You don’t always see a local businesses today looking forward to the future with excitement. However, North Vancouver law firm Lakes, Whyte LLP is striding confidently ahead by opening its bright new offices at 1312 Lonsdale, in the heart of North Vancouver’s business district.
A North Vancouver institution since 1986, Lakes, Whyte LLP is also looking to the future by bringing to the North Shore some of the best young legal talent to be found anywhere.
Navrita Brar is Lakes, Whyte LLP’s newest lawyer, called to the bar on October 28. Navrita is enthusiastic about starting her practice in North Vancouver and taking on issues from wills and estates to real estate.
“I’ve been away from the North Shore these past few years,” Navrita says. “So it’s been an amazing opportunity to come back and start my legal practice where it all began. Working on the North Shore has reminded me of all the things I love about North Vancouver: the people, the vibe of a growing community, and great scenery!”
Clark Hartnett joined Lakes, Whyte LLP in early 2018 and has already established a diverse civil litigation practice.
“I moved from a law firm downtown to the North Shore. I’m amazed at the broad range of legal issues that we get to help to solve here. I’ve dealt with everything from property line disputes to commercial leases, construction disputes to employment contracts.”
Clark adds, “The more I work with clients here on the North Shore, the more I realize how diverse our community is—as are the legal problems people bring to us.”
Naeem Bardai joined Lakes, Whyte LLP as a solicitor in September. He echoes Clark’s sentiment.
“My time at a large downtown law firm often meant dealing with the same issue over and over. That’s great if you’re only interested in one area, but you get disconnected from the legal problems that real people face.”
Naeem’s practice focuses on helping local businesses with their legal needs. He also works with local people, particularly to help solve property disputes.
“I’d call what we do ‘practical lawyering’. We meet with people, figure out what the problem is, and find a solution that actually works for that person. It’s never a one-size-fits-all solution.”
Jennifer Bednard articled with Lakes, Whyte LLP, and became a lawyer in May, 2018. Her practice bridges litigation and solicitor’s work, focusing on wills and estates and personal injury. She also believes that finding practical solutions is key to legal practice and that the lawyers at Lakes, Whyte LLP have the breadth of experience to find those practical solutions.
“At Lakes, Whyte LLP, our solicitors and litigators have experience in complementary areas. Our clients can rely on us to help them with all aspects of a legal problem. If they need help with administering an estate which leads to a lawsuit, our legal team can work together to resolve our client’s problem.”
Lakes, Whyte LLP’s young lawyers look forward to developing their practices in North Vancouver. They are optimistic that the future will bring new and interesting problems to solve and that Lakes, Whyte LLP’s new offices at 13th and Lonsdale will prove a strong base for that future.