Insurance
That focus matters. Because we do not accept work from insurance companies, our clients know that our only interest is theirs, and referring professionals — brokers, accountants, and lawyers at other firms, including insurer-side counsel with conflicts — can send clients to us knowing there is no competing loyalty on our side of the file.
Our insurance group represents insureds in high-value and complex coverage matters across Canada. Clients typically come to us at one of three points: when a significant loss has just occurred and the claim needs to be presented properly from the outset; when an insurer has denied, underpaid, or delayed a claim; or when a liability claim has been made against them and their insurer has refused to defend or indemnify. At every stage, our objective is to maximize recovery under every policy that responds to the loss.
What distinguishes our practice is the depth we bring to the losses themselves. Many of the largest and most contested claims arise from buildings, infrastructure, and construction projects, and our insurance lawyers are all part of one of British Columbia’s leading construction law groups. We understand shoring, structural systems, mass timber, water ingress, and remediation. That technical fluency changes how coverage disputes are investigated, argued, and resolved.
We regularly act on losses and claims involving:
- Fire and flood losses to commercial, strata, and residential property
- Business interruption and contingent business interruption losses
- Losses during construction, including claims under course of construction (builder’s risk) policies
- Transportation, cargo, and logistics claims
- Fine art and other high-value specialty property
- Liability claims, including disputes over an insurer’s duty to defend and to pay defence costs
- Valuation disputes, including actual cash value, replacement cost, and co-insurance issues
- Denied, underpaid, and delayed claims, including claims for breach of the insurer’s duty of good faith
- Claims against insurance brokers for failing to place appropriate coverage
Our services include:
- Reviewing policies and providing coverage opinions before and after a loss
- Preparing and presenting claims, and guiding clients through examinations under oath and the insurer’s investigation
- Working with adjusters, examiners, forensic accountants, engineers, and other experts to build and quantify the claim
- Navigating overlapping coverage among multiple insurers and policy layers, including excess policies
- Invoking statutory dispute resolution and appraisal processes for valuation disputes
- Representing policyholders in negotiations, mediations, arbitrations, and court proceedings
We are experienced with the full range of commercial and personal lines policies, including:
- Commercial property and all-risks policies
- Business interruption coverage
- Course of construction (builder’s risk) and wrap-up liability policies
- Commercial general liability
- Professional liability and errors and omissions
- Transportation and cargo policies
- Fine art and specialty property policies
- Project-specific and manuscript policies
- Excess and umbrella policies
- Homeowner and residential property policies
Where a loss reveals that the right coverage was never placed, we also act for insureds in negligence claims against their brokers. Acting on both sides of that problem gives us an uncommon understanding of how coverage is built, and how it breaks down.
If you have suffered a significant loss, received a denial, or want advice on your coverage before a dispute arises, we invite you to contact our team.