BLG is widely recognized as Canada’s foremost litigation law firm, with a national team of more than 400 advocates helping clients with everything from appellate advocacy to trade disputes.
When the stakes are highest, organizations from across Canada and around the world trust us to help solve their problems. From claims that interrupt day-to-day activities to bet-the-company litigation, we understand the issues that keep our clients up at night, using this knowledge as the foundation for responsive, strategic and practical advice. Complex, precedent-setting, novel cases in specialized areas of the law - particularly when they make it to the Supreme Court - are how we’ve built our reputation. We use this experience to advocate for the best outcomes for organizations of all sizes, from tech start-ups defending their IP to global automakers facing a class action. We use mediation, arbitration and eDiscovery technology, when appropriate, to increase efficiency and decrease cost. We are smart, resourceful, creative, driven, humble and always civil.
We are the external partner that feels like part of the in-house team. And clients never get just one of us -because behind every BLG advocate is the most powerful group of litigators and legal staff in Canada.
Founded in 1907, Harper Grey LLP is a Vancouver, BC based full-service law firm with a large and experienced commercial litigation group. Our firm has a long tradition of excellence and is one of the most well-established law firms in Western Canada.
Harper Grey’s litigators offer sharp insight and extensive expertise to ensure that matters are resolved efficiently and effectively either by agreement or through the courts. Our approach to dispute resolution begins with the premise that a matter will go to trial. The best litigation strategies anticipate every angle, twist and turn that may crop up if a dispute is argued before a judge and possibly a jury. Our lawyers strategize from the strongest possible position, regardless of whether the issues are resolved before or after court.
Harper Grey’s litigators have an exceptional reputation. They are committed to delivering the highest quality legal work and counsel and many of them are repeatedly recognized among the top practitioners in their areas of expertise by Benchmark Litigation, Best Lawyers in Canada, Chambers Canada and Lexpert.
Administrative Law: Public scrutiny over ethical issues for professionals has increased dramatically over the past several years. Harper Grey provides advice and assistance to professionals in their dealings with governance issues, ethical obligations and responsibilities, and represents them before a wider range of regulatory bodies.
Bankruptcy and Restructuring: Acting for individual and corporate debtors in financial difficulty, Harper Grey has the skill, insight and experience to resolve debt problems. The group also provides advice and representation to secured and unsecured creditors, receivers, liquidators, and trustees in bankruptcy.
Complex, Mass Tort and Class Actions: Complex claims that threaten a company’s survival present unique challenges, both in the courtroom and in the boardroom. Successful resolution of these claims therefore requires counsel who are not only effective as a courtroom advocate, but also have the necessary experience to provide sound strategic advice. Our lawyers have that experience and have handled some of Canada’s most significant, complex and challenging cases.
Commercial Litigation: This group has significant experience working with large corporations, medium-sized firms and owner-operated companies. Client needs served include: contractual disputes, shareholder disputes, including oppression remedies and derivative actions, securities litigation, real estate litigation, construction litigation, including builders’ liens actions, estate litigation, employment litigation, products liability litigation, enforcement of security, including foreclosures and debenture holders’ actions, and municipal disputes.
Construction Law: Harper Grey takes a practical approach to disputes arising from the construction industry, enabling effective solutions in matters such as allegations of professional negligence, professional disciplinary matters, contractual disputes, leaking condominium issues, commercial real estate disputes and risk management advice.
Environmental Law: Clients seek Harper Grey’s advice on a wide range of environmental issues from contaminated sites to sick building syndrome to cross-border disputes. Harper Grey has senior, experienced counsel who provide a practical approach to the most complex environmental matters, including cost recovery actions, directors’ and officers’ liability, property development and transactions, and environmental insurance coverage issues.
Health Law: Harper Grey is the leader in civil litigation defence for medical practitioners in British Columbia and has been involved in all leading litigation regarding the standard of medical care, medical products, litigation consent issues and limitation issues.
Insurance Law: Harper Grey works with insurance companies and their insureds in all areas of insurance law. Members of the group have developed specialized expertise in various areas, such as: professional errors and omissions, commercial and personal general liability, property damage, directors’ and officers’ liability, life and disability insurance, defamation, subrogation, sexual abuse claims, and transportation related issues.
Professional Liability Defence: Harper Grey has, for many years, been the recognized leader in the defence of professionals facing liability issues. They act for doctors, lawyers, accountants, architects and engineers. They also provide administrative law advice for professionals facing disciplinary action.
Real Estate Law: This cross-disciplinary team of experienced legal advisors, are deeply invested in the success of their clients. Balancing high-level technical expertise with business savvy real-world experience they deliver results relating to commercial real estate issues including acquisitions/dispositions, commercial leasing, property development and real estate dispute resolution.
Securities Regulation & Litigation: We represent securities clients whose reputation, ability to operate, and share value are seriously threatened. Broker dealers, investment advisors, mutual fund salespeople, brokerage firms, public companies, directors and officers rely on our lawyers to resolve their securities law issues fairly and efficiently. Our lawyers handle securities matters involving both civil and criminal law. We take an objective, pragmatic view of your best options, and rely on strong, respectful relationships with authorities to negotiate a solution.
Workplace Law: We help organizations and individuals resolve employment law issues in a way that minimizes risk to business operations and reputation. The lawyers in this group all practice business litigation and are very experienced in matters relating to workplace law, such as corporate finance, white collar crime, human rights insurance and directors and officers liability.
Kornfeld LLP | Kornfeld, Shapray & Partners, is a Vancouver - based boutique commercial and litigation firm that specializes in corporate and commercial work – transactional, litigation, arbitration, alternate dispute resolution and strategic advice.
The firm is known for dynamism, ingenuity and common sense, which, when matched by the wealth of the collective experience of our lawyers, results in timely, pragmatic solutions.
The firm’s clients range from entrepreneurs to major Canadian and US-based corporations. Our work frequently involves large, complex or high-profile disputes, and we routinely manage intricate, multi-party litigation and document-intensive cases.
Our lawyers have represented clients before all levels of court in British Columbia and Canada, as well as in Alberta, the Yukon, and Ontario.
Our disputes practice considers all available options in our goal to achieve a favourable resolution. As such, we are highly skilled in the art of negotiation and strategic positioning. Our expertise also extends to mediations and arbitrations.
The firm has come into existence from the merger of Shapray Cramer Fitterman Lamer LLP, formed in 1993 when Howard Shapray, KC, for many years the head of the litigation department of one of Vancouver’s leading firms, established an innovative and focused litigation boutique. Kornfeld LLP was formed in the same year by Neil Kornfeld, KC, with a focus on real estate development, acting for commercial and residential developers on the acquisition and redevelopment of noteworthy and unique sites in British Columbia. The two firms worked closely together, each developing sterling reputations for doing high quality, high stakes commercial work. For over three decades, lawyers at the two firms have provided expert advice and effective advocacy to B.C. entrepreneurs, developers, governments, financial institutions, and professional associations, as well as national and international entities.
Over time it became clear that the synergies and cultures of each firm accorded such that the strength in unity from a merger made perfect sense. The merger has increased the litigation department’s bench strength and capacity to handle large complex matters.
Shapray Cramer Fitterman Lamer LLP and Kornfeld LLP formally merged to become Kornfeld LLP | Kornfeld, Shapray & Partners effective Jan 1, 2022.
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