British Columbia

Firm overview

Miller Thomson LLP is one of Canada’s leading national business law firms with close to 550 lawyers. We consistently deliver the highest quality advisory and advocacy skills and expertise required by international clients doing business in Canada. We have more Canadian locations than any other national firm, allowing our lawyers to provide our clients with valuable local knowledge. More specifically, with offices in Montreal, Markham, Vaughan, Toronto, Kitchener-Waterloo, Guelph, London, Regina, Saskatoon, Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver, we are uniquely positioned to provide ‘on the ground’ insight and knowledge from the country’s key economic hubs, and under both the common law and civil law systems in Canada.

Miller Thomson’s national advocacy practice comprises close to 200 litigators, organized around a comprehensive range of sub-specialties. Our expertise covers complex commercial litigation, class actions, construction litigation, environmental litigation, insurance defence, IP litigation, securities litigation, shareholder disputes, tax litigation, insolvency, and labour & employment disputes, among other areas of litigation support. The national group has extensive experience acting for a wide range of clients in all industry segments in trial proceedings, court applications, arbitrations and appeals at the provincial and federal levels. These clients range from sole proprietorships and individuals to some of the largest and most recognized national and international corporations operating in Canada.

Our litigators look for opportunities for efficient and expedient dispute resolutions. In this regard, our litigators are experienced in mediation and arbitration proceedings of all types, whether required as part of the litigation process or undertaken pursuant to an agreement with the other side to a dispute. 

The Group also draws on the firm’s discovery capabilities. Our litigators adopt procedures to drive greater case management and discovery efficiency, thereby mitigating the resource intensive, often costly document production phase of litigation.   

We have extensive experience acting for clients in litigation concerning:

• Commercial contracts 
• Class actions 
• Constitutional challenges
• Employment and human rights 
• Real property disputes
• Environmental 
• Tax
• Antitrust
• Tort law
• Civil or extra contractual liability 
• Construction contracts, liens, claims
• Patent and trademark infringement
• Insolvency
• Professional liability claims
• Products liability claims 
• Defamation
• Injunctions
• Interim orders and other relief sought on an urgent basis
• Shareholder disputes
• Securities
• Regulatory
• Disciplinary
• Penal and criminal
• Directors’ and officers’ liability
• Breach of fiduciary obligations

Updated March 2021

Firm overview

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. Last year, we 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.

Bruce Reynolds and Sharon Vogel were also co-counsel to the Ontario Government preparing a report and guiding the legislative drafting of Ontario’s Construction Act. As such, they are uniquely positioned to advise clients on the effects of the new Act.

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, and Stanford University. We are keenly interested in education as it relates to our practices and the development of future experts in law.

Firm overview

Hunter Litigation Chambers has been consistently recognized as one of the premier firms in British Columbia practicing in the field of dispute resolution. The senior counsel have developed their reputations as leading litigation and arbitration counsel during their respective tenures at some of Canada’s leading corporate/commercial law firms. Randy Kaardal Q.C., Bill Smart, Q.C., Michael Stephens, Mark Oulton, Brent Olthuis, Claire Hunter, Q.C., and Ryan Dalziel, Q.C. have consistently been identified in peer-reviewed publications as leading counsel in various litigation-related categories. Bill Smart Q.C. is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, and both he and Brent Olthuis are Fellows of the International Society of Barristers. Randy Kaardal, Q.C. and Claire Hunter, Q.C. are both Fellows of the Litigation Counsel of America.

The firm’s experience is enhanced by Associate Counsel Martin Taylor, Q.C., one of Canada’s leading counsel and adjudicators over the past 40 years.

Hunter Litigation Chambers has the depth and capability to handle the full range of commercial litigation, arbitration, product liability, aboriginal, administrative, labour and employment, public law litigation, and criminal and quasi-criminal matters. In addition to their trial level practice, counsel from the firm appear regularly in the British Columbia Court of Appeal, Supreme Court of Canada, and in the federal courts, including the Federal Court of Appeal and Tax Court of Canada. Our senior lawyers are experienced appellate counsel and often provide specialized appellate services to lawyers whose practices are primarily at the trial level.

The firm embraces a strong commitment to professional and academic excellence with many of its lawyers having clerked for justices of the superior courts of Canada, including the Supreme Court of Canada.

Commercial Litigation is a primary practice area for Hunter Litigation Chambers. All of the counsel in the firm practice in this area. In addition to the experience of our senior lawyers, our junior and intermediate counsel are developing strong reputations as competent and creative commercial counsel. The firm is able to assemble a team capable of handling commercial matters of any size and complexity.

Class Actions – Michael Stephens, Brent Olthuis and Claire Hunter, Q.C. have extensive experience in the field.

Products Liability – Counsel from Hunter Litigation Chambers have a history  of handling a variety of complex products liability matters involving failed or allegedly dangerous products. Our cases have involved aircraft components, oil field equipment, machinery, roofing materials and motor vehicles. In addition, we have acted for
pharmaceutical companies and handled cases involving allegedly defective medical devices and other allegedly dangerous products including tobacco.

Arbitration – Randy Kaardal, Q.C. and Michael Stephens have acted as arbitration counsel in several commercial matters and also as litigation counsel in cases arising out of arbitration proceedings, including the leading case on judicial review of arbitral decisions.

Administrative and Public Law – The firm has a diverse public law practice, which includes acting for and against provincial and federal administrative tribunals and ministries in judicial review proceedings, administrative appeals, marketing board proceedings, constitutional challenges, and permit hearings.

Randy Kaardal Q.C., Michael Stephens and Ryan Dalziel, Q.C. have broad experience in administrative and public law disputes and representing public bodies and professional regulatory tribunals. They have extensive experience before administrative tribunals and courts in judicial review proceedings. Michael Stephens is an annual contributor to the Continuing Legal Education’s Annual Review of Law and Practice in the area of Administrative Law. Claire Hunter, Q.C. has an active marketing board practice and has acted in a wide variety of legal challenges to administrative decisions. Randy Kaardal, Q.C., Bill Smart Q.C., and Brent Olthuis have experience practicing before professional regulatory tribunals, including representation of both professional associations and their members

Aboriginal Law – Counsel from Hunter Litigation Chambers have been in the forefront of the development of a body of Aboriginal Law in British Columbia, representing industry and government in responding to claims of Aboriginal rights and title.

Forestry Law – Mark Oulton heads the forestry law practice at Hunter Litigation Chambers. Mr. Oulton regularly represents licensees and other companies and individuals in matters before the Forest Appeals Commission, the British Columbia Supreme Court, and the British Columbia Court of Appeal.

Labour and Employment Law – The firm’s labour and employment practice is headed by Randy Kaardal Q.C. who has over 25 years of experience handling labour and employment matters. The labour and employment practice is supported by Paul Heisler, who has over 10 years of experience handling all matters arising in the labour and employment field. Mr. Kaardal and Mr. Heisler, together with a talented group of associates, have been counsel on many of the leading decisions in British Columbia related to employment law, labour law, and human rights law. The firm’s labour and employment practice is broad-based, dealing with the full spectrum of issues arising out of the employment relationship in both union and non-union environments.

Criminal and Regulatory Law – Hunter Litigation Chambers has developed a broad-based criminal law and regulatory practice that includes prosecutions under the Criminal Code as well as various other federal and provincial statutes and regulations. The firm is also retained from time to time by the Crown to act on its behalf. Bill Smart, Q.C. has over 35 years of experience appearing in trial courts on criminal law and regulatory cases and has been a member of faculty of the Federation of Law Societies National Criminal Law Program for the last 30 years. Brent Olthuis also appears regularly in criminal cases in all levels of court in the province.


Last updated Jan 2021

Firm overview

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. Over the years, 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 legal and regulatory challenges and opportunities. Mutual respect and independent thought are cornerstones of client and colleague interactions. Bennett Jones is proud to have been recognized for 19 consecutive years as one of Canada’s Best Employers.

Last updated March 2021