British Columbia

Firm overview

Founded in 1907, Harper Grey LLP is a mid-size Vancouver, BC based business and litigation law firm. They have a long tradition of excellence, are one of the most well-established law firms in BC and are ranked by Canadian Lawyer Magazine as one of the top ten regional firms in Western Canada.

Harper Grey has an exceptional reputation. They are committed to delivering the highest quality legal work and counsel and many of their lawyers are recognized among the top practitioners in their areas of expertise by Benchmark Litigation, Best Lawyers in Canada, Chambers Canada and Lexpert.

At Harper Grey, you’ll find 85 lawyers advising across 23 practice areas helping clients navigate complex legal issues by providing transactional and business advice, litigation and dispute resolution services. Their size and diversity of practice allows them to represent a broad spectrum of clients including private individuals, large institutional organizations, emerging businesses and mature companies spanning a range of industries.

Harper Grey’s global reach is extended through their membership in the TAGLaw legal network, giving their clients access to top regional firms and expertise in jurisdictions around the world.

MAIN AREAS OF PRACTICE

Business Law: The Harper Grey Business Law Group advises individuals and international, national and regional corporations and other business entities in a broad range of business and investment areas. Their transactional experience includes: business acquisitions, corporate reorganizations, mergers and acquisitions, secured transactions, commercial and residential conveyancing, real estate development, and leasing. The lawyers in this group bring a wealth of experience and knowledge and are passionate about providing counsel, guidance and creative and practical solutions to start-ups, emerging and also mature companies to help them achieve their objectives. Several lawyers are also experienced in the area of wills and estates, serving clients and beneficiaries who may or may not reside in British Columbia.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Bankruptcy and Insolvency: 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.

Canadian Insurance Law Blog: www.canadianinsurancelawblog.com

Canadian Environmental Law Blog – www.canadianenvironmentallawblog.com

Workplace Law Strategies Blog – www.workplacelawstrategiesblog.com

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

Firm overview

Founded in Vancouver in 1979, Whitelaw Twining started as a small, boutique law firm with three partners. Since the beginning, we’ve pushed beyond standard litigation to find progressive, creative solutions for our clients.

Culture: Driven, progressive, creativewe don’t settle for how things have always been done. We’re doing away with traditional law firm hierarchies, choosing collaboration over competition and balance over burnout. From support staff to senior partners, we work side-by-side, sharing successes as a team.

Approach: We work closely with every client to determine their needs and find the most efficient and effective resolution. We think outside the box, finding creative solutions that improve cycle times, and we share updates every step along the way. With an eye on data and analytics, we are continually improving our processes to give you the best service possible.

Expertise: When it comes to litigation, we don’t do one-size-fits allwe are industry leaders in 27 areas of law. We have a deep understanding of what makes each sector unique, allowing us to specialize our services and achieve the best results possible.   

Offices: We are headquartered in downtown Vancouver, BC with locations in Surrey, Victoria, and Calgary, AB. Our spaces are designed to be open, collaborative and inspiringand we all share the view.

Last updated March 2020