Construction lawyers Bruce Reynolds and Sharon Vogel have left Borden Ladner Gervais LLP but they will continue their work on construction lien reform.
Best known for co-authoring a 299-page report titled Striking the Balance: Expert Review of Ontario’s Construction Lien Act, Reynolds and Vogel have joined British Columbia-based Singleton Urquhart to form Singleton Urquhart Reynolds Vogel LLP. The firm will continue to operate under the name Singleton Reynolds.
“The opportunity to join Singleton Urquhart Reynolds Vogel was we felt a terrific opportunity to practise with some wonderful people in an area where the core business is focused on construction and infrastructure which is the focus of our practices,” said Vogel.
The lien act report, commissioned by the province in 2015 and released in 2016, included key recommendations by the lawyers such as a prompt payment regime, modernization of construction lien and holdback rules and the introduction of an adjudication system that provides interim binding resolution of disputes.
The review ultimately formed the basis for much of the Bill 142 reforms which led to amendments to the 33-year-old act. The Construction Lien Amendment Act, 2017 achieved royal assent in the legislature in December 2017 with the reforms incorporated into a new Construction Act.
Singleton Urquhart has been in the Vancouver market since the early ‘80s and currently has 55 lawyers which “handle a wide spectrum of construction, insurance, corporate and commercial cases, and conduct general litigation, including professional liability and wrongful-dismissal cases. They also consult on public policy and have extensive local and international experience in alternative dispute resolution,” states the firm’s website.
Reynolds and Vogel will be anchor partners at the new Toronto office at King Street West and University Avenue. It is expected to grow to about a dozen lawyers, Vogel said.
“It’s a beautiful fit for Sharon and myself,” added Reynolds. “It’s a really thrilling opportunity to be a part of building something in the way of a broader platform which is strongly focused on our core competency. The group at Borden Ladner Gervais remains very strong in its own right. We see ourselves as leaving a really great firm comprised of really wonderful people to move to another really great but smaller firm with wonderful people who are principally focused on our area of core competency and our main focus.”
Following the release of the report, Reynolds and Vogel were asked by Attorney General Yasir Naqvi to stay on to help draft the reform legislation and they will continue to assist with drafting regulations now that the legislation has been approved.
“That is going to continue to be a key part of our practice and we are continuing our mandate,” Vogel stated. “Right now for the Ontario government, we’re continuing to work with the Ministry of the Attorney General on the regulation drafting phase of our mandate and we’re very excited about that. We are looking forward to the proclamation of the regulations in the spring. We view that mandate as one of the most important things we’ve worked on in our careers.”
Reynolds and Vogel plan to continue to develop and expand their practices in the construction and infrastructure space with the new firm.
“It’s not necessarily a new and different focus but it will be a continued focus,” explained Reynolds. “We want to continue our engagement in the area of public policy development. In addition, we both want to build a part of our practice serving as arbitrators and mediators.”
Vogel said she is looking forward to a new chapter.
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