Legal 500 Leading Firm in Dispute Resolution for 2021

Hakemi & Ridgedale LLP was announced by the Legal 500 Canada 2021 edition as a Leading Firm in Dispute Resolution. Hakemi & Ridgedale’s clients say that the team stands out because it is ‘cohesive and very thorough’ and has a ‘genuinely personal commitment’.

The Vancouver-based litigation boutique is adept in a wide range of contentious civil litigation matters, with notable experience in corporate and commercial disputes, securities litigation, administrative law, and defamation law. Headed by co-founders and partners Tom Hakemi and Lisa Ridgedale, Hakemi & Ridgedale lawyers have experience advising clients across a number of industry sectors including private equity and investments, financial services and banking, mining, resources, energy and infrastructure, construction, real estate, and retail and consumer markets.

The firm has been instrumental in leading cases for the business community in Western Canada including the following recent wins. In Pan v. Gao, 2020 BCCA 58, Hakemi & Ridgedale successfully appealed a trial decision at the BC Court of Appeal in a defamation case which focused on the significant legal issues of when it is appropriate for a trial judge to draw adverse inferences and to take judicial notice.

In Perron v. IG Image Group Inc., 2020 BCSC 171, Hakemi & Ridgedale successfully defended all of the plaintiff’s employment related claims against its clients, including constructive dismissal, conspiracy, inducing breach of contract and intentional interference of economic relations. The action was hard-fought by counsel on both sides and it culminated in an eight-day trial in November and December 2019. The trial showcased an all-female courtroom, which included the Judge, counsel for all parties, the plaintiff, and the personal defendants, which is a testament to the progress women have made in the legal profession and the influence they have on the administration of justice in this country.

The Legal 500 is the world’s largest legal referral guide with over 5 million visitors globally. On an annual basis, the Legal 500 conducts comprehensive research into the legal market in over 150 jurisdictions and has analyzed the capabilities of law firms across the world for the last 33 years. The Legal 500 highlights, among others, the practice area teams who provide the most cutting edge and innovative legal advice and the background research is based on submissions from law firms, independent research, client feedback, and interviews with leading private practice lawyers.