should charge what they’re worth – i.e. raise their rates!”
Regarding individual team members, a client offers in summation, “They are a very balanced firm with some great senior lawyers but also some young lawyers who show tremendous potential.” One client, the City of Vancouver, voices enthusiasm for
Neil MacLean, who is lead counsel on a number of the City's complex construction matters. “We look to Neil to provide efficient and effective counsel in large complex files and appreciate his attention to detail. Neil also regularly provides educational updates and seminars to staff at the City and his friendly advice and demeanor is always welcome.” Another client confirms, “David Bell is the lead counsel on most of my cases,” and goes on to offer glowing and fulsome appreciation: “David is excellent at gathering the evidence, which is not always easy given the institutional nature of our clients and somewhat siloed departments and the various privacy issues involved. He is able to analyze the case and advise on appropriate strategy. This includes forming a deep understanding of cases where the details are key and the difference between a professional being found negligent or not depends on minutes. He is excellent at dealing with highly specialized experts in the preparation of mediations and trials. David is also adept at keeping a professional and steady hand when faced with the increasingly more common self-represented plaintiff or complainant. David has also developed the skills of managing junior associates on files to best effect.” This same client mentions, “Mark Gyton has also been the lead counsel on files I have provided to Guild Yule and therefore has dealt with all aspects of litigated files. Mark can take extremely complicated insurance cases that are not the usual type of cases I handle and provide a thorough and easily understandable analysis and strategy. This makes him extremely effective in all aspects of a claim, from gaining the confidence of the client to negotiating with opposing counsel.”
Jordan Bank elicits praise from this same client. “My experience with Jordan is as a junior on files handled by Mark or David. Jordan is very good at getting into the weeds of the file and in the legal analysis. He is personable and a good communicator and thinks outside the four corners of a problem.” A newly listed partner in this edition,
Aaron Gubeli is cheered by a client as “bright and brings a very practical approach to file handling. He has a balanced approach that weighs risk with cost certainty when handling files. He has a great mentor in [senior partner]
Mark Skorah, which is clear when Aaron is handling files where he is lead counsel.”
