General Information
Overview
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
- 24 Farris partners ranked in The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory.
Languages: English, French, Mandarin, Cantonese, Punjabi and Spanish.
Firm News
Rankings
Farris LLP is nationally ranked in 15 practice areas and regionally awarded in 32 practice areas. Best Law Firms rankings are based on a rigorous evaluation process.
Read how Best Law Firms ranks firmsNational Rankings
Regional Rankings
Firm Leadership
Rankings
National Rankings
Regional Rankings
Practice Areas
- Alternative Dispute Resolution
- Banking and Finance Law
- Bet-the-Company Litigation
- Biotechnology Law
- Cannabis Law
- Construction Law
- Corporate and Commercial Litigation
- Corporate Governance Practice
- Corporate Law
- Defamation and Media Law
- Energy Law
- Environmental Law
- Family Law
- Family Law Arbitration
- Family Law Mediation
- Information Technology Law
- Insolvency and Financial Restructuring Law
- Intellectual Property Law
- International Trade and Finance Law
- Labour and Employment Law
- Legal Malpractice Law
- Maritime Law
- Mining Law
- Personal Injury Litigation
- Project Finance Law
- Real Estate Law
- Securities Law
- Sports Law
- Tax Law
- Trusts and Estates
Individuals Recognized in The Best Lawyers in Canada™
Awards
- Two Farris Lawyers Named in the 2024 Chambers Global Guide
- 24 Farris Lawyers Named in the 2024 Lexpert Directory
- Farris Lawyers Named as Lexpert Leading Finance and M&A Lawyers
- Farris Receives Top Honours from Benchmark Litigation
- Farris Receives Impact Case Award from Benchmark Litigation
- Farris Lawyers Named as Leading Infrastructure Lawyers
- Farris Partners Named as Leading Technology & Health Sciences Lawyers
- 61 Farris Lawyers Recognized in the 2025 Best Lawyers in Canada Directory
- Farris Lawyers Named as Leading Energy & Mining Lawyers
- Seven Farris Lawyers Named in the 2025 Chambers Canada Guide
- Farris Partners Named as Lexpert Leading Insolvency and Restructuring Lawyers
- Farris Repeatedly Recognized as One of Canada's Best Law Firms
- Farris Receives Impact Case Award from Benchmark Litigation
- Farris Named Excellence Awardee by Canadian Lawyer