Description
Intermediate Litigation Associate Position – General Civil Litigation and Insurance Defence
About Owen Bird
We are a full-service business law firm in downtown Vancouver, and for more than 50 years, we have provided exceptional service and outstanding results for our clients.
Our clients include large, medium and small businesses, publicly traded companies, financial institutions (including chartered banks, credit unions and non-bank commercial lenders), insurers, and leaders in real estate, telecommunications and other sectors. Through our affiliation with Interlaw, a network of full-service business law firms in more than 150 cities around the world, a number of our files also involve cross-border and international issues.
We are committed to excellence in our practice while maintaining an environment that is informal, collegial and respectful. We value open communication and transparency and aim to give our associates meaningful responsibility and opportunities to develop their practices from an early stage. Associates are encouraged to take ownership of their files, develop direct relationships with clients and gain hands-on experience, while having the support and guidance of experienced counsel.
We place a strong emphasis on mentorship, both in developing substantive legal and advocacy skills and in learning the business of practicing law, including client management and business development. Our goal is to develop well-rounded lawyers who can build successful practices of their own, with a view to our associates becoming the future shareholders of the firm.
Position
We are currently seeking a litigation associate whose practice will focus on general civil and insurance defence.
Our intermediate litigation associates have conduct of their own files, where appropriate based on the complexity of the matter, and assist senior counsel with various aspects of more complex files across a broad range of litigation areas, including:
- insurance defence (bodily injury, product liability, professional negligence, construction deficiencies, etc.);
- commercial litigation (contractual disputes, shareholder disputes, corporate governance disputes);
- construction litigation;
- bankruptcy and insolvency litigation (lender/creditor side); and
- administrative law (tribunal hearings, judicial review and statutory appeals).
The ideal candidate will be a 2-to-6-year call who has hands-on experience in the above-mentioned litigation areas. Experience in drafting pleadings, conducting examinations for discovery, drafting and speaking to chamber applications, negotiating at mediations, and appearing at trial would be valuable background skills to have. The candidate should have a breadth of experience in our litigation practice areas and be capable of conducting files from beginning to end.
This is an excellent opportunity for a well-rounded, self-motivated individual who possesses sound judgment, a solid work ethic, and good interpersonal skills. Bringing an existing client base, although an asset, is not a requirement. The right candidate would ultimately have the opportunity to grow their practice and apply to become a shareholder in due course.
Compensation
We are on a lockstep compensation model based on year of call, comparable with the market, with a competitive bonus/incentive model that rewards associates who exceed billable hour expectations.
Base salary: $130,000 – $182,000 depending on year of call.
Our annual billable target for associates is 1,600 hours. We offer a competitive compensation and benefits program designed to support our associates both professionally and personally. Our benefits include firm-paid parking/transit/gym allowance, a health spending account, extended health and dental benefits, and individual marketing and business development budgets. We also support associates' in professional development and encourage involvement in industry, community, and networking initiatives.
Application Process
To apply, please submit a brief cover letter (1 page maximum), a CV (2 pages maximum), and a practice synopsis. Please indicate your available start date in your cover letter and please be prepared to provide references. Applications should be submitted by email to the Recruitment Committee at [email protected].
The application deadline is September 30, 2026, but we’ll be reviewing and interviewing candidates as applications come in.
For more information about our firm, and our lawyers, visit www.owenbird.com.
For questions, please contact us at: [email protected]