Singleton Urquhart Reynolds Vogel LLP is a Canadian law firm with offices in both Vancouver and Toronto. Since our beginnings, we have grown to a team of nearly 70 lawyers and over 100 employees. We have expanded into the Toronto market, merging our well-known and respected Vancouver practice with the practices of senior commercial litigation and senior construction and infrastructure lawyers in Toronto. This combination of geography and experience formed a powerful national platform from which to better serve our clients across the country.
We offer an extensive range of legal services in the areas of construction and infrastructure, commercial litigation, commercial real estate, corporate commercial, insurance defense, professional liability, product liability, workplace law, and business immigration.
Our core area of practice is construction and infrastructure law, with over half of the lawyers in the firm focused on this area. Our construction lawyers are recognized practitioners, litigators, solicitors, and engineers who have a wealth of experience to draw on.
We have a strong history of assisting clients with a variety of projects nationwide. We work on all matters in our space including large-scale infrastructure, institutional, industrial, and commercial projects such as highways, railways, tunnels, pipelines, mines, industrial facilities, schools and other education facilities, hospitals, manufacturing plants, commercial buildings, and condominiums.
A Client Focused Approach
At Singleton Urquhart Reynolds Vogel LLP we have developed our firm with a fundamental understanding that our clients deserve exceptional legal service that is delivered in a manner that is honest, creative, clear, relatable, flexible, and cost effective.
We provide solutions customized to our clients’ needs in various sectors including education, healthcare, government, and industry. We help our clients seize emerging opportunities and find solutions to complex legal problems.
Our lawyers have an impeccable sense of the challenges that can arise within their areas of expertise and are committed to working together collaboratively across disciplines to find the best solutions for our clients.
Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
Canada is leading the world in terms of diversity, inclusion and pluralism. It is a strength that unifies our country and its people, and strengthens business relationships creating opportunities for success.
At Singleton Urquhart Reynolds Vogel LLP, we are committed to fostering a culture of diversity, inclusion and pluralism in the workplace that embraces the unique backgrounds, perspectives, experiences, and talents of individuals at all levels of the firm to ensure that we represent the communities we serve in Canada.
As the firm continues to grow, we are committed to consistently improving our diversity and inclusion policies to ensure they continue to reflect the culture and values of our employees and clients.
Community Involvement and Pro Bono Work
Beyond our commitment to our staff and our clients, our firm is also committed to the communities in which we have been able to grow and thrive. In that regard, we as a firm, and our individual members, are involved in a variety of community-oriented organizations.
We also encourage our lawyers to get involved with pro bono work by offering each lawyer credits every year for time spent providing legal services on pro bono files that reflect their individual interests and commitments.
Our lawyers have participated over the years as instructors of various courses taught at the University of Toronto, the University of British Columbia, the University of Melbourne, and Stanford University. We are keenly interested in education as it relates to our practices and the development of future experts in law.
Key Areas of Expertise:
Updated April 2024
A Tradition of Excellence
Farris is a leading Canadian law firm with offices in Vancouver, Kelowna, and Victoria, B.C. Our full-service firm represents some of the largest public and private institutions and corporations in the province, offering versatile and innovative approaches for over 100 years. Farris has been consistently rated one of Vancouver’s leading corporate and litigation law firms.
Farris provides timely, creative and practical representation backed by tremendous local knowledge and experience. Since the firm was established in 1903 it has been involved in many of the province’s leading cases. Today its broad and dynamic litigation practice not only retains its traditional high profile but continues to lead the development of the law in newer areas such as social media, public-private partnerships, and alternative dispute resolution. Farris counsel are consistently recognized as leaders in their field. This extends not only to its senior counsel but also to its deep roster of other litigation partners who are recognized as “stars” and “future stars” in their own right.
Farris’ success has only one true measure: the success of the clients that it serves, and to that end, Farris litigators are driven by a tradition of doing the very best that can be done to serve their clients’ interests, on any time frame for which the clients’ situation calls. This is a high performance law firm serving a diverse client base ranging from individuals to some of the largest public institutions and private corporations in British Columbia. It balances a strong regional and national presence with an expanding international practice that includes U.S., European, and Asia-Pacific based Clients.
Farris’ litigation group has significant and extensive experience in all areas of litigation and the firm’s lawyers appear regularly in all BC courts, the Federal Court of Canada, and the Supreme Court of Canada. They also regularly appear in commercial and labour arbitrations as well as before a wide range of administrative tribunals including the BC Securities Commission, the BC Utilities Commission and many others. In addition, they advise on cross-border litigation, conduct a thriving international trade practice, and on occasion act for clients in other provincial superior courts.
Farris lawyers have helped to shape the legal profession in British Columbia and beyond. They regularly publish and teach on matters of advocacy, civil procedure and arbitration practice as well as on matters specifically related to the subject areas in which they practice. Their cases have set precedents followed by future generations in BC and elsewhere.
The Firm’s experience includes trial and appellate advocacy in the following areas:
Bennett Jones is consistently recognized for its expertise in domestic and cross-border litigation. The firm is known for its uncompromising strength in the areas of competition and antitrust, securities, class actions, energy, commercial, intellectual property, fraud, construction, restructuring/insolvency, employment, health, and professional negligence litigation and has prominent practitioners in alternate dispute resolution, including international commercial arbitration. We are committed to working with our clients to develop an effective and cost-efficient strategy to identify and achieve their unique goals in the prosecution and defense of business disputes.
With more than 100 lawyers practicing commercial litigation nationally, Bennett Jones litigators have significant experience in all aspects of dispute resolution, and have leading reputations before courts and tribunals. We represent some of Canada's largest corporations, including energy producers, and technology and telecommunications companies, and are skilled in conducting commercial arbitrations, including those involving issues in the oil and gas, mining and construction industries. Our litigation practice is supported by the considerable strength of our appellate advocacy and judicial review practice which provides clients and referring counsel with specialized and strategic advice on all aspects of cases on appeal or under judicial review.
We are frequently retained by major domestic and international corporations in the defense of class actions. Representing parties at every stage of the lawsuit, from pre-certification motions and applications through to trial, we bring to each phase coordinated strategies and effective communications to streamline the litigation process. We also advise clients on mitigating their class action risk and proactively monitor trends in prospective class action developments.
Recognizing that many disputes are settled prior to trial, our commercial and technical expertise provides another valuable set of skills to the negotiation and settlement of litigation. Our team approach ensures that we provide the most timely, effective and innovative support to our clients. Our lawyers' reputations, contributions to Canadian case law, and distinguished history of service have resulted in top rankings in all major legal directories for many of our litigators, in a multitude of litigation practice areas.
Firm Culture:
Bennett Jones reflects the integrity and professional excellence of the firm’s Founding Partners. After more than 100 years of service, the firm has produced some of Canada’s most accomplished legal and business leaders, fostering values that established it as one of Canada’s most successful business law firms. The firm prides itself on offering clients innovative, strategic and forward-thinking approaches to their most complex legal and regulatory challenges and opportunities. Bennett Jones promotes a diverse and inclusive work environment where mutual respect and independent thought lead client and colleague interactions. Bennett Jones is proud to have been recognized for 23 consecutive years as one of Canada’s Best Employers.
Updated April 2024
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.
Updated Feb 2023