Boughton Law Corporation

Boughton Law Corporation is a Vancouver-headquartered law firm. It employs 53 lawyers and 66 staff, making it Vancouver's 17th largest law firm by headcount and is one of only 2 law firms within Business in Vancouver's Top 26 which is run as a law corporation rather than a partnership ("Business in Vancouver", June 7-13, 2011, Pg 16: Biggest Law Firms in Vancouver). The firm has 21 Shareholders and 14 Associate Counsel (http://www.boughton.ca/people/lawyers).
History
The firm that is today known as Boughton Law Corporation has gone through a number of name changes since it was originally founded by James Edgar Boughton as Boughton, Jensen & McConnell in June 1949. Throughout the years, however, his name has always formed part of the firm's name. The firm was originally situated at 890 West Pender Street, family property which Boughton had inherited. ("Short Pants to Striped Trousers: The Life and Times of a Judge in Skid Road Vancouver": Craig, Wallace Gilby, Pg 99). Boughton took a year long sabbatical from his Vancouver practice between 1952/53, during which time he, along with an accountant and a businessman, travelled across Canada operating under the name J.E. Boughton Associates, advising businesspeople on tax minimization strategies. ("Short Pants to Striped Trousers: The Life and Times of a Judge in Skid Road Vancouver": Craig, Wallace Gilby, Pg 99). In 1955, Boughton Jensen & McConnell merged with Petersen and Anderson to become Boughton, Peterson, Anderson, Jenson and McConnell .(http://www.boughton.ca/More_info/Founding_Fathers). A further merger, with Street, Craig & Company, took place in 1968. On September 1, 1988, Boughton & Company as it was known by then, merged with Yang, Anderson to form Boughton Peterson Yang Anderson. This gave the Firm a presence in Asia, with offices in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Taipei. The Firm thus became the first Canadian law firm to get approval from the PRC Ministry of Justice to be licensed as a foreign firm in China. (http://www.bpya.com.hk/).
Notable Alumni
Leslie R. Peterson, Q.C. - appointed Queen's Counsel, 1960; Minister of Education, 1956-69; Minister of Labour, 1960-71; Chairman, Standing Committee, Canadian Ministers of Education, 1965-66; B.C. Attorney General, 1978-82; elected Chancellor of the University of British Columbia, March 1987; awarded membership of the Order of British Columbia, 1990; awarded the Order of Canada, November 15, 2000. (invested May 31, 2001). (http://www.gg.ca/honour.aspx?id6247&t12&ln=Peterson).
James Edgar Boughton, Q.C. - founded Boughton, Jensen & McConnell, the firm which eventually went on to become Boughton Law Corporation, in June 1949. Prior to commencing his legal practice, he had a distinguished career in the Army, rising to the rank of Lieutenant in Artillery, landing in France on D-Day and receiving a mention in Dispatches. (The Advocate, October 1984: pg 705).
A. Boyd Ferris, Q.C. - Chair of the Canadian Bar Association, 1976-77 - http://www.cba.org/CBA/Info/main/PrintHtml.aspx?DocId=13167. The youngest member of the legal profession to be appointed to this position and co-chairman of the Federal Liberal Campaign which led to election as Prime Minister of Canada. (The Advocate, 1989, pg 798).
Mr. Justice William Alastair Craig - Chairman of the Criminal Justice Subsection, Canadian Bar Association, 1957-58; President, Vancouver Bar Association, 1972; bencher, Law Society, 1973; appointed to B.C. Supreme Court, November 1973; promoted to BC Court of Appeal, September 1977. (The Advocate, March 1991: pg 278).
Mr. Justice Richard P. Anderson - co-founder of the firm Peterson & Anderson, which merged with Boughton Jensen & McConnell in 1955; appointed Queen's Counsel, 1969; appointed to Supreme Court bench, 1971; promoted to B.C. Court of Appeal, 1980. (The Advocate, March 1994: pg 263).
His Honour Judge Wallace Gilby Craig - Judge, Vancouver Criminal Division, Provincial Court of B.C., 1975 - 2001 - http://www.realjustice.ca/gpage3.html.
Firm sponsorships/charity events
Boughton Law Corporation, together with the BCLI (British Columbia Law Institute) have, since 2008, co-hosted the BCLI Great Debate, a fundraising event comprising dinner and a debate about a particular area of law or a legal practice issue. http://www.bcli.org/news/events/great-debate-2011
In 2008, Boughton Law Corporation sponsored Brittanee Laverdure, a member of the Canadian Women's National Wrestling Team. The sponsorship went towards training, coaching, travel and living expenses incurred during Olympic preparations. (Nation Talk: http://www.nationtalk.ca/modules/news/article.php?storyid=6547)
Boughton lawyers also participate in the annual Advice-a-thon, an event which provides legal services to individuals of modest income and to the homeless community - www.advice-a-thon.ca
Languages
Lawyers within Boughton are fluent or conversant in the following languages:
Cantonese,
Dutch,
French,
German,
Hebrew,
Italian,
Punjabi,
Serbo-Croat,
Swedish,
Yiddish.
Legal Marketing Award
In 2010, Boughton's marketing department was recognized by the Vancouver Chapter of the Legal Marketing Association in its annual Honouring Excellence in Legal Marketing Awards, when it won in the category "Marketing on a Shoestring". (http://www.legalmarketing.org/Chapters/VANCOUVER/HELMAWARDS/2010HELMAWARDS/tabid/1514/Default.aspx).

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