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, QC, 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, QCwith 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 reputationsfor doing high quality, high stakes commercial work. For nearly 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 2023
We are a new litigation boutique that formed in 2023. Our lawyers are experienced litigators who are well-known and well-regarded. We appear as counsel at all levels of court and are regularly recognized by industry publications as leading counsel with broad experience and expertise. We take pride in bringing our experience, judgment, research skills and strong work ethic to each and every brief we take.
We provide skillful advocacy and strategic counsel both in and out of the courtroom in the following areas:
Our expertise and judgment is drawn from experience resolving disputes across multiple industries and sectors, both in court and alternative dispute resolution forums. The result for our clients is responsive, effective and practical legal representation.
Updated April 2024
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP is a global law firm. The firm provides the world’s preeminent corporations and financial institutions with a full business law service. The firm has more than 3000 lawyers and other legal staff based in more than 50 cities across Europe, the United States, Canada, Latin America, Asia, Australia, the Middle East and Africa.
Litigation:
The firm’s global litigation and disputes lawyers advise many of the world’s largest corporations and financial institutions on complex, high-value and sensitive multi-jurisdictional disputes. With more than 50 offices across the globe, the firm has one of the largest disputes legal practices in the world, with significant experience resolving domestic and cross-border mandates, international arbitrations and investigations and enforcement for clients across all the key industry sectors, including financial institutions; energy, infrastructure and resources; transport; technology; life sciences and healthcare; and consumer markets.
The firm’s lawyers both prevent and resolve disputes by providing clients with practical, creative legal advice that focuses on their strategic and commercial objectives. The firm’s experience includes the full spectrum of dispute resolution and litigation mechanisms ranging from negotiation, mediation, conciliation and conflict resolution to vigorous courtroom strategy, multi-party and class action lawsuits and appellate proceedings. The firm have acted on some of the world’s highest profile domestic and multijurisdictional investigations, including high-profile regulatory inquiries, regulatory enforcement, criminal investigations and prosecutions, and related civil disputes and litigation. The firm is experienced in advising on risk and public relations issues in the context of legal disputes.
The firm have a unique offering of ‘on the ground’ strength, advising clients on disputes issues across emerging markets, including Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Latin America, together with deep experience in the mature markets of the United States, Europe, Australia and Canada. Members of the team offer fluent capabilities in more than 20 languages across the globe.
As a key component of the firm’s disputes practice, its global practice support team provides clients consistent and proven methodology for complying with document preservation and production requirements throughout the course of disputes, assisting in developing case strategies and priorities while managing and reducing costs for clients.
Nathanson, Schachter & Thompson LLP is consistently recognized as one of Canada’s leading litigation and dispute resolution firms.
Established to provide trial, appellate, and alternative dispute resolution advocacy at the highest level to clients facing complex disputes, NST has carefully expanded its team which includes leading counsel at all levels, including five King’s Counsel and the next generation of top-ranked partners: James C. MacInnis, K.C., Mark S. Oulton, Karen L.M. Carteri, Peter R. Senkpiel and Julia K. Lockhart. The firm also boasts a group of associates made up of former clerks and gold medalists.
NST’s partners are ranked as leading practitioners in Lexpert, Best Lawyers, Chambers and Partners, and Benchmark. NST was again selected as one of Canada’s Top 10 Civil Litigation Boutiques by Canadian Lawyer in 2022 and was included in the Globe and Mail’s list of Canada’s Best Law firms in 2021 and 2022. In addition to its work for clients, the firm’s lawyers serve as adjunct professors at the Allard School of Law (UBC); write chapters in texts on Business Torts, Government Liability, and the Annual Review of Law and Practice; frequently speak at continuing legal education events; and co-author the annual British Columbia Supreme Court Rules Annotated, and The Civil Appeal Handbook.
The firm acts regularly in some of British Columbia and Canada’s most significant cases across the full range of commercial matters, including contract disputes, shareholders’ disputes, securities and oppression claims, real estate development and property disputes, hostile take-over bids and derivative actions, administrative proceedings, actions for professional negligence, defamation actions and employment disputes, class actions and representative proceedings, forestry, resources and mining claims. NST’s clients include successful private and public companies, many of whom are referred to us by leading Canadian and international law firms.
Representative Work: A few of the firm’s practice areas and representative cases include:
Recent Commercial/Civil Disputes: In Concord Pacific Acquisitions Inc. v. Oei, the firm successfully defended a claim in excess of $350 million brought by Concord Pacific against the three named defendants, including renowned Singaporean businessman, Hong Leong Oei. In Wastech Ltd. v. GVS&DD, 2021 SCC 7, NST partners Irwin Nathanson K.C. and Julia Lockhart acted for Metro Vancouver in a case with important implications for all contracts that provide one party with discretionary powers, building on the Supreme Court of Canada’s decisions in Bhasin. In Great Canadian Gaming Corporation v. British Columbia Lottery Corporation, the firm represented Great Canadian in a $35 million commercial dispute, achieving settlement on the eve of a nine week trial. NST acted on behalf of the Vancouver Aquarium in Ocean Wise Conservation Association v. Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation in a dispute regarding breach of contract and municipal law relating to animals in captivity. NST is also currently acting in two high profile civil forfeiture matters.
In addition, Murray Clemens K.C. actively arbitrates and mediates a wide variety of commercial disputes.
Forestry and Resources: This year, NST has welcomed leading litigator Mark Oulton to the partnership. Mark has extensive experience at trial, on appeal, and before administrative tribunals in a range of commercial litigation and administrative law matters, with a particular focus on forestry and commercial disputes. Mark is recognized as a leading practitioner of forestry law in British Columbia and nationally, by Lexpert and Chambers Canada, as well as being recognized by Best Lawyers in the area of natural resources law. NST recently acted in a matter involving the Mineral Tenure Act, Skeena Resources Ltd. v. Mill, 2022 BCSC 1360 and 2022 BCSC 2032, which contributes to the limited jurisprudence on the issue of title to mine tailings under the province’s Mineral Tenure Act, and addresses the proper scope of participation by both public interest interveners and administrative decision-makers.
Insolvency and Restructuring: NST also has an active bankruptcy and insolvency practice headed by Peter Reardon. Peter has been twice recognized by Best Lawyers Canada as Lawyer of the Year for Insolvency and Restructuring in Vancouver, including for 2020 and regularly acts for trustees, receivers, financial institutions and other creditors as well as for debtors and other stakeholders in restructuring, insolvency and bankruptcy matters.
Human Rights Law: In 2020 and 2021, Karen Carteri acted pro bono for a group of families seeking visitation rights for loved ones in long term care during the pandemic. In 2019, Peter Senkpiel acted for an intervenor, the Canadian Professional Association for Transgender Health, before the BCCA in A.B. v. C.D.
Property Disputes: NST regularly acts for major property developers in development and project and land interest disputes, and in other property related claims and disputes. In a recent arbitration, the firm successfully acted for a partner in a dispute relating to partnership interests in and valuation of a property development involving lands worth over $100 million.
Recognition:
Updated March 2023