Lawson Lundell’s Litigation Group has a focus on commercial litigation and a number of associated specialty areas all supported by the largest dedicated research team in Vancouver. We exclusively assist business clients and maintain a clear objective of achieving the best outcome for our clients either by agreement or through the courts. Our offices are in Vancouver, Calgary, Yellowknife and Kelowna.
Our group is distinguished with rankings from Chambers Global, Chambers Canada, Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory and Best Lawyers in Canada. Our team has represented clients at all levels of Court in Canada and before most regulatory tribunals, has appeared before a wide range of administrative panels and in national and international arbitrations. Details concerning key practice areas are set out below.
Commercial Litigation – We have extensive experience with all kinds of commercial disputes, including banking, competition and anti-trust, forestry, mining, oil and gas and other natural resources disputes, franchising, transportation and shipping. We have particular expertise acting for major industrial manufacturers, such as leading engineering, mining, energy and forest products companies, including with respect to liability for products and services.
Corporate and Securities − We act for a wide variety of securities market participants in take-over bid litigation, shareholders rights claims, fiduciary duty and other disputes and securities commission investigations. We regularly represent clients in the following areas: dealer-client litigation, takeover bids, poison pills and related litigation, investigations and enforcement, corporate governance, and oppression and shareholder rights litigation. We have extensive experience in disputes within closely-held corporations.
Class Actions − We primarily represent corporate defendants, assisting our clients in resolving class actions expeditiously, by preliminary motions where possible. We frequently provide advice to our corporate and institutional clients to help minimize exposure to class actions.
Administrative, Constitutional and Public Law − We assist clients in developing legal strategies for complying with complex regulatory requirements and provide advice on the legal and public policy implications of changes in legislation and other government initiatives. We act as counsel in significant administrative and constitutional law cases, involving both Charter of Rights and division of powers issues.
Indigenous and Environmental Law − We represent resource-sector clients in project permitting and the defence of subsequent challenges brought by Indigenous and environmental groups. We have represented clients in precedent-setting Indigenous rights litigation and other Indigenous law matters before all levels of Court, and have handled permitting of major projects before regulatory tribunals and in subsequent litigation. We work with resource sector clients to defend their interests in disputes between Indigenous communities and governments related to the Crown’s duty to consult. We advise and represent clients in civil and criminal claims related to contaminated site and other environmental matters.
Public Utility and Regulatory − We act for utilities, major customers and regulators, with extensive experience in the power and energy sectors, acting for applicants and intervenors before administrative tribunals and on subsequent Court proceedings. We have also provided regulatory advice in the transportation, telecommunications and water utility sectors.
Labour, Employment & Human Rights − We advise employers in all aspects of workplace law in both the provincial and federal sectors, including labour relations, employment law, collective bargaining, wrongful dismissals, human rights, employment standards, pension and benefits litigation, employment equity, workers’ compensation, privacy issues and business immigration. We have extensive experience in acting as counsel before judicial and decision making tribunals such as provincial and federal labour relations boards, arbitration boards, employment standards tribunals, human rights tribunals, workers’ compensation boards as well as all levels of court. We regularly provide collective bargaining advice and act as chief spokespersons for companies.
Pension and Employee Benefits −We have been involved in many of the leading Canadian pension and benefits cases, including successful defence of a number of class actions. Cases have involved post-retirement benefits, surplus entitlement and expense claims, fiduciary duties, including claims relating to investment policy and plan immunization and contribution holiday and benefit entitlement litigation.
Real Estate and Construction − We advise and represent international, national and local corporations, financial institutions, tenants, commercial landlords, creditors, debtors and others in real estate matters. We provide advice and representations on complex disputes including delay claims, enforcing and defending builders’ liens, tendering disputes and leaky condominium and leaky school actions, as well as property tax planning and dispute resolution. The group is also well versed in strata corporation windups.
Insolvency and Restructuring − We routinely act as counsel to the various stakeholders involved in corporate insolvency proceedings, including bankruptcies and proposals under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, winding up and liquidations, receiverships, mortgage recovery, security realization under the Personal Property Security Act, arrangements under the Companies Creditors’ Arrangement Act, and preservation and recovery proceedings relating to professional fraud, including securities fraud.
Defamation and Media − We pursue and defend claims for defamation and are frequently consulted for advice in connection with libel and slander, Privacy Act, copyright and other issues that involve the activities of the print or electronic media and, increasingly, the internet.
Privacy & Data Management − We help clients navigate privacy and data governance considerations resulting from the collection, use, disclosure and maintenance of personal information. We provide advice to both private and public-sector clients regarding access to personal information requests, requests that arise in the course of corporate transactions or employee matters.
Estate Litigation – We assist clients in navigating the highly sensitive and complex issues involved when an estate plan is challenged. This includes challenges to the validity of wills or trusts, claim arising from the administration of wills or trusts, claims against executors, court applications, proceedings to change trustees or guardians, and matters involving charities.
Updated April 2023
The world is changing, and it’s happening faster than ever. Businesses and people are adapting, but nobody can do it alone. Maybe it’s easier for us to keep up because we’ve always been nimble and brought creative thinking to the way we practise law.
BD&P is a full-service boutique law firm headquartered in Calgary, Canada. Our approximately 120 lawyers are bright, deeply talented legal minds who work on a broad spectrum of corporate and litigation matters, sitting across the table from national and international firms. Our clients live a variety of sectors, including energy, renewables, agribusiness, technology and life sciences.
We are not just legal advisors, we are true partners. We’ve been called unconventional, and we think that makes us better partners to our clients for now — and for the future.
What we do:
Alternative Dispute Resolution: We are seasoned in alternative dispute resolution practices, regularly appearing as counsel in international and domestic arbitrations and judicial dispute resolutions. When our clients’ require dispute resolution outside of the traditional court process, we draw upon our experience to assist them in determining the best course of action to resolve their issues.
Class Actions: BD&P has considerable experience in all aspects of Canadian and U.S. class actions, representing clients in a broad range of commercial class actions. We navigate the procedural complexities unique to class action litigation and guide clients expertly through the process, from early negotiated settlement to trial.
Commercial Litigation: We have a wealth of experience handling complex commercial litigation in a wide range of business disputes. Our lawyers regularly appear before all levels of Alberta’s Courts, the courts of other provincial jurisdictions, the Federal Court and the Supreme Court of Canada. Mindful of the cost and time involved in litigation, we seek to find efficient and negotiated solutions to our clients’ disputes.
Construction Litigation: Our team advises clients in all aspects of industrial, commercial and institutional construction project disputes, which often involve complex, multifaceted issues with multiple parties. We act on disputes of varying size and complexity, whilst maintaining a focused, results-oriented approach.
Employment Litigation: Our team has appeared before all levels of Court in Western Canada, the Federal Court of Canada, and before administrative tribunals, including in relation to labour relations, human rights, workers’ compensation, employment standards, OH&S and privacy. Such litigation includes wrongful dismissal, breach of restrictive covenants, and human rights related litigation.
Energy Litigation: BD&P has extensive experience in a vast range of energy-related disputes, from traditional energy to renewables. The disputes team works with the commercial energy lawyers to provide all the resources needed to resolve energy disputes.
Estate Litigation: We focus on the resolution of contentious matters relating to wills, trusts and the administration of complex estates, mindful of the impact that litigation can have on family relationships. Our lawyers understand the challenges unique to estate litigation, and strive to assist beneficiaries and trustees in avoiding and resolving claims through effective guidance and advice.
IP and Technology Litigation: We protect and assert our clients’ best interests when disputes arise from the misuse or misappropriation of their intellectual property. Whether through litigation, arbitration or mediation of these disputes, we provide tailored advice to meet our clients’ objectives.
Securities Litigation: The team provides advice and representation in all areas of securities and corporate litigation before the provincial securities commissions, the major Canadian stock exchanges and the Courts. We are experienced in representing public and private companies, minor and major shareholders, boards of directors, investment dealers, brokers and senior management, providing them with strategic advice on securities law and other related matters.
Tax Litigation: We cover all stages of the tax litigation process, including negotiations with appropriate authorities, the provision of opinions, dealing with compliance issues, and appearances before the Tax Court of Canada, the Federal Court and the Federal Court of Appeal. Our lawyers also appear in the Court of King’s Bench on provincial income tax matters, for rectification orders and other declaratory judgements.
Updated March 2023
Miller Thomson LLP is one of Canada’s leading national business law firms with approximately 525 lawyers. We consistently deliver the highest quality advisory and advocacy skills and expertise required by international clients doing business in Canada. We have more Canadian locations than any other national firm, allowing our lawyers to provide our clients with valuable local knowledge. More specifically, with offices in Montreal, Vaughan, Toronto, Waterloo-Region, London, Regina, Saskatoon, Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver, we are uniquely positioned to provide ‘on the ground’ insight and knowledge from the country’s key economic hubs, and under both the common law and civil law systems in Canada.
Miller Thomson’s national advocacy practice comprises close to 200 litigators, organized around a comprehensive range of sub-specialties. Our expertise covers complex commercial litigation, class actions, construction litigation, environmental litigation, insurance defence, IP litigation, health litigation, securities litigation, shareholder disputes, tax litigation, insolvency, and labour & employment disputes, among other areas of litigation support. The national group has extensive experience acting for a wide range of clients in all industry segments in trial proceedings, court applications, arbitrations and appeals at the provincial and federal levels. These clients range from sole proprietorships and individuals to some of the largest and most recognized national and international corporations operating in Canada.
Our litigators look for opportunities for efficient and expedient dispute resolutions. In this regard, our litigators are experienced in mediation and arbitration proceedings of all types, whether required as part of the litigation process or undertaken pursuant to an agreement with the other side to a dispute.
The Group also draws on the firm’s discovery capabilities. Our litigators adopt procedures to drive greater case management and discovery efficiency, thereby mitigating the resource intensive, often costly document production phase of litigation.
We have extensive experience acting for clients in litigation concerning:
Updated March 2023
Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP is a Canadian law firm focused on serving the advocacy, advisory, and transactional needs of the country’s most dynamic business sectors.
Cassels brings a rare depth and breadth of experience to both the negotiating table and the courtroom. We offer recognized expertise in resolving complex legal issues, pride ourselves on developing inventive and effective means of solving problems, and have a reputation for assertive and efficient settlements built on a track record of favorable motion and trials decisions – counsel know that we are ready, willing, and able to go all the way to court.
Our litigators represent clients at all levels of federal and provincial courts including the Alberta, BC, and Ontario Courts of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada. Cassels also boasts one of the country’s leading class action defence teams - we successfully defended the first-ever class action in Ontario and have maintained our position as a market leader with precedent-setting class action defence work ever since. As your strategic advisors, our approach to litigation focuses on two things – reputation and success.
Cassels offers one of the largest law practices in Canada, advising clients from start-ups to multi-national organizations—across the street and around the world—and we are consistently cited as market leaders by such authorities as Chambers, Lexpert, and Best Lawyers.
We are dedicated to staying on the leading edge of trends in law and business to offer practical and flexible solutions to any legal challenge.
At Cassels, your success is our priority.
Select Key Industries and Areas of Practice:
Updated April 2023