Four partners have left a well known national law firm to set up a new client-focused commercial real estate law firm.
Four well-known lawyers, veterans of the Vancouver commercial real estate scene, have left a leading national firm to set up a boutique law firm specifically to meet the needs of developers and other commercial real estate players.
Leveraging more than 95 years of combined experience in the real estate space, Glenn Leung, Russell Benson, Beverly Ellingson and Elizabeth Yip opened the doors of Terra Law Corporation (www.terralawcorp.ca) on July 8, 2013. Terra Law will advise clients on the purchase, sale and financing of all commercial real estate asset classes, commercial, residential and mixed-use development, leasing, joint venture/partnership structuring, hospitality and clean energy and infrastructure projects.
“Real estate – and development in particular – is the principal economic driver in the Lower Mainland. Many of the business leaders in our community are connected to the real estate industry. Our knowledge and industry contacts position us perfectly to help these leaders,” said Leung. Benson added: “Over the years, we have worked for most of the leading B.C. -based and national developers, owners and investors. We know their businesses well.”
The four owners recognized the need for a boutique commercial real estate law firm providing first-class legal services in the Vancouver market, and decided the time was right to launch Terra Law. Terra Law provides an option not currently available to the commercial real estate industry in Vancouver – top lawyers with significant real estate experience practicing in a small firm environment. Yip pointed out: “Having our own firm gives us the flexibility to be more responsive to our clients’ needs.”
Client response has been extremely positive. Terra Law’s value proposition, and its emphasis on personal service and responsiveness, appear to be resonating well.
Leung, Benson, Ellingson and Yip all see Terra Law as a step “back to the future,” Ellingson reminisced: “We all trained together under some of the best legal minds in the City at a time when clients saw us as an integral part of their business team providing excellent value for service. We want to continue that tradition.” Announcements about additional legal and other staff will be made soon, but the owners have no interest in growing too large. Ellingson added: “We’re leaving Big Law behind, and we are very excited about the future.”