Top Western full-service firms for 2025–26 have proven responsive, flexible, adaptable
Canadian Lawyer has announced its top Western law firms in 2025–26 – comprising the top 10 each in British Columbia and Alberta, as well as the top five each in Saskatchewan and Manitoba – all of which have established themselves as trusted partners for clients.
In their respective regional niches, the winning firms stood out among their peers in terms of their broad reach, community connections, knowledge management, pricing transparency, and successful track record in complex matters shaping business in the West.
Heather Suttie, legal market strategy and management consultant at Suttie, emphasizes that the leading firms are responsive, streamlined, non-hierarchical, flexible, and adaptable in terms of their service levels and business-oriented pricing strategies.
“Despite years of clients citing that responsiveness is problematic, many firms continue to disappoint on this basic service expectation,” Suttie says. “Those that respond with speed literally jump to the front of the pack.”
Suttie adds: “Better yet, responsive law firms that insist on providing clients with operational transparency and offer pricing schemes enabling choice, set themselves head-and-shoulders above the competition, and always will.”
Suttie highlights that the top-performing firms can make hard decisions, engage in uncomfortable conversations, and ruthlessly restructure themselves within a legal services market impacted by AI, pricing, and a transient workforce.
Selection process
The results reflect 642 reader votes across 45 nominees. First, Canadian Lawyer provided a long list of full-service firms with offices confined to BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and/or the Northern Territories, and asked readers to rank up to 10 firms, based on the following criteria:
- regional service coverage
- client base
- notable mandates
- service excellence
- legal expertise
Canadian Lawyer allowed readers to add firms not listed. The team then integrated the ranking results with the Lexpert peer survey, where applicable. Lastly, the team categorized the winners by geography and ranked them in order.
The top Western firms for 2025 include McKercher LLP, Carbert Waite, Duncan Craig LLP, Farris LLP, Koffman Kalef LLP, and Robertson Stromberg Legal Professional Corp.
“We regularly assess if what we’re doing is still the best and cutting edge, or if there’s something different we should do,” says Collin K. Hirschfeld, a partner at McKercher LLP.
“Our focus is on continued excellence, both in client service and community impact,” says Darren R. Bieganek, managing partner and leader of the insolvency and restructuring practice at Duncan Craig LLP.
“Our differentiator is making sure we have the best lawyers in BC,” says Bo Rothstein, managing partner of Farris LLP.
“Our retention demonstrates that if you give people good work and the opportunity to succeed, they will,” says Jennifer Pereira, a partner at Robertson Stromberg LLP.
Canadian Lawyer congratulates this year’s top firms. Those interested can learn more here.
