McEwan Partners

Firm Details: 

Managing Partners: Ken McEwan KC

Number of partners: 4

Number of lawyers: 9

Firm Overview: 

McEwan Partners is a litigation boutique focusing on corporate, commercial, and securities matters. Formed in 2017, the firm is headed by Ken McEwan, KC and Bob Cooper, KC, nationally and internationally recognised litigators, bringing with them a long tradition of exceptional advocacy. Lawyers are among the best and the brightest at every level of call, sharing a dedication to excellence, rigorous and creative legal analysis, and business-minded practicality. They are known for their focus on high stakes business disputes with most having experience in full-service corporate commercial firms — working closely with business lawyers on complex securities and commercial litigation and arbitration. Just six months after its inception, McEwan Partners was the recipient of Benchmark Canada’s 'Litigation Boutique of the Year' award for 2018, an honour repeated in 2019 and 2021. In 2021and 2022 it was named British Columbia firm of the year. Benchmark awarded McEwan Partners an Impact Award for work on the Rogers v Rogers Communications Inc. case in 2022.

The firm works closely with its clients to understand their businesses and to develop creative and practical strategies that deliver the desired results. The firm handles both complex and straightforward matters, and it has the experience and judgement to know the difference.

Lawyers include former judicial clerks and members of the American College of Trial Lawyers, the International Society of Barristers and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers. They have delivered successful results for clients in trials and appeals across Canada, including significant victories at the Supreme Court of Canada. The firm participated in the first fully virtual hearing in that Court. Lawyers are consistently recognised by peer review agencies, including Lexpert, Benchmark, Who’s Who, Canada’s Best Lawyers, and Martindale Hubbell. Recent highlights include rankings among the top 50 trial lawyers in Canada, top 500 leading lawyers in Canada, a top 100 cross-border litigator in Canada, and 2022 Canadian trial lawyer of the year.

In addition to lawyers acting as counsel, senior lawyers also arbitrate and mediate disputes. Two are members of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and Ken McEwan, KC, has co-authored 'Commercial Arbitration in Canada' and is contributing author to 'A Practitioner’s Guide to Commercial Arbitration.'

Lawyers are active in the legal community, regularly contributing to publications and to student and continuing education programs. Ken McEwan, KC, is the author of the fourth edition of 'Sopinka on the Trial of an Action' and serves as an adjunct professor of law teaching advanced trial advocacy at the University of British Columbia. The firm also teaches dispute resolution at Thompson Rivers University. Lawyers are involved in legal organisations, including the Canadian Bar Association (BC branch) and the Advocates’ Society, both as members, on committees, and in leadership roles.

Main Areas of Practice: 

■ Administration & Public Law

■ Appellate Practice

■ Class Action

■ Commercial Competition/Antitrust

■ Constitutional

■ Corporate & Shareholder

■ Environmental

■ Insolvency & Restructuring

■ Insurance

■ Investigation

■ Product Liability

■ Professional Liability

■ Real Estate, Securities & Trust