About Us

McEwan Partners is a corporate, commercial and securities litigation boutique led by Ken McEwan K.C.Bob Cooper K.C., and Emily Kirkpatrick, three leading Chambers Canada and Lexpert®-ranked litigators.

Our team includes members of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, American College of Trial Lawyers, the International Society of Barristers, and Litigation Counsel of America, and five former judicial law clerks.

Our lawyers are consistently recognized by peer review agencies including Lexpert®, Benchmark Litigation, Chambers Canada, Who’s Who Legal, Best Lawyers in Canada™, Legal 500 Canada, The Globe and Mail list of Canada’s Best Law Firms, and Martindale®.

A list of the firm’s varied accomplishments can be found in the Recognition section of our website and on our team profiles.

Also, learn more about our team activities and community engagement in the Community section of our website.

Recent industry highlights include:

  • 2024 Benchmark Litigation, Hall of Fame Award (Ken McEwan, KC)
  • 2024 The Legal 500 Canada: Leading Firm – Dispute Resolution, Hall of Fame (Ken McEwan, KC), Next Generation Partner (Emily Kirkpatrick)
  • 2024 Chambers Canada 2024 Guide, Band 1 Litigation: General Commercial (Ken McEwan, KC)
  • 2024 Lexpert® Most Frequently Recommended Vancouver Firm for Litigation: Corporate Commercial
  • 2024 Benchmark Litigation, Future Star (Will Stransky)
  • 2023 & 2024 Who’s Who Legal Thought Leader: Commercial Litigation (Ken McEwan, KC)
  • 2023 & 2024 Benchmark Litigation, Top 50 Trial Lawyers (Ken McEwan, KC and Bob Cooper, KC)
  • 2023 & 2024 Benchmark Litigation, Litigation Stars (Ken McEwan, KC, Bob Cooper, KC, and Emily Kirkpatrick)
  • 2023 & 2024 Benchmark Litigation Canada, Highly Recommended Firm
  • 2023 Lexpert® / ALM 500 Guide, Leading Practitioner (Ken McEwan, KC)
  • 2023 Who’s Who Legal Recommended – Canada, Commercial Litigation, Product Liability Defence (Ken McEwan, KC)

In addition to all our lawyers acting as counsel, our senior lawyers also arbitrate and mediate disputes. Two are members of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and one an author of Commercial Arbitration in Canada and contributing author to A Practitioner’s Guide to Commercial Arbitration.

Our lawyers are active in the legal community, regularly contributing to publications and to student and continuing education programs, including authoring the fourth edition of Sopinka on the Trial of an Action and serving as an adjunct professor of law teaching advanced trial advocacy at the University of British Columbia. Our lawyers are involved in legal organizations, including the Canadian Bar Association (BC Branch) and the Advocates’ Society, both as members, on committees, and in leadership roles, including serving on the Board of Directors of the Advocates’ Society.

Although we practice as a litigation boutique, many of our lawyers have experience in full service corporate commercial firms working closely with business lawyers on complex securities and corporate litigation and arbitration. We are focused on client results, equipped for both complex and straightforward matters, and have the experience and judgement to know the difference.

McEwan Partners Pro Bono Work

We give back through our contributions to the legal profession and our pro bono work in the community.

Our lawyers have served as members and directors of the International Society of Barristers, the Advocates Society, and the Vancouver Bar Association. We have served on the Supreme Court rules committee and the Canadian Bar Association. We teach at law schools and continuing education programs and mentor law students and lawyers through programs like the Allan McEachern Course in Trial Advocacy and the Inns of Court. Our lawyers write texts and publish papers. We volunteer our time on issues that matter to the profession.

We have taken on cases pro bono to represent clients on significant matters. Our lawyers have represented public interest groups in trials and appeals. We have acted for individuals in need and have partnered with the Pivot Legal Society on cases relating to the legal rights of people facing homelessness and addiction.

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McEwan Partners