Guild Yule LLP traces its origins back to 1924. 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 March 2023
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 3700 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.
Updated March 2023
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
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