FEATURED WINNER
Lawson Lundell LLP
Director and Financial Adviser
“I had a picture of a house, and the house was Premiere Mortgage Centre”
Kerri Reed,
Premiere Mortgage Centre
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WINNER:
Regional Law Firm of the Year -
Western Canada
winner:
Regional Law Firm of the Year -
Western Canada
Lawson Lundell has been committed to Western Canada and the North for more than 135 years. In that time, it has grown to become one of the only major business law firms in Canada to be headquartered in BC., with more than 215 lawyers in offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Kelowna, and Yellowknife. They continue to grow in the region, while also keeping an eye on the wider world, as the exclusive legal services member of the World Services Group for British Columbia and the Northwest Territories.
In 2022, their growth continued. Compared with the year prior, Lawson Lundell saw their best year ever with a considerable increase in gross revenue, fees billed, hours billed, and in the total number of lawyers and staff employed. Not surprisingly, 2022 was also one of the firm’s busiest years, as well.
The firm’s growth in 2022 occurred in many practice areas including real estate; mining; estate planning; environmental, social, and governance; and litigation, among others. The firm also relaunched its strong Forestry Group. Further strengthening its position in the region, the firm joined forces with Petraroia Langford, which added 12 additional lawyers to the Kelowna office in February 2023.
Of course, none of this growth would be possible without its track record of exceptionally strong work on complex and important matters. That trend continued in 2022 with the successful three-week arbitration where their client claimed force majeure regarding a power plant, with $150 million at issue; a real estate lost opportunity claim, wherein the client was awarded damages over $163 million, involving “supersized” issues of specific performance and valuation that have rarely, if ever, been seen in Canadian courts. Lawson Lundell also acted for multiple mining companies in acquisitions and joint venture agreements totaling hundreds of millions of dollars and obtained the largest award ever made by the Surface Rights Tribunal in excess of $10 million.
These cases mattered, not only because of their size and complexity but also because of the impact they will have on the legal landscape going forward. Their Alberta land sale case made law in the areas of crown liability, inducing breach of contract, specific performance, conditions precedent, and lost opportunity damages. The resulting decision will have a lasting impact as an “instructional manual” for the approach to damages quantification in a lost development opportunity claim. The interconnected damages model, based on the input of so many “sub-experts”, required careful coordination, with changes in one area affecting the overall quantification of the loss.
The quality of their legal work is further reflected through the prestigious legal recognitions the firm received in 2022, including 41 lawyers recognized by Lexpert, 43 by Chambers Canada, 28 by Benchmark Litigation, 15 by Who’s Who Legal, and 70 by Best Lawyers. The firm was also named ‘Environmental Law Firm of the Year’ by Best Lawyers, and ‘Aboriginal Firm of the Year’ by Benchmark Canada. In 2023, Lawson Lundell was named Western Canada Law Firm of the Year at the Canadian Law Awards.
By focusing on their values—a commitment to excellence, innovation, value, diversity and inclusiveness — Lawson Lundell will continue to grow in their region and see their influence continue to expand beyond.
www.lawsonlundell.com
linkedin.com/company/lawsonlundell
inquiries@lawsonlundell.com
604.685.3456
1600 - 925 West Georgia St., Vancouver, BC V6C 3L2
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Director and Financial Adviser
winner:
Regional Law Firm of the Year - Western Canada
Lawson Lundell LLP
Derrick Li
Chief Operating Officer
Cliff Proudfoot, KC
Managing Partner
Cliff is the Managing Partner of Lawson Lundell. Cliff’s practice is focused on environmental and Indigenous litigation. His clients include companies in the forestry, manufacturing, mining, real estate development, hydro-electric power generation industries. Cliff has represented his clients in environmental prosecutions, administrative actions, permit appeals, environmental assessments and has helped clients respond to a wide variety of environmental investigations and prosecutions.
Managing Partner
Cliff Proudfoot, KC
facebook.com/MacleanLawGroup
@BuddyMortgages
@BuddyMortgages
Cliff Proudfoot, KC
Managing Partner
Derrick Li
Chief Operating Officer
Leadership
Karen is Deputy Managing Partner and Chair of the Firm’s Executive Committee, as well as Co-Leader of the firm's Mining Group. Karen practices corporate/commercial, mining and energy law with an emphasis on commercial arrangements in the mining sector including asset level acquisitions and dispositions, negotiation of earn-in, option and joint venture agreements, royalty agreements, procurement, construction and engineering agreements, and other strategic ownership arrangements. She also regularly advises clients in the energy sector in connection with the ownership and development of major power generation projects, power purchase and sale agreements, renewable energy transactions and a variety of related commercial/contracting matters.
Deputy Managing Partner and Chair of the Executive Committee
Karen MacMillan
As the Chief Operating Officer, Derrick manages all operational and administrative functions at the firm and oversees the implementation of the firm’s strategy.
Prior to joining Lawson Lundell, Derrick was an Executive of Coast Mountain Bus Company where he oversaw 260 staff in the areas of Finance and Corporate Services.
In 2019, Derrick was recognized as one of the Business in Vancouver Forty Under 40 winners. In 2014, he was recognized as one of the global Institute of Internal Auditors’ top 20 emerging leaders, based on professionalism, leadership, certifications, advocacy, community service and innovation.
Chief Operating Officer
Derrick Li
@BuddyMortgages
Karen MacMillan
Deputy Managing Partner and Chair of the Executive Committee
Karen is Deputy Managing Partner and Chair of the Firm’s Executive Committee, as well as Co-Leader of the firm's Mining Group. Karen practices corporate/commercial, mining and energy law with an emphasis on commercial arrangements in the mining sector including asset level acquisitions and dispositions, negotiation of earn-in, option and joint venture agreements, royalty agreements, procurement, construction and engineering agreements, and other strategic ownership arrangements. She also regularly advises clients in the energy sector in connection with the ownership and development of major power generation projects, power purchase and sale agreements, renewable energy transactions and a variety of related commercial/contracting matters.
Deputy Managing Partner and Chair of the Executive Committee
Karen MacMillan
Karen MacMillan
Deputy Managing Partner and Chair of the Executive Committee
1188 Whakue St, Rotorua Central, Rotorua
Karen MacMillan
Deputy Managing Partner and Chair of the Executive Committee
Derrick Li
Chief Operating Officer
Cliff Proudfoot, KC
Managing Partner
Leadership
Karen is Deputy Managing Partner and Chair of the Firm’s Executive Committee, as well as Co-Leader of the firm's Mining Group. Karen practices corporate/commercial, mining and energy law with an emphasis on commercial arrangements in the mining sector including asset level acquisitions and dispositions, negotiation of earn-in, option and joint venture agreements, royalty agreements, procurement, construction and engineering agreements, and other strategic ownership arrangements. She also regularly advises clients in the energy sector in connection with the ownership and development of major power generation projects, power purchase and sale agreements, renewable energy transactions and a variety of related commercial/contracting matters.
Deputy Managing Partner and Chair of the Executive Committee
Karen MacMillan
As the Chief Operating Officer, Derrick manages all operational and administrative functions at the firm and oversees the implementation of the firm’s strategy.
Prior to joining Lawson Lundell, Derrick was an Executive of Coast Mountain Bus Company where he oversaw 260 staff in the areas of Finance and Corporate Services.
In 2019, Derrick was recognized as one of the Business in Vancouver Forty Under 40 winners. In 2014, he was recognized as one of the global Institute of Internal Auditors’ top 20 emerging leaders, based on professionalism, leadership, certifications, advocacy, community service and innovation.
Chief Operating Officer
Derrick Li
Cliff is the Managing Partner of Lawson Lundell. Cliff’s practice is focused on environmental and Indigenous litigation. His clients include companies in the forestry, manufacturing, mining, real estate development, hydro-electric power generation industries. Cliff has represented his clients in environmental prosecutions, administrative actions, permit appeals, environmental assessments and has helped clients respond to a wide variety of environmental investigations and prosecutions.
Managing Partner
Cliff Proudfoot, KC
As the Chief Operating Officer, Derrick manages all operational and administrative functions at the firm and oversees the implementation of the firm’s strategy.
Prior to joining Lawson Lundell, Derrick was an Executive of Coast Mountain Bus Company where he oversaw 260 staff in the areas of Finance and Corporate Services.
In 2019, Derrick was recognized as one of the Business in Vancouver Forty Under 40 winners. In 2014, he was recognized as one of the global Institute of Internal Auditors’ top 20 emerging leaders, based on professionalism, leadership, certifications, advocacy, community service and innovation.
Chief Operating Officer
Derrick Li
Cliff is the Managing Partner of Lawson Lundell. Cliff’s practice is focused on environmental and Indigenous litigation. His clients include companies in the forestry, manufacturing, mining, real estate development, hydro-electric power generation industries. Cliff has represented his clients in environmental prosecutions, administrative actions, permit appeals, environmental assessments and has helped clients respond to a wide variety of environmental investigations and prosecutions.
Managing Partner
Cliff Proudfoot, KC
@LawsonLundell