Advocacy Litigation & Dispute Resolution

Farris provides timely, creative, and practical representation in a full range of commercial, corporate, and constitutional litigation.

Our practice includes commercial contracts, media, defamation, construction, insurance, negligence, insolvency, intellectual property, telecommunications, and shareholder and partnership disputes. We also handle cases in matrimonial and criminal law.

In addition to appearing before all levels of courts and a wide range of administrative tribunals in British Columbia, the firm’s counsel regularly represent clients before the Supreme Court of Canada. On occasion Farris counsel also appear before the courts in other provinces. In addition, Farris litigators often act as counsel in commercial arbitrations and mediations, and Farris lawyers George Macintosh, Q.C. and Mitchell Gropper, Q.C. serve as arbitrators. Farris lawyers are committed to ensuring access to the courts by participating in pro bono programs at the trial and appellate levels.

Farris lawyers have helped to shape the legal profession in British Columbia and beyond. They have been involved in the Sopinka Cup (an advocacy competition among Canadian law schools), acted as leaders of the Inns of Court program, and served as adjunct professors at the University of British Columbia including in courses on trial advocacy. Farris lawyers regularly lecture and author papers on litigation-related matters, including for the Continuing Legal Education Society of British Columbia. Farris litigator George Macintosh, Q.C. is a member of the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Society of Barristers. Farris litigators including Ludmila Herbst and Mike Wagner have been members and/or served on the Executive of the Advocates Club, a group of litigators from leading firms in Vancouver. 

Farris’ litigation department is led by George Macintosh, Q.C. Among other industry recognition, Mr. Macintosh has been selected by Lexpert magazine as one of Canada’s top 25 commercial litigators; he has been listed in Lexpert’s Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada for the past ten years; he is consistently named among Lexpert’s Top 100 US/Canada Cross Border Litigators in Canada; and he is listed in The Best Lawyers in Canada.

Farris partner Jeffrey J. Kay, Q.C., is ranked by Lexpert as a senior specialist in Matrimonial Law; he is ranked among Lexpert’s leading lawyers in Canada for Family Law; he is listed in The Legal Media Group’s guide to the World’s Leading Product Liability Lawyers; and has been chosen as one of the Who’s Who of Product Liability Defence Lawyers.

Farris partner Robert Anderson, Q.C, is ranked among Lexpert’s leading lawyers in Canada for Defamation and Media Law. Farris litigators also work with experienced solicitors and labour lawyers at this firm to advise clients in a wide range of related areas.

Our recent representative work includes:

• Reference (s.293 of Criminal Code of Canada) – reference on the constitutionality of the criminal prohibition of plygamy in s.293.
• Crookes v. Newton. (Supreme Court of Canada) – intervention on defamation claim in the hyperlinking context.
• Bentley et al. v. Anglican Synod of the Diocese of New Westminster et al. (BC Supreme Court and Court of Appeal) – litigation related to ownership of certain Anglican churches in the Lower Mainland.
• Sagen et al. v. Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (BC Supreme Court, judgment on reserve) – equality rights litigation under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
• National Post v. Her Majesty the Queen (Supreme Court of Canada) – litigation related to freedom of the press and treatment of journalists’ confidential sources.
• Seidel v. TELUS Communications Inc., 2009 BCCA 104 – litigation on the relationship between class proceedings and arbitration clauses.
• Kerr v. Ladner, 2009 BCSC 321 – successful defence against a defamation claim.
• Rand v. The Anglican Synod of the Diocese of British Columbia, 2008 BCSC 668; 2008 BCCA 294 – successful defence against an injunction application involving an Anglican church on Vancouver Island.
• Dikey v. Samieian, 2008 BCSC 604 – successful prosecution of personal injury litigation with damages assessed in excess of $1 million.
• Marine Drive Golf Club v. Buntain, 2007 BCCA 17; 2005 BCSC 1434 – successful defence against a human rights complaint.
• Aurizon Mines Ltd. v. Northgate Minerals Corp. (2006), 57 B.C.L.R. (4th) 137, 2006 BCSC 1022, affirmed (2006), 55 B.C.L.R. (4th) 203, 2006 BCCA 340 – injunction against an attempted takeover bid.
• Re Vancouver Sun, [2004] 2 S.C.R. 332, 2004 SCC 43 – successful appeal related to open courts and access to investigative hearings under the Anti-terrorism Act.
• Re Application Under s. 83.28 of the Criminal Code, [2004] 2 S.C.R. 248, 2004 SCC 42 – intervention related to open court proceedings.
• Law Society of British Columbia v. Mangat, 2001 SCC 67 – litigation related to immigration consultants and the Immigration Act.
• Law Society of British Columbia v. Canada (Attorney General), 2001 BCSC 1593 – successful challenge to money laundering legislation.
• R. v. E. (O.N.), [2001] 3 S.C.R. 478, 2001 SCC 77 – successful appeal against a publication ban in criminal proceedings.
• Musqueam Indian Band v. Glass, [2000] 2 S.C.R. 633, 2000 SCC 52 – litigation related to lease rates on Indian reserves.