Lawson Lundell LLP

Managing Partner: Clifford Proudfoot
Number of partners: 81
Number of other lawyers: 63

Firm Overview:
Lawson Lundell’s roots lie in the resource development that fuelled the opening of western Canada in the postwar era. Its 2015 #1 regional law firm in Canada recognition by Chambers Canada and #1 ranking in Canadian Lawyer Magazine’s survey of regional law firms in British Columbia, Alberta and northern Canada attest to its substantial footprint in the region, but the firm’s reach extends well beyond these areas.

Many of the firm’s largest clients have head offices outside Canada. While managing growth, the firm has developed high-quality speciality areas that enable it to provide a full range of services to international businesses. The firm and its lawyers are consistently recognised in leading directories, including Chambers Canada, Chambers Global, Lexpert, Benchmark Canada and Best Lawyers in Canada.

PRACTICE AREAS
■ Banking Debt & Financing
■ Corporate Commercial / M&A
■ Corporate Finance & Securities
■ Energy / Oil & Gas
■ Energy / Power
■ Environmental / Aboriginal
■ Forestry
■ Infrastructure
■ Insolvency & Restructuring
■ Labour & Employment
■ Litigation
■ Mining
■ Pensions & Benefits
■ Private Equity
■ Real Estate
■ Tax

Main Areas of Practice:
Details concerning key practice areas are set out below. Other significant areas include banking, infrastructure and insolvency and restructuring.

Mining:
Lawson Lundell is actively involved in all stages of project development, from property acquisition, through permitting, financing, infrastructure development and construction to operations and in all kinds of mining related transactions. Experience covers precious and base metals, diamonds, industrial minerals, coal, uranium and strategic minerals. Clients range from the world’s largest mining companies to development and early production stage companies. The firm provides the full range of legal support for several current and recently developed projects in Canada, notably gold, iron ore, chromite, coal, diamond and zinc projects in Canada’s northern Territories, Ontario and BC. The firm is closely involved with many projects abroad, particularly in Central and Latin America, Asia and Africa..

Energy / Oil & Gas:
The firm has the leading energy practice in BC and an active practice in Alberta and Saskatchewan, with a reach extending throughout western and northern Canada and into the western United States. The firm assists clients acquiring interests in, structuring and obtaining approvals for major power and oil and gas projects throughout the region, with current focus on initiatives to create the infrastructure required for oil and gas exports and oil sands development in Alberta. It has participated in clean energy (wind and run-of-river) projects throughout western Canada, has a thorough knowledge of initiatives targeted at greenhouse gas emissions and is experienced in trading renewable energy credits.

Corporate / M&A:
The firm is a recognised leader in corporate commercial law, corporate finance and M&A and has the leading private equity practice in BC. The firm is specialised in competition, corporate governance, infrastructure and securities matters. The firm has extensive experience in private equity fund formation and in numerous transactions by such funds in the manufacturing, food, resource, leisure and other sectors. Other recent transactions of significance involve the aircraft service, building products land lease community and power sectors.

Litigation:
The litigation group is focused on commercial litigation and specialty areas including pensions and benefits, regulatory, environmental, aboriginal, insolvency and labour and employment litigation, all supported by the largest dedicated research team in Vancouver. Earlier this year the firm expanded its Calgary office with the addition of six litigation partners and two associates. Lawyers have recently handled several precedent-setting cases involving issues as diverse as the constitutionality of provisions of the proceeds of crime legislation, which went before the Supreme Court of Canada, various mining related disputes and class action suits.

Environmental / Aboriginal:
The firm has a group of highly regarded lawyers who handle the environmental approval and indigenous consultation aspects of project development in Canada’s west and north and beyond. Current projects include in situ oil sands proposals in Alberta and numerous mining projects. The group’s recent engagements include providing extensive environmental advice related to the sale of a Nunavut gold project, advising on First Nations consultation with respect to a number of projects and assisting with the refurbishment and expansion of electricity generating and transmission facilities in BC. The firm has played a major role in the devolution of authority from Canadian federal government to the Northwest Territories.

Tax:
Lawson Lundell has an innovative team of lawyers who develop highly sophisticated tax plans for a range of transactions and structures, often in multiple jurisdictions, for use in private equity and other fund investments (including infrastructure), securities offerings and numerous other transactions. They advise a group of significant pension plans in their substantial investments in jurisdictions around the world and coordinate international advice on such investments, balancing tax objectives with commercial practicalities.

Labour & Employment:
The firm advises employers in all aspects of labour and employment law, including labour relations, collective bargaining, wrongful dismissal, human rights, employment standards, employment equity, privacy and business immigration. Members of the labour and employment group have extensive experience acting as counsel before, judicial and decision-making tribunals.

Pensions & Employee Benefits:
Lawson Lundell has the leading pensions and employee benefits practice in western Canada, with major clients throughout western and northern Canada and in Ontario, many in the resource and public sectors. Solicitors practice exclusively in the area, representing plan sponsors of all types with particular emphasis on trusteed multiemployer pension and benefit plans and corporate DB and DC plans. Litigators have a wealth of pension and benefits experience, including defending class actions. The firm has significant related expertise in the tax, fiduciary and investment areas.

Real Estate:
Lawson Lundell advises institutional and private investors and developers who undertake commercial, industrial, institutional, residential and mixed-use projects. Clients include pension funds, mining companies, hotel groups, utilities and infrastructure owners. This year the firm welcomed three partners, one associate and two paralegals in its Calgary real estate group. Lawyers advise on the full range of transactions and property issues, a significant volume of leasing matters, developments involving First Nations and land assembly for major linear infrastructure projects. The firm has extensive experience in municipal law and expropriation and includes one of BC’s leading experts in property taxation.

Forestry:
The firm’s 80 year involvement in the forestry sector today encompasses all elements of the business. The firm acts as principal external counsel for one of the two largest forestry companies based in BC. In addition to handling commercial and securities matters, lawyers are routinely involved in operational issues including fibre supply, tenure, environmental and occupational safety.