Best Law Firms in Canada for Administrative and Public Law

EKB has a long-standing tradition of professional excellence, reflected in the breadth of our legal services and the depth of experience within our team. The firm was founded in 1965 when Jack T. Edwards and John C. Bouck (both later appointed to the Supreme Court of British Columbia) formed the partnership of Bouck and Edwards. Four years later, Brenton D. Kenny (later Q.C.) joined the firm and continues to serve as Associate Counsel. Ronald C. Bray and other accomplished lawyers soon followed, contributing to the firm’s reputation for thoughtful, high-quality legal work.

Our lawyers are committed to staying current with legal developments and emerging issues that affect our clients and communities. Many members of the firm regularly present at conferences organized by The Continuing Legal Education Society of B.C., Insight, EPIC, The Canadian Institute, and other professional organizations.

Our lawyers have also served the legal profession in a variety of roles, including:

• Benchers of The Law Society of British Columbia
• Council members of the Canadian Bar Association and its B.C. Branch
• Executive members of national and provincial sections of the Canadian Bar Association
• Executive members of the Vancouver Bar Association
• Adjunct Professors at the University of British Columbia Faculty of Law
• Course Instructors at the Professional Legal Training Course

EKB’s commitment extends beyond the practice of law. Our lawyers and staff value community involvement and contribute time and effort to a wide range of pro bono initiatives, community groups, and charitable organizations.

Farris LLP ("Farris") is a leading Canadian law firm with offices in Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia. The full-service firm represents some of the largest public and private institutions and corporations in the province, and has the proven capacity and experience to carry out complex and multi-dimensional legal projects.

Corporate/Commercial: With more than 30 lawyers, the Corporate/Commercial group at Farris is relied upon by clients to assist with a wide range of matters, across a variety of industries. Unique amongst most large law firms, our corporate lawyers are first trained as generalists before they specialize in any given area of business law. We believe a broad legal knowledge of the key business law issues affecting businesses and industries enables us to help our clients solve their legal problems –big or small–quickly and effectively.

Delivering on our clients’ goals and ambitions means working closely with our clients to develop work plans tailored to their particular needs in terms of scope and budget. Our clients rely upon our advice regarding capital raising, finance strategies, governance issues, succession planning, insourcing, and outsourcing. Our lawyers assist with contract drafting and negotiations, securing regulatory approvals, agreements for joint ventures, and acquiring or selling aspects of a business. We regularly advise on privately negotiated transactions, controlled auctions, plans of arrangement and take-over bids, as well as reorganizations and restructurings for tax optimization.

Advocacy & Litigation: Our litigators are recognized leaders in their field, providing timely, creative and practical representation in a full range of commercial, corporate and constitutional litigation, and have extensive experience conducting hearings, trials and appeals. Our clients are diverse and include major business organizations, public bodies, universities, First Nations, media organizations, family litigants, and public interest groups. We advocate for our clients in every forum and at every level of court, and are engaged in many of the most important cases in the province at any given time. We recognize that advocacy work entails flexibility and a constant evaluation of available options, and that not all matters require a formal hearing. We actively look for opportunities to engage in alternate dispute resolution processes where appropriate.

Labour and Employment: Farris has a full-service labour and employment practice, providing advice, counsel, and representation to our clients in all aspects of workplace law.

We have broad experience representing employers in employment law disputes, including wrongful dismissal matters, disputes relating to restrictive covenants, disability related claims, discrimination and accommodation matters, Human Rights issues, employment and labour standards matters, privacy matters, and workers compensation issues. Our lawyers regularly represent our clients in Court and before administrative tribunals that apply employment-related statutes.

Our lawyers have vast experience in labour relations matters, acting before arbitrators, arbitration boards, and appearing in related judicial reviews and injunction applications before all levels of court and advising employers in a wide range of industries. We regularly act for employers with respect to grievance arbitration and collective agreement administration. Our lawyers conduct Labour Board hearings including applications for certification and decertification, unfair labour practices, variance, common employer and successorship issues. We assist clients with strikes and lockouts and the legal issues that can arise including picketing, ally and replacement workers.

We also assist our clients in drafting and reviewing employment agreements that cover all aspects of the employment relationship, including compensation and benefits, stock options and other incentive plans, severance provisions, restrictive covenants, intellectual property matters, hours of work, and alternative dispute resolution; as well as drafting Employee Handbooks that provide for various rules and regulations that apply in the workplace.

Taxation: Farris lawyers work together with our clients and their accountants to provide timely, innovative and practical tax advice. Representing a broad range of domestic, international, public and private-sector corporate clients across many industries, we provide guidance in areas of expertise such as mergers & acquisitions, real estate, structuring corporate groups and partnerships, fund formation and executive compensation. Our lawyers also have vast experience in advising on cross-border mergers and acquisitions, cross-border debt and equity offerings, structuring and financing of inbound investments into Canada and outbound investments from Canada, foreign affiliate reorganizations, profit repatriation, intellectual property migration strategies, electronic commerce, transfer pricing and tax treaty issues. For our private clients, we offer advice in owner-manager tax planning, estate and trust planning, private equity and venture capital investments.

If and when audits or disputes with the tax authorities arise, our lawyers have the experience and expertise to support you at every step. Our tax litigators represent clients in all types of CRA audits and disputes, assisting with proposals, voluntary disclosures, objections to CRA findings and appeals.

Recognition:

• 61 Farris partners ranked in Best Lawyers in Canada.
• Farris rated one of Vancouver’s leading corporate and litigation law firms for over a decade by The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory.
• Farris Repeatedly Recognized as One of Canada's Best Law Firms
• 28 Farris partners ranked in The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory.

Languages: English, French, Mandarin, Cantonese, Punjabi and Spanish.

Frédéric Bérard Société d’avocats is a leading law firm with Frédéric Bérard recognized by Best Lawyers in 1 practice area. The firm's tenure with Best Lawyers began in 2026. Having a lawyer recognized in Best Lawyers' purely peer review process emphasizes the lawyers' credibility and reputation for their practice amongst their peers in their practice area and region. It displays professional validation of the legal talent that Frédéric Bérard Société d’avocats has on their team. Frédéric Bérard has been recognized in the following practice area: Administrative and Public Law.

Frédéric Bérard Société d’avocats is also ranked by Best Law Firms in 1 practice area. The Best Law Firms rankings are founded on a time-tested and transparent research process that has remained consistent since Best Lawyers launched it in 2010. Frédéric Bérard Société d’avocats has 1 ranking in 1 practice. Echoing their Best Lawyers awards and team of top legal talent.

Gowling WLG is an international law firm built on the belief that the best way to serve you is to be in tune with your world, aligned with your opportunity and ambitious for your success. With more than 1,500 legal professionals around the world, we provide our clients with in-depth knowledge in key global sectors and a suite of legal services at home and abroad. We see the world through our clients' eyes, and collaborate across countries, offices, service areas and sectors to help them succeed, no matter how challenging the circumstances.

Brief History

With roots tracing back to 1887, Gowling WLG grew to become one of the largest and most respected law firms in Canada, with a reputation for innovation in client-focused service delivery.

Building on its early strength in intellectual property, Gowling WLG diversified to offer a full suite of business law, litigation and intellectual property services in all of Canada’s key industries, including energy, mining, financial services, government, infrastructure, manufacturing, life sciences and technology.

Established by former litigation partners of a national Canadian firm, LCM Attorneys has earned its reputation as one of Montréal’s premier litigation boutiques. Built on strategic insight and uncompromising advocacy, the firm brings together more than 35 accomplished lawyers recognized for their sound judgment, intellectual rigor, and unwavering commitment to client success.

LCM Attorneys represents multinational corporations, financial institutions, professionals, and entrepreneurs in high-stakes and complex disputes. The firm’s practice spans class actions, securities litigation, commercial and shareholders’ disputes, professional liability, construction law, public law, arbitration, and international matters. Combining meticulous preparation with strategic clarity, LCM Attorneys works closely with its clients to navigate sophisticated legal challenges and deliver decisive, results-driven outcomes.

Your future is our focus.

Ogilvie was built in 1920 on a tradition of building relationships and working alongside our clients, and that is still our philosophy an entire century later. We’re proud to celebrate 100 years together with our specialized teams of lawyers who will work beside you and your business to ensure your issues are resolved.

Our proud beginning.

James Harwood Ogilvie, Q.C., left a mark on our great city that still lives on today. He began studying law at the University of Alberta in Edmonton in 1914. With the advent of World War I, Edmonton men enlisted by the thousands to serve their country, the young James Ogilvie among them. He returned home safely to complete his articles and was admitted to the Alberta Bar in 1920, and started Ogilvie soon after. In his many years providing legal and professional guidance to Edmontonians, he supported the communities around him and demonstrated the importance of building meaningful relationships with the people he helped. The City of Edmonton recognized his significant contributions, including serving 16 years as a city alderman, by naming a residential subdivision “Ogilvie Ridge". Our team is proud to carry on Mr. Ogilvie’s legacy by continuing to create meaningful relationships with our clients and supporting the businesses and communities that make our city great.

Our community support.

James Ogilvie believed that if you were going to work in a community, you also had to work for your community. We are committed to preserving this tradition of community support believing that corporate support is an investment in our community. On our 75th anniversary, the Ogilvie Fund was created by lawyers and staff of the firm and managed by the Edmonton Community Foundation. Every year the Ogilvie Fund provides financial assistance to a variety of causes including organizations representing single mothers, underprivileged children and youth. The Ogilvie Fund is one of our avenues for giving back to the city we work in by providing assistance to the people who need it most.

Olthuis van Ert is a leading barristers’ practice with a focus on commercial litigation and public law. Based in Vancouver and Ottawa, our firm provides expert advice and representation to clients across all levels of provincial and federal courts, as well as various tribunals.

Our Clients Include

Health professionals

Healthcare clinics, facilities, owners & staff

Healthcare organizations and associations

Healthcare agencies and institutions

Regulatory bodies

Other professionals and individuals

HOW WE HELP

Professional Regulation and Discipline

We help health professional clients facing college investigations, complaints, discipline, quality assurance, fitness to practice and registration proceedings, as well as in appeals or reviews of regulatory decisions.

We serve as independent legal counsel for college discipline committees and other tribunals. We train college and other regulators’ staff and committee members, to assist them in conducting fair investigations and hearings.

Hospital Privileges Challenges

We represent professional staff in disputes with hospitals and hospital administrators.

Opinions and Advice

We provide opinions and advice to individuals, businesses and associations. This includes advising on new ventures in health care, regulatory matters, health care billing issues, contracts and agreements, employment matters etc.

Privacy Law

We assist healthcare clinics, facilities and professionals to develop policies and procedures that comply with privacy laws.

We conduct privacy impact analyses and audits, and provide training to help custodians comply with their privacy obligations.

We help manage privacy breaches and complaints.

Independent Health Facilities and Out of Hospital Premises

We prepare clients for, and support them during, inspections and audits of independent health facilities and other clinics and health centres.

Billing Issues and Audits

We help all health professionals and clinic owners respond to inquiries and contest refusals of payment by OHIP or other health insurance providers.

Healthcare Businesses and Ventures

We assist healthcare providers and businesses to navigate the laws respecting delivery of healthcare, including those related to charging patients directly for uninsured services, advertising of healthcare services, and arrangements among healthcare providers and businesses.

Consent, Capacity and Mental Health Law

We advise individuals and families with respect to consent, capacity and mental health law.

Litigation and Other Advocacy

We represent individuals and organizations in other civil and administrative proceedings (such as complaints, disputes and investigations, civil litigation related to health law matters, academic discipline and proceedings before the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal).

VanBuskirk Law is a leading law firm with Kelly Vanbuskirk recognized by Best Lawyers in 3 practice areas. The firm's tenure with Best Lawyers began in 2022. Having a lawyer recognized in Best Lawyers' purely peer review process emphasizes the lawyers' credibility and reputation for their practice amongst their peers in their practice area and region. It displays professional validation of the legal talent that VanBuskirk Law has on their team. Kelly Vanbuskirk has been recognized in the following practice areas: Administrative and Public Law, Corporate and Commercial Litigation and Labour and Employment Law.

VanBuskirk Law is also ranked by Best Law Firms in 3 practice areas. The Best Law Firms rankings are founded on a time-tested and transparent research process that has remained consistent since Best Lawyers launched it in 2010. VanBuskirk Law has 3 rankings in 3 practices. Echoing their Best Lawyers awards and team of top legal talent.