Best Lawyers in British Columbia, Canada for Administrative and Public Law
Randy J. Kaardal, K.C. is a senior litigator handling a wide range of commercial litigation for clients in the financial, mining, forestry, and manufacturing sectors. He has conducted hearings before all levels of Court in Canada, including the Supreme Court of British Columbia, the British Columbia Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada. He also regularly appears before various administrative tribunals including the B.C. Securities Commission, the Federal and Provincial Human Rights...
Robyn combines an extensive civil litigation practice with relevant experience in employment law. She has advised and represented clients in a variety of sectors with complex corporate and commercial litigation issues, including professional regulatory matters, contractual disputes, shareholder disputes, negligence, breaches of trust and fiduciary duties, and civil fraud. Robyn’s employment law work has included acting on behalf of employers and employees with respect to wrongful dismis...
Laesha J. Smith is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Administrative and Public Law and Appellate Practice. Laesha, who practices law in Vancouver, British Columbia, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Laesha is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Nick Hooge is a Partner in Farris’ litigation group. He has a general litigation practice and has appeared in all levels of courts in British Columbia, as well as in the Federal Court of Canada, the Federal Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada. Nick has experience in a wide range of complex civil and commercial matters including contract disputes, product liability claims, real property litigation, corporate and securities law, administrative law, competitioner & antitrus...
Bridget Gilbride is a partner in our Vancouver office. She is an experienced litigator focused on Indigenous legal issues and environmental law. Bridget advises on permitting, environmental assessments, and Indigenous and Aboriginal legal issues such as the duty to consult, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples , and section 35 of the Constitution. Bridget’s core focus is advising clients advancing projects, through provincial and federal approval processes,...
Brent Olthuis is an experienced litigator with a broad practice. He represents individual and corporate clients in civil and commercial matters and also regularly acts for regulated professions and their member professionals, as well as for other public bodies. He has acted as external counsel to the Auditor General of Canada in respect of the 2015 audit of the Senate and for the Attorney General of British Columbia in constitutional proceedings. He presently acts for the City of Richmond in ...
Laura is an experienced commercial litigator specializing in complex litigation and dispute resolution. Laura handles a wide range of high-profile disputes, including public and private law matters. Laura has appeared before all levels of court in British Columbia and as counsel at the Supreme Court of Canada. Laura has also appeared before the British Columbia Securities Commission tribunal in administrative matters. Laura's practice is marked by her clear communication, meticulous preparati...
Matt Pierce is a partner with a broad litigation and dispute resolution practice. Matt advises and represents clients across a wide range of civil and commercial disputes including complex contract disputes, shareholder disputes, construction and real estate disputes, corporate and securities law matters, employment law matters, class actions, insolvency matters, regulatory matters, and judicial review of administrative action. Matt appears regularly before the British Columbia Supreme Court ...
Lara is a Partner with Harper Grey practising in the areas of professional regulation and health law. She is the Assistant Chair of our Professional Regulation Group. She has acted as counsel for physicians, dentists, psychologists, and many other regulated health professionals. Lara articled with Harper Grey and joined the firm upon her Call to the Bar in 1996. She was in-house counsel with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia for two years from 2009 to 2011, before rej...
Andrew Nathanson, KC focuses on complex commercial litigation and white collar crime. He is Co-Chair of Fasken’s Commercial Litigation Group in BC and Co-Leader of the firm’s national White Collar Defence and Investigations group. Andrew is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and has been ranked as a leading litigator in diverse areas including corporate and commercial litigation, directors and officers' liability, securities litigation, public law and criminal defen...
Gavin is a partner at Roper Greyell, practicing in most areas of workplace law. Over his professional career, Gavin has always enjoyed building lasting client relationships, with a focus on being a trusted advisor for workplace decision-making. He likes clients to know that he is on their team, and in their corner. Gavin believes lawyers should always tailor their approach to the needs of the particular client, as the first step to giving useful advice and finding solutions. “I won&rsqu...
Keith advises private sector, public sector and government clients on Indigenous law and regulatory matters. He has appeared as counsel before numerous regulatory tribunals and all levels of Superior and Appellate Courts (both Federal and Provincial), including the Supreme Court of Canada. He has acted for clients in a number of natural resource industries including hydro-electric generation and transmission, oil and gas, mining, aquaculture, forestry, transportation and independent power pro...
Geoff takes a direct, methodical and highly effective approach. He draws on his knowledge of a client’s business and workforce to offer straightforward, practical advice, and in order to create trust, is always pragmatic and realistic about what they can achieve. Geoff is highly productive, taking an organized, systematic and disciplined approach to preparation. He communicates clearly and drives hard to find solutions that are feasible and solid, and which clients can depend on. Geoff ...
William is a senior partner at Harper Grey, the chair of our professional regulation group and co-chair of our health law group. William represents clients in both civil and regulatory matters. His primary areas of practice include professional regulation and discipline, civil sexual assault litigation, civil and billing fraud, credentials proceedings, human rights and discrimination in a professional context, privacy, professional ethics, and fitness to practice. He acts both for professiona...
Robert Anderson practices as general counsel representing clients in court and in alternative dispute forums including arbitrations and mediations. He regularly appears in court on matters that involve a wide variety of areas of law. Mr. Anderson practiced as Crown Counsel before joining Farris in 1981. Mr. Anderson has appeared in all levels of the courts in British Columbia, the Federal Trial Court, the Federal Court of Appeal, the Tax Court of Canada and the Supreme Court of Canada. He has...
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.