Bio

As a born-and-bred Vancouverite, James Speakman is passionate about the development of Vancouver and of British Columbia. Throughout his life, James has followed closely the transition of metropolitan Vancouver from a “village by the sea,” economically based on resource extraction, to one of the most livable cities in the world with a varied economic base. Ever since he was young, James has been interested in subways and roads, trains and planes, buildings and bridges and how everything works together to support people, goods and business. This passion has formed his career, which has been focused on commercial real estate, both in private business and legal practice, for over 30 years. He was a senior executive in the real estate industry for 10+ years and has practiced law in the real estate sector for 20+ years. In doing so, James has earned a varied and cross-disciplinary experience. This duality allows him to better help our clients, implementing practical and grounded legal solutions that advance their business goals in the transactions and developments that help build our city. This experience has given James the ability to understand the opportunities, priorities and challenges that our clients juggle from the inside. As the Managing Partner of our firm, James leads our team of determined lawyers who serve our clients with efficient and effective solutions. He draws on his business and legal experiences to help the firm grow the businesses and meet the needs of our diverse and dynamic clients who span an array of business sectors in BC, Canada and in the United States.