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Western Canada is at an exciting juncture driven by its localized law firms, based across the region, which are embedded in the communities they serve. This equips them with an insight and understanding that the larger, national firms cannot match.
Due to the sterling work of these progressive local firms, the legal landscape across Western Canada is becoming more inclusive, embracing the future with AI, and continually working on truth and reconciliation with regard to Indigenous communities.
The Top Western Law Firms recognized by Canadian Lawyer are vital to ensure access to justice and advocacy for all in the region.
Their efforts are brought even more into focus by a 2024 Access to Justice report by the Law Society of Yukon, which found that Yukon residents face many barriers to accessing legal services.
A Private Bar Survey participant stated, “The shortage of private civil litigation lawyers has been the case for almost 10 years and is not getting better. It is difficult to parse out the cause of this situation, but it is affecting access to justice and the vitality of the Yukon bar.”
The region is also raising legal standards by constructing a framework for future prosperity. In April 2024, it was confirmed that the Law Societies of Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan had agreed on the Western Canada Competency Profile (WCCP).
While yet to be implemented, the WCCP aims to inform lawyer training and education, including bar admission program development and experiential learning opportunities in the coming years. It is part of a drive to ensure the industry is equipped to embrace the future, and also highlights how Western Canada’s localized firms are leading the industry forward by appreciating the needs of the communities they serve.
The Law Society of BC’s president for 2023, Christopher A. McPherson, KC highlighted in his organization’s annual report key issues such as:
the government’s single legal regulator legislation
truth and reconciliation
improving mental health in the profession
addressing money laundering risks
Data shows that BC’s legal sector has become more inclusive across gender, sexuality, and ethnic metrics, undoubtedly improving the service offered across the board.
This raising of standards is also a focus in Alberta, where the Law Society has completed its first 12-months operating its Continuing Professional Developed (CPD) tool, giving lawyers across the province the freedom to choose the CPD topics that interest them.
The Law Society of Alberta’s CEO, Elizabeth J. Osler, KC, underlined the focus on “the increasing need for regulatory reform” and remaining committed to responding to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action in a thoughtful and collaborative way”.
The organization has a strategic plan for 2024–26 with three goals:
effective regulation
competence
public confidence
Alberta has also ensured that the profession is more equitable and inclusive.
Leah Kosokowsky, the Law Society of Alberta’s CEO, stated in the Law Society’s 2024 report that there was a focus on initiatives to “enhance and maintain the competence of the profession, to improve access to legal services, to improve diversity, equity and inclusion within the profession, and to build awareness and connections with the public whose interest we are mandated to protect”.
CL’s 2024–25 Top Western Firms are at the nexus of this widespread movement driving the legal industry to new heights across the region because of their ability to serve their clients. The CL research team analyzed the qualitative results alongside feedback from respected senior members of the bar and Lexpert peer survey results, where applicable.
Full-service firms that had offices only in Alberta, British Columbia, and the Northern Territories and offered a wide range of legal services qualified. From a long list of candidates provided and given the option to add a firm not on the list, the nominees were ranked from 1 to 10, with first-place votes earning 10 points, and points decreasing by one up to one point for a 10th-place vote.
The total points determined the rankings, enabling CL to identify the Top Western Firms based on regional service coverage, client base, notable mandates, service excellence, and legal expertise.
The full-service firm founded in 1903 has built an enduring culture of excellence. It remains one of the few large, independent firms in British Columbia, backed by a team of about 100 lawyers and 150 staff and legal professionals.
“We want to bring excellence to everything we do,” says managing partner Bo Rothstein, who joined the firm 18 years ago on the strength of the firm’s reputation for having the top corporate lawyers and litigators in the province. “Those prominent lawyers modelled that we wanted to be at the centre of the most interesting, complicated commercial transactions and litigation, and that permeates through our culture and what we want to continue doing today.”
As a Top Western Firm, Farris LLP excels on the corporate and litigation sides, supported by a wide range of subspecialties, including securities, real estate, tax, and banking on the corporate side, as well as general commercial litigation, labour and employment, family law, estates, and tax litigation.
While maintaining considerable corporate development and commercial litigation departments, Farris LLP directs resources to family law, wills and estates, and other areas less commonly pursued by national or international firms.
Survey respondents praised the firm due to:
“Strong, practical corporate and commercial advice”
“Specialized big firm service with a small firm personality”
“Excellent client service and in-depth knowledge of the law”
“[Being] a top firm for a very long time”
According to Rothstein, a distinctive advantage that has contributed to the firm’s long-standing success and reputation lies in its independence and in integrating specialists across multiple areas to provide the full gamut of legal advice and services that clients value highly.
“We take pride in serving a diverse range of clients in niche areas that some firms, particularly large firms, don’t venture into quite as deeply,” Rothstein explains.
Farris LLP is committed to supporting clients across the province and has expanded over the past decade by opening offices in Kelowna, Victoria, and Surrey to ensure its legal staff are on the ground serving clients where they live.
To maintain high standards of service excellence and legal expertise, the firm embraces the following strategies:
Recruitment
focus on attracting candidates passionate about delivering top-tier client service, particularly at the student level
engaging the firm in the student recruitment process, from reviewing applications to conducting on-campus interviews and hosting events
showcasing the firm’s culture and commitment to excellence to candidates
Technology
leveraging tech tools to enhance litigation and corporate work
adopting a cautious and responsible approach, ensuring tools are market-proven before use
prioritizing client and court responsibilities by safeguarding client data and strategies
“We have a technology committee made up of lawyers and others from our professional management side, who are assessing these technologies, as they’re coming out from some of the large legal services providers right down to startup companies,” notes Rothstein.
The biggest challenge facing the firm is maintaining the high level of legal services its clients expect while adapting to ever-increasing demands for quality, timeliness, and competitive pricing.
Rothstein also remarks that technological advancements such as AI, alternative service providers, and other professions may impact the firm’s business model.
“We have to ensure that our lawyers stay up-to-date and are willing to be responsive and that the students and associates are up to the challenge of ever-changing client demands to stay at the forefront of delivering legal service in BC and across Canada,” he says.
The Top Western Firm earned a stellar reputation early as a leader in litigation, as well as labour and employment law. McLennan Ross’s renowned success in these areas and its corporate commercial team’s growth have solidified the firm’s legal standing.
Over the years, its legal team members have been involved in numerous landmark cases at all levels of the Canadian judicial system, including the Supreme Court of Canada. These cases have often profoundly affected the legal framework in which many businesses operate today.
“We’re in the business of solving problems,” says managing partner Steve Livingstone, KC. “Not only do we do the work, but our clients can be sure that we will give them straight facts – the good and the bad – and we’ll always tell them how it is.”
While some lawyers focus on what clients cannot do, the firm emphasizes what it can do: providing practical advice and going above and beyond to find the best possible solutions.
Survey respondents lauded McLennan Ross for:
“Technical expertise, value, reputation”
“Consistently, highly ranked”
“Excellent service”
“It’s the firm I know the best. It has deep roots in Alberta, terrific lawyers, and terrific people.”
The firm boasts some of the most accomplished and celebrated lawyers across its practice areas, reflecting its breadth and depth of expertise and commitment to the highest standards.
“Our unwavering advocacy and dedication earn our clients’ trust,” Livingstone adds. “They seek us out not only for our experience and knowledge but also for the attention, care, and rigorous analysis we bring to each matter.”
Since its inception, McLennan Ross has established itself as a leader in the flagship areas of litigation and labour and employment law, building strong ties to industry and government.
That foundation enabled the legal team to draw upon decades of experience and deep expertise in those areas, allowing them to emerge as a trusted partner in helping clients navigate complex legal challenges.
Building on its foundation, McLennan Ross’s growth strategy has resulted in a team with experience in construction law, corporate commercial, environmental and energy, insolvency and restructuring, insurance, occupational health and safety, wealth advisory, and additional legal areas.
The legal team excels at:
assigning lawyers with the appropriate expertise to the nature and complexity of the matter
understanding clients’ priorities and expectations
“While our technical success garners accolades, the long-term relationships we form with clients is what stands out. In fact, we have some clients who have been with our firm for more than 60 years,” Livingstone explains.
If repeat business and referrals are hallmarks of client success, then the top law firm’s decades-long relationships are a testament to its client-centric philosophy. The McLennan Ross legal team prioritizes proactive communication, visiting clients at their business or office and seeking feedback on how the firm can improve through client surveys.
“We are often the first call for many of our clients when they have a question or a problem that needs solving,” he remarks. “Our advice is, first and foremost, practical with clients’ interests as a top priority. The advice we provide our clients is direct; we do not deliver options and ask clients to choose, but rather, we stand behind our advice and recommendations.”
McLennan Ross demonstrates its commitment to excellence through its culture of passion, substance, grit, and a touch of humour. Its down-to-earth values drive client experiences and results regarded as second to none, including an unrivalled client focus, making a positive difference in the community and beyond, and being genuine and approachable.
Canadian Lawyer asked readers to vote for the top full-service regional firms in Western Canada. In the survey, which took place between August 5 and 27, 2024, respondents were asked to rank up to 10 firms from a long list provided. They were also given the option to add a firm not included in that list. The respondents were asked to vote for firms based on their regional service coverage, client base, notable mandates, service excellence, and legal expertise.
To qualify for the list and be voted for, firms were required to have offices only in Alberta, British Columbia, or the Northern Territories and offer a wide range of legal services.
Voters ranked the nominees from 1 to 10, with first-place votes earning 10 points and points decreasing by one up to one point for a 10th-place vote. Points were added up and the firms were ranked accordingly.
The quantitative results were combined with the Lexpert peer survey results, where applicable, along with feedback from respected senior members of the bar.