Business Litigation Lawyer Burnaby, BC
If you’re dealing with a business dispute in Burnaby, whether it’s a broken contract, a falling-out between partners, or a creditor coming after your company, the facts and timing of how you respond matter. These situations have legal deadlines, procedural requirements, and strategic decisions that are best made early.
Our Burnaby, BC business litigation lawyer at HS Law Corporation brings over 20 years of experience handling commercial and corporate disputes, both domestically and internationally. We represent businesses and individuals on all sides of a dispute. Call or book online for a free 30-minute phone or video consultation.
Why Choose HS Law Corporation For Business Litigation in Burnaby, BC?
When a commercial dispute reaches the point of litigation, you need someone who understands both the law and the practical realities of running a business. Not every disagreement needs to go to court. But when it does, preparation and local knowledge matter.
Experience Across Business and Corporate Law
Hogan Song, founder of HS Law Corporation, has been handling business and corporate matters for over 20 years. His background spans everything from contract disputes and shareholder conflicts to debt recovery and commercial real estate. He earned his law degree and undergraduate degree from the University of Alberta and is a member in good standing with the Law Society of BC. He handles all client matters directly, bringing in associate lawyers at his discretion on complex or multi-party files.
As an experienced civil litigation lawyer in British Columbia, Hogan approaches each dispute with a clear-eyed assessment: what does the client actually need to achieve, and what’s the most efficient path to get there?
Community Presence in the Tri-Cities Region
HS Law Corporation is rooted in this region. Hogan serves as a board member of the New View Society and heads its asset management committee. He is also a board member of the Tri-Cities Seniors Action Society and sits on the government relations and economic development committee of the Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce. He is a member of Small Business BC, an organization that directly supports the kinds of clients we serve every day.
Represented on All Sides of a Dispute
We represent any party in a business litigation matter: plaintiff or defendant, creditor or debtor, minority shareholder or majority, employer or employee. That breadth matters because we understand the arguments on every side before we walk into court or a mediation room.
Client Feedback
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“We hired Hogan to guide us through the probate process and represent us in the civil claims arose from the estate. Hogan was honest and explained things thoroughly. He always had our best interest in mind while acting professionally. The case ended with the settlement to our satisfaction. We highly recommend him.” – Mindy Q.
Read more reviews on our Google Business Profile.
Types Of Business Litigation Cases We Handle In Burnaby
Our firm handles the full range of business litigation for Burnaby clients, from pre-litigation demand letters through trial and, where necessary, appeals. We work on an hourly basis for litigation matters.
- Contract disputes. When one party doesn’t perform, you need to move quickly to preserve your position. We handle breach of contract claims, enforcement actions, and defences across documents like service agreements, supply contracts, commercial leases, and more.
- Partnership disputes. Breakdowns between business partners can paralyze an operation. We represent partners seeking dissolution, buyout enforcement, accounting, or injunctive relief against a co-owner acting outside their authority.
- Shareholder disputes. Minority shareholders often lack the leverage to force action without litigation. We handle oppression remedy applications, derivative actions, and disputes over share valuation or forced buy-sell mechanisms under the Business Corporations Act, SBC 2002, c 57.
- Commercial litigation. Debt recovery, fraud claims, unjust enrichment, and other civil disputes between businesses often require aggressive early action such as freezing orders, injunctions, or pre-judgment attachments. We know when those tools are available and how to use them.
- Business debt and collections. When clients refuse to pay your invoice, you have legal options. We pursue unpaid accounts through demand, negotiation, and litigation where necessary.
- Corporate and small business matters. Not all business disputes go to court. We also advise on corporate restructuring, shareholder agreements, and other matters where early legal input can prevent litigation later.
BC Legal Requirements For Business Litigation
British Columbia has a defined framework governing when and how commercial disputes are pursued in court. A few key points that affect most business litigation files:
Limitation periods. Under the Limitation Act, SBC 2012, c 13, most civil claims in BC must be commenced within two years of the date the claim was discovered. Miss that window, and a viable case is gone. This applies to breach of contract, debt recovery, and most tort-based commercial claims. Some circumstances can extend or reset this period, but you shouldn’t rely on that without advice.
The Business Corporations Act. Shareholder and corporate disputes are governed primarily by the Business Corporations Act, SBC 2002, c 57. It sets out the rights and remedies available to shareholders, directors, and officers, including the oppression remedy under section 227, which allows a court to order relief where corporate conduct is unfairly prejudicial to a shareholder.
Small Claims vs. Supreme Court. Claims under $35,000 can proceed in BC Small Claims Court, which is faster and less expensive. Claims above that threshold go to BC Supreme Court, where procedural requirements, discovery obligations, and costs exposure are significantly higher. Choosing the right forum matters, and the decision isn’t always obvious.
Pre-judgment remedies. BC courts can grant injunctions, freezing orders (Mareva injunctions), and other interim relief before a case is resolved. But the test is strict. Timing and evidence are critical. The BC Supreme Court Civil Rules govern the procedural requirements throughout the litigation process.
Understanding these rules before a dispute escalates can mean the difference between a strong position and one that’s already compromised.
Important Aspects Of A Burnaby Business Litigation Case
The Pleadings Stage
Litigation in the BC Supreme Court begins with pleadings: the Notice of Civil Claim and the Response to Civil Claim. These documents define the legal boundaries of the dispute. What you include here matters enormously. Courts generally won’t let you raise arguments at trial that weren’t properly pleaded, so getting this right from the start is key to our strategy.
Discovery and Document Production
Before trial, both sides are required to disclose relevant documents and, in most cases, submit to examination for discovery (sworn oral questioning by the opposing party’s lawyer). This is where cases are often won or lost. What gets produced, how witnesses answer, and what gets preserved or inadvertently destroyed can determine the outcome long before anyone stands up in court.
Case Planning Conferences and Judicial Case Management
BC Supreme Court requires parties in most civil cases to attend a case planning conference before trial. A judge or master reviews the file, sets timelines, and sometimes pushes parties toward resolution. This isn’t a formality either. It’s an opportunity to shape the litigation roadmap and, occasionally, to surface weaknesses in the opposing party’s position early.
Settlement and Without Prejudice Offers
The majority of business litigation in BC resolves before trial. Formal settlement offers made under Rule 9-1 of the BC Supreme Court Civil Rules carry real cost consequences—f you refuse a reasonable offer and do worse at trial, you may be ordered to pay the other side’s legal costs from the date of the offer. Understanding when and how to make or respond to settlement offers is a significant part of managing litigation risk.
Costs
BC follows a “loser pays” model, at least in part. The successful party in litigation is generally entitled to party-and-party costs: a partial reimbursement of their legal fees calculated according to a tariff. In cases involving misconduct or a refused settlement offer, courts can award elevated costs. This exposure affects how clients and their lawyers approach every decision in a file, from whether to sue at all to when to settle.
Contact HS Law Corporation
If you’re facing a business dispute in Burnaby or the surrounding area, the right time to get legal advice is before the other side has fully organized their position. We offer a free 30-minute phone or video consultation for new matters. Contact us to schedule your appointment today. We respond promptly and will tell you in plain language what your options are.
Business Litigation Statistics in Burnaby, BC
Business insolvencies in British Columbia climbed more than 26% year over year in 2024, according to federal insolvency data from the Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy. The same office reported that total insolvency filings across Canada rose more than 23% in 2023. Behind many of those filings sit unpaid invoices, broken contracts, and partners who stopped agreeing. The province counts hundreds of thousands of active companies in its business statistics, and Burnaby holds thousands of them. Real estate and construction have been hit especially hard. Most of these conflicts never reach a courtroom, and our Burnaby business litigation lawyer can help you avoid the courtroom.
Mistakes That Can Damage Your Business Litigation Claim
A strong case can be weakened by what you do in the early days of a dispute, even when working with our Burnaby business litigation lawyer. We see the same avoidable errors over and over. Knowing them ahead of time can protect your position before a claim is ever filed.
- Waiting too long to get advice. Business disputes have deadlines, and they run quietly in the background while you try to work things out. By the time many owners call a lawyer, options have already narrowed. Early advice keeps more doors open.
- Putting the wrong things in writing. Emails, texts, and even internal notes can end up in front of a judge. A frustrated message sent at midnight has sunk more than one good claim. Assume anything you write about the dispute could be read aloud in court.
- Deleting or altering documents. When a dispute looks likely, the duty to preserve records kicks in. Destroying files, even routine ones, can do more damage than the underlying disagreement. Keep everything.
- Trying to handle a shareholder dispute alone. A shareholder dispute involves rights and remedies that aren’t obvious from the outside, and the wrong first move can surrender an advantage you won’t get back. These rarely resolve well without advice.
- Ignoring a demand letter. A demand that goes unanswered doesn’t go away. Silence often pushes the other side straight to filing. A measured response, sent on time, frequently opens room to settle.
- Letting unpaid accounts pile up. The longer an invoice sits, the harder debt collection becomes, as records grow stale and the debtor’s finances worsen. Acting on overdue accounts early protects your ability to recover.
- Assuming every dispute means trial. Court is one path, not the only one. There are partnership dispute remedies and negotiated resolutions that resolve matters faster and cheaper than a full trial. Treating litigation as the only option costs time and money.
- Going in without a clear goal. Owners sometimes want to win without knowing what winning looks like. A buyout, a payment, an injunction, and an apology are very different outcomes. We start by asking what you actually need.
Burnaby Business Litigation Lawyer FAQs
How Much Does a Business Litigation Lawyer in Burnaby Cost?
We start every new matter with a free 30-minute phone or video consultation. That gives you a read on the dispute and lets us explain how we’d approach it before you commit to anything. Litigation work is billed hourly, and we’re upfront about that from the first call. The cost of a file depends on its complexity, the other side’s conduct, and whether the matter settles early or runs toward trial. We’ll give you a realistic picture rather than a rosy one. Where a flat fee makes sense for a defined piece of work, we’ll say so.
How Long Do I Have to File a Business Claim in BC?
Most civil claims in British Columbia must be started within two years of the date you discovered the problem. That basic two-year window comes from the Limitation Act, and it applies to breach of contract, debt recovery, and most commercial claims. Miss it, and a perfectly good case can be lost for good. A few situations pause or reset the clock, but you shouldn’t count on those without advice. When in doubt, treat the deadline as firm.
Should My Dispute Go to Small Claims or BC Supreme Court?
It depends mostly on the amount and the complexity. Smaller money disputes can move through faster, lower-cost channels, while larger commercial claims belong in BC Supreme Court, where the procedures and costs are heavier. The forum you choose affects timing, expense, and how a case is run. We help you weigh that early, because picking the wrong venue can slow everything down.
Do You Handle Shareholder and Partnership Disputes?
Yes, our Burnaby business litigation lawyer can handle this. We act in oppression claims, buyout fights, deadlock, and disputes over how a company is being run. We also handle commercial litigation more broadly, from fraud claims to unjust enrichment. We represent majority and minority owners, and we’ve sat on both sides of these disputes often enough to know how they tend to unfold. That perspective shapes the strategy we recommend.
Can You Help Recover Unpaid Business Debts?
We do. Recovering money owed often starts with a demand and moves to negotiation, then litigation only if it has to. We also advise companies setting up or restructuring through business incorporation, where clear agreements prevent collection problems later. The right approach depends on the size of the debt and the debtor’s situation, and we’ll tell you honestly whether pursuing it makes financial sense.
What About Commercial Property or Lease Disputes?
Disputes over a commercial lease, a purchase that fell through, or a co-owned building can stall an entire operation. Our real estate litigation work covers these conflicts, and we coordinate with our commercial real estate practice when a transaction sits at the centre of the fight. Property disputes move fast, and the stakes are high, so early action matters.
What Happens at the First Consultation?
You’ll speak directly with a lawyer, not an intake screener. We’ll ask what happened, review the key facts, and give you a frank assessment of where you stand. Sometimes that means telling you the claim isn’t worth pursuing. We treat most disputes as civil litigation matters and explain the realistic paths forward, including the ones that avoid court entirely. You leave with a clearer sense of your options.
Local Information for Burnaby Business Litigation Cases
Burnaby Courts and Local Business Litigation Resources
Burnaby does not have its own Supreme Court registry. Commercial claims for the area are generally filed and heard at the New Westminster Law Courts, a short drive away, which houses both the Supreme and Provincial Court registries. Smaller disputes can often be resolved online through a provincial tribunal without anyone setting foot in a courtroom. Knowing which forum fits your matter saves both time and money. Our Burnaby business litigation lawyer handles that assessment as part of the first conversation, so you aren’t guessing about where your case belongs.
What Are Important Local Resources for Burnaby Business Litigation?
These are the offices and organizations Burnaby business owners turn to most often when a dispute arises or when they simply need to understand their options.
- New Westminster Law Courts, 651 Carnarvon Street, New Westminster. Phone: 604-660-8522. The Supreme and Provincial Court registries serving Burnaby commercial matters.
- Civil Resolution Tribunal. Phone: 1-844-322-2292. An online tribunal that resolves smaller claims, generally up to $5,000, without a courtroom.
- Burnaby Board of Trade, 201-4555 Kingsway, Burnaby. Phone: 604-412-0100. A local business association offering networking, advocacy, and support for area companies.
These resources are listed for convenience only. HS Law Corporation does not endorse, and is not affiliated with, any of the organizations above, and we receive nothing for mentioning them.
About HS Law Corporation
HS Law Corporation handles both sides of a closely held company’s legal life, from business and commercial disputes to wills and estate litigation. Our work has spanned matters across British Columbia and other Canadian jurisdictions, which gives us a wider view than a single-court practice. We also advise small business owners on the agreements and structures that head off disputes before they start. Outside the office, our founder stays active in the local community, including with the Port Moody Soccer Club.
What Our Clients Say
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“Hogan took over my real estate matter and brought a wealth of knowledge to the case. Despite delays from the other party, he was able to resolve it within five months. He clearly explained the process and my options, keeping me well informed at every stage. When a deal was reached, he went above and beyond by recommending a broker to help with financing and insurance.” – Fathi Len Mohammed
Read more reviews on our Google Business Profile.
Contact HS Law Corporation
If a business dispute in Burnaby is keeping you up at night, the sooner you understand your position, the better your decisions will be. We offer a free 30-minute phone or video consultation for new matters, and you’ll speak with a lawyer who has handled commercial disputes for over two decades. You’ll get a straight answer about your options and what each one is likely to cost. We respond promptly to new inquiries. Contact us to set up your consultation with our Burnaby business litigation lawyer.
