Russell S. Brown

The Hon Russell Brown is an arbitrator, mediator and associate counsel to the firm. His career began as litigation counsel at the Bars of British Columbia and Alberta, handling a wide range of commercial, insurance, construction, estates and other issues. While at the bar of Alberta, he also served as Professor and Associate Dean of Law at the University of Alberta and Chair of the Health Law Institute.

He then served over 10 years on Canada’s federal judiciary, including eight years on the Supreme Court of Canada, where he wrote significant judgments in commercial and private law (both common law and civil law), constitutional law, administrative law, aboriginal law, oil and gas, tax law, technology law, criminal law and class actions.

He is the author of the Commonwealth’s leading treatise on tort claims for economic loss and the co-author of a textbook on government liability, in addition to over 40 published law review articles on private law, regulatory takings and civil justice. His scholarship and judgments have been cited by Commonwealth high courts, and he has continued to give invited presentations to lawyers, judges, legal academics, legislators and policymakers across Canada, the United States, Europe, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Singapore, New Zealand and Israel. He regularly contributes to academic and professional conference proceedings and judicial education conferences.

Mr. Brown offers unique, effective and unvarnished insights and strategic counsel to members of the firm, other firms and clients on important matters proceeding to the Supreme Court of Canada, and to trial and appellate courts across the country (including Quebec, Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia), or to arbitration. He often conducts “mock appeals” to assist counsel in preparing for appeals and provides legal opinions in complex matters of private and public law.

Mr. Brown conducts domestic and international arbitrations both in English and in French, and offers his services also as a mediator in complex commercial and public law matters.

Mr. Brown holds degrees from the Universities of British Columbia, Victoria and Toronto, including an earned master’s and doctoral degree from Toronto. He is a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, an Honorary Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, an Honorary Member of the governing board of the Canadian Forum for Civil Justice, the holder of an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from the University of Alberta and a recipient from the Government of Alberta of the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal “in recognition of significant contributions to the province”.

He is a member of the Boards of Directors of the Canadian Constitution Foundation, the Royal British Columbia Museum Foundation, and the Lakes District Museum Society. He is also a member of the Advisory Board of the Salvation Army (Greater Vancouver) and a volunteer mentor with the Access Pro Bono Society of British Columbia.