Kenneth S. Westlake, KC

Rod practices in the area of corporate and commercial litigation, administrative and constitutional law, and employment law. He has appeared before all levels of court in British Columbia, the Supreme Court of Canada, and at numerous tribunals. Rod also advises post-secondary institutions on a wide range of administrative and governance issues. Rod’s legal positions are solidly grounded in reason and he is widely recognized as being an intelligent and tough litigator. Clients consistent...

Keith has advised clients in the education sector about school, labour and employment law for more than 25 years. He works with school boards, colleges and university educators and administrators to help them with the full range of legal problems they face, including labour and employment, education, human rights claims, privacy issues and dealing with students and parents. In addition to his work in education, Keith’s diverse background has had him advising clients in many sectors incl...

Jeff's practice is dedicated to estate planning, estate administration, trusts, charities and not-for-profits. Jeff advises clients on all aspects of estate administration and estate planning. Jeff counsels executors and trustees on administering estates and trusts and helps beneficiaries understand their rights. Jeff has extensive experience in developing tailored estate plans and drafting wills, powers of attorney, representation agreements, trusts and related planning documents. Jeff is a ...

Peter is an experienced, thorough, confidence-inspiring counsel. When someone comes to him with a problem, he uses his skill to gather key information from everyone who’s directly and indirectly involved in order to build a solid case. He particularly enjoys the most difficult cases, including terminations, and approaches them with a relentless and tenacious focus. His deep experience representing clients enables him to guide them expertly through the process, represent them well and, a...

Chris Wilson acts as lead counsel in Canadian trademark, copyright, patent and trade secrets litigation, at trial and on appeal. His cases include precedent-setting decisions dealing with topics such as Internet keyword advertising and domain names, the constitutionality of Canada's official marks regime, contempt for violation of an intellectual property injunction, and one of the largest monetary judgments for breach of confidence in Canadian history. In his practice, Chris manages the inte...

Tara Britnell is the Co-Chair of the Estate and Trust Litigation department. She assists clients with the complete range of complex and challenging estate and trust cases, including undue influence and capacity claims, adult guardianship, construction and variation of wills and trusts, contentious estate administrations, and the identification and prevention of elder abuse. Tara’s clients include executors, trustees, beneficiaries, people disappointed in a Will and those concerned about...

Growing up working Saturdays and summers in the small business his father started, Richard experienced firsthand the things that are needed to keep a business going. Early mornings. Hard work. Keeping customers happy. Today, with a legal practice focused on providing tax, trust and estate advice, Richard still draws on those early lessons, recognizing that he is dealing with people’s livelihoods and families. He works with our clients to define their family, business and tax objectives ...

Matthew Swanson is a leading litigation and disputes lawyer in BLG’s Vancouver office. He has extensive experience acting for companies and individuals in critical business and personal disputes. Matthew is known for his strategic approach to challenging cases. He regularly appears as counsel in complex matters and has conducted numerous trials, arbitrations, and appeals. He handles transactional disputes, contract disputes, real estate, and construction disputes, franchise disputes, an...

Stephanie acts for a broad range of clients, both provincial and federal, in the public and private sectors. She advocates on behalf of clients and provides strategic advice on all aspects of workplace law, including human rights. Stephanie regularly represents clients at arbitration, before the BC Labour Relations Board and the BC Human Rights Tribunal. Her advocacy brings her before the British Columbia Courts (both levels) and various federal tribunals. She is frequently asked to conduct b...

Don’s practice focuses on the areas of labour, employment, administrative and constitutional law. He acts for a broad range of private sector employers with regard to matters arising from their unionized workplaces as well as their general employment law matters. He is frequently retained to advise on administrative law matters and to conduct trials and appeals in this area before the courts of British Columbia. Don has appeared at all levels of the judicial system and has been counsel ...