Lawson Lundell LLP > Vancouver, Canada > Firm Profile

Lawson Lundell LLP > The Legal 500 Rankings

Canada > Dispute resolution: British Columbia Tier 2

The 47-strong British Columbia team at Lawson Lundell LLP counts commercial litigation, securities litigation class action defence, shareholder disputes and environmental and Indigenous disputes among its core strengths. The department is also regularly engaged in contentious constitutional and public law, climate change, construction, defamation, insurance, product liability and natural resources affairs. Practice head Laura Bevan leads the group, which fields offices in both Vancouver and Kelowna. Vancouver-based Craig Ferris KC is well-versed in shareholder remedies, trust, pension and fiduciary disputes, securities and transactional litigation, product liability, mining disputes and real estate litigation; he is routinely instructed by mining, finance, retail, communications and manufacturing-sector clients.

Energy and natural resources > Mining

With offices throughout British Columbia, Calgary and the Northwest Territories, Lawson Lundell LLP harnesses regional strength to advise major international mining companies on high-value M&A and project development in jurisdictions around the globe. The practice’s full service also covers mining finance, permitting, mine construction, mining infrastructure, litigation and tax, labour and environmental matters. The Vancouver-led team is headed by Khaled Abdel-Barr, who manages complex joint ventures, strategic alliances and royalty and streaming agreements, and Karen MacMillan, who provides expertise in the ownership and development of major projects. Other key figures include Stuart Breen, who brings over 25 years of experience in the practice space, and Michael Li, a specialist in corporate governance and securities regulatory matters. All lawyers mentioned work in the Vancouver office.

Energy and natural resources > Power Tier 2

A go-to power group in Western Canada, Lawson Lundell LLP’s activity also extends into Northern Canada and the Western US. The group’s geographical focus is reflected in a client list that includes major regional utilities (BC Hydro and TransAlta), as well as developers, Crown Corporations and local governments, among others. In Vancouver, regulatory litigation head Jeff Christian is highly regarded for his premier track record in energy regulation; notably, he is the relationship partner for BC Hydro. Additionally, Clara Ferguson, who specializes in public utility regulation and power, and transactional partner Lana Shipley are recommended in Vancouver. In Calgary, senior counsel Lewis Manning and Shailaz Dhalla are noted.

Canada > Indigenous law Tier 2

The practice at Lawson Lundell LLP shows particular strength in the natural resource segment, including mining projects, oil sands projects, transportation and shipping infrastructure projects, in addition to liquefied natural gas projects. The team is routinely instructed by government agencies, Aboriginal governments and corporate clients. Practice co-head Keith Bergner leads from Vancouver and specializes in advising both private and public sector clients, as well as government agencies, on Indigenous law and regulatory matters. Alongside him, John Olynyk co-leads from Calgary and focuses on environmental regulatory and Indigenous law matters. Vancouver-based partner Lana Shipley is noted for her activity on corporate and commercial energy matters.

Canada > Pensions Tier 2

Lawson Lundell LLP‘s Vancouver-based practice specializes in providing guidance on complex pension and benefit matters to both private and public-sector clients. The group is well-versed in establishing, governing, managing and terminating pension and employee benefits plans, routinely servicing clients located in British Columbia, Ontario, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Murray Campbell steers the practice and has focused his practice on the reorganization and modernization of pension and benefit plans, as well as providing strategic direction on pension and benefit litigation matters. Partner Meghan Popp advises on both single employer plans and multi-employer plans across a range of sectors.

Energy and natural resources > Oil and gas Tier 3

Lawson Lundell LLP’s focus on the British Columbia, Alberta and Northern Canada markets is reflected in its activity across a diverse mix of energy matters. Among its industry strong suits, the group’s broad experience spans conventional oil and gas, oil sands, shale gas, and transport-related matters, while its comprehensive practice scope encompasses regulation, operational issues and corporate deals. Paul Negenman is recommended for his transactional practice and co-heads the department together with John Olynyk, who specializes in energy regulation, environmental law and Indigenous law — both are based in Calgary.

Canada > Environment Tier 3

Distinguished by its record in resource development-related matters, Lawson Lundell LLP’s environmental law group is noted for its ability to provide seamless project support to domestic and multinational clients on regulatory, environmental and Indigenous law issues. Particularly recognized for its extensive expertise in mining-related work, the group’s recent engagements additionally span the forestry, agriculture, aquaculture, energy, transportation, manufacturing and real estate spheres, among others. Vancouver-based Brad Armstrong and Calgary-based John Olynyk co-head the department. Other key names include Vancouver’s Christine Kowbel and Calgary-based next-generation partner Shailaz Dhalla.

Canada > Labour and employment Tier 3

The labour and employment practice at Vancouver-headquartered Lawson Lundell LLP is noted for its handling of occupational health and safety matters, collective bargaining, wrongful dismissals, employment standards, employment equity and pension and benefits litigation. The group is frequently instructed by clients in the mining, retail, manufacturing, food and forestry segments. Practice head Robert Sider KC focuses on labour and employment aspects of commercial transactions, as well as litigation and arbitration; Nicole Skuggedal specializes in arbitration and contracts work. Deborah Cushing deals with a range of advisory labour matters, while Ryan Berger majors on litigation.

Canada > Corporate and M&A Tier 4

The team at Lawson Lundell LLP brings strength to M&A, corporate finance and securities, corporate governance, fund formations and pension fund transactions, across such sectors as tech, mining, forestry, energy, financial services, manufacturing, transport and real estate. The practice is led in Vancouver by Valerie Mann, who heads the firm’s technology law practice and acts for private equity and venture capital funds; Jagdeep Shergill, an expert in pension plans; Greg Hollingsworth, who draws on a taxation and accounting background, and David Allard, a specialist in corporate reorganizations and restructurings and regulatory and stock exchange compliance. Other key figures include Andrew Robertson, whose transactional experience spans such industries as insurance and food and beverages, and Jack Yong, the leader of the Vancouver office’s Asia Pacific Group. All the lawyers mentioned work in Vancouver.

Canada > Dispute resolution: Alberta Tier 4

Lawson Lundell LLP's Calgary office is noted for its disputes offering, which encompasses shareholder disputes, insolvency, indigenous law, employment, property, tax and commercial litigation. Energy, telecoms, real estate and tech companies regularly feature on the 20-strong group’s client roster. Shannon Hayes heads up the practice and is well-versed in contractual and business tort disputes within the energy, electricity and oil and gas sectors, both before the courts and in arbitration.

Canada > Real estate Tier 4

The Vancouver-based real estate practice at Lawson Lundell LLP acts for institutional and private investors, contractors, developers and government agencies, across such sectors as gaming, hospitality and retail, on a diverse spectrum of matters ranging from acquisitions & divestments, development, financing and leasing to litigation, tax, Indigenous law and environmental issues. Peter Tolensky, who leads the team, brings over 20 years of experience and assists utility, mining and pipeline companies, pension funds and a wide range of private entities, in addition to negotiating retail, office and industrial leases for landlords and tenants.

Canada > Tax Tier 4

The group at Lawson Lundell LLP is best known for representing Canada-based institutional investors, including pension plans, on tax matters. It also routinely handles the tax structuring of business acquisitions and divestments, corporate reorganizations, public securities offerings and litigation. Partners Leonard Glass and Reinhold Krahn specialize in transactional matters and co-lead from Vancouver. Nancy Diep of the Calgary office focuses primarily on the tax aspects of cross-border M&A and reorganizations.