Eyford Partners is a preeminent British Columbia litigation boutique. With offices in Vancouver and Kelowna, our firm advises clients provincially, nationally, and internationally.
Our lawyers have been repeatedly recognized in Benchmark Litigation, Chambers Canada, Best Lawyers™, Litigation Counsel of America, Lexpert®, and other publications of note.
Eyford Partners pairs the best of big law— the readiness to take on complex mandates, the commitment to legal excellence—with highly responsive service. We are an agile boutique, attuned to the needs of our clients.
Our lawyers have a proven record of success in advancing and defending complex claims. We are adept at every level of the process, from negotiations through to trial and appeal. Should a dispute proceed to litigation, our litigators have extensive advocacy experience. We have appeared at every level of court in Canada, served as counsel in landmark decisions, and secured a reputation as litigators and appellate counsel that can deliver when it matters most.
Practice Areas:
Appeals & Judicial Review — Our firm includes appellate counsel who have made civil appeals their professional focus. The depth of our experience in appeals is unparalleled in British Columbia. Our firm is generally retained when matters proceed on appeal, and most frequently represents clients in the Court of Appeal for British Columbia challenging or defending decisions of the Supreme Court of British Columbia. Our lawyers have also appeared as counsel in the Supreme Court of Canada and judicial review proceedings from decision-makers such as municipal councils, regulators, and other administrative bodies.
Arbitration & Mediation — Our mediation and arbitration counsel have dedicated decades to honing their skills in this specialized area of law. Through creative problem-solving, we help clients to resolve disputes, preserve valuable relationships, and avoid costly trials. Our lawyers also regularly accept appointments as neutrals in arbitrated and mediated matters.
Business Disputes — From our offices in Vancouver and Kelowna, our commercial litigation lawyers provide strategic advocacy to clients, nationally and internationally. We have acted for a range of clients, from established global businesses to governments to entrepreneurs operating locally. While our goal is always to obtain a favourable resolution at the earliest opportune moment, we are more than prepared to advocate for our clients’ interests in court. We have appeared at every level of court in British Columbia—our record of success speaks for itself. Our litigators are highly sought out for their expertise in such complex areas as:
Class Actions: We represent defendants in proceedings involving medical and consumer products, deceptive/misleading marketing, and government and institutional negligence. We have the benefit of having acted for both defendants and plaintiff; this allows us to anticipate strategies employed by both sides.
Construction: We have a well-deserved reputation as problem-solvers. Our knowledge of closely related areas, such as construction insurance and surety bonds, and municipal law and expropriation, allows us to craft comprehensive solutions.
Employment: We advise businesses in B.C. and companies operating across Canada and internationally, helping them protect their commercial interests, their confidential information, and their public reputations.
Professional Regulation: We have developed in-depth experience in this specialized area, representing both professionals and regulatory bodies in many industries, including securities, legal, engineering, clergy, nursing, real estate, and healthcare.
Municipal Litigation & Expropriation — We have successfully represented property owners, including homeowners, developers, and farmers, as well as local and international businesses, local governments, and Crown corporations on a wide range of municipal and expropriation matters. Our lawyers have appeared as counsel at every level of court in British Columbia as well as the Supreme Court of Canada. They also frequently appear before City Councils and administrative tribunals, including Boards of Variance.
Indigenous Consultation & Reconciliation —We support First Nations, domestic and foreign business, and government clients with strategic counsel and advocacy by drawing on our extensive experience in negotiations and litigation. Our lawyers have acted as counsel in high-profile aboriginal litigation proceedings, led engagement with Aboriginal groups on the review and reform of comprehensive land claims policy, served as chief federal negotiators for the Government of Canada, and advised the Prime Minister of Canada about Aboriginal participation in the development of oil and natural gas pipelines.
Insurance — We defend liability claims brought against insurers and the insured in a wide variety of dynamic industries. Insurers can depend on our litigators for clear guidance in cases involving coverage disputes. We have appeared as counsel at every level of court and tribunal in British Columbia and our clients include both Canadian and internationally-based insurers in the US and the UK. International insurers know that they can depend on our skilled litigators to actively defend their interests in British Columbia.
Securities Regulation — Eyford Partners acts for public companies, directors, officers, brokerage firms, investment advisors, and mutual fund sales professionals in complex securities litigation in the courts and before regulatory bodies. Drawing on our years spent in leadership positions at regulatory authorities, we move decisively to protect our clients’ interests, ability to operate, and reputations from litigation and regulatory action. If engaged early on, we are often able to protect against a notice of hearing being issued by regulatory authorities, which—regardless of the final verdict—can be devastating to the professional reputations of market participants. We also counsel clients in responding to inquiries from regulatory authorities.
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.
Key Areas of Expertise:
Updated April 2024
As a leading business law firm, McMillan LLP serves public, private and not-for-profit clients across key industries in Canada, the United States and internationally. With recognized expertise and acknowledged leadership in major business sectors, we provide solutions-oriented legal advice through our offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa and Montréal.
To help organizations stay ahead, we provide exceptional industry insights in transportation, technology and technology transactions, infrastructure and construction, and natural resources and energy. Whether it’s a cross-border transaction, a complicated private equity deal, complex real estate financing, or a bet-the-company lawsuit or regulatory dispute, by fostering a supportive workplace culture, McMillan’s 300+ lawyers serve clients with excellence and responsiveness, delivering the real-time solutions they need.
Our firm values - respect, teamwork, commitment, client service and professional excellence - are at the heart of McMillan’s commitment to serve our clients, our local communities and the legal profession. Among other industry and professional accolades, we are proud to be named Canada’s Top 100 Employers 2024, one of only two law firms recognized in this prestigious competition.
About our Litigation & Dispute Resolution Group
With an impressive track record in domestic and cross-border litigation, McMillan’s lawyers are recognized for their creativity and effectiveness in bringing disputes to satisfactory conclusions, both inside and outside the courts. And with specialists in key areas such as competition, intellectual property, real estate, securities and others, our litigators always strive to deliver a complete solution—no matter the nature of your corporate or commercial disputes.
As experienced litigators, we always assess risk and opportunities before advising clients on the likelihood of success and helping them weigh their options. We also understand that litigation is not always the preferred option, and help clients pursue a full range of resolution avenues including early negotiated settlements and alternative dispute resolution methods. If we proceed to court, however, we are recognized for our ability to tenaciously advance our clients’ commercial interests.
Guild Yule LLP traces its origins back to 1926. For nearly 100 years we have maintained our reputation as a firm which offers the highest quality professional services. Known for our strength and experience in insurance coverage and defence, and related litigation matters, we work to maintain the values and standards set by earlier generations of counsel. We are comprised of a dynamic group of lawyers who practice law in a spirit of collegiality; proud of our past, committed to maintaining the trust of our clients, and continuing to earn the respect of our peers.
In addition to Benchmark Litigation, our work has earned us peer recognition in Lexpert, Martindale Hubbell and Best Lawyers in Canada publications.
We have considerable experience in a wide range of areas of litigation including the following:
Updated April 2024