The Law Society of BC said there are only five law practices in the province with non-lawyer partners
The chief executive officer of Vancouver labour and employment firm Roper Greyell LLP has joined the firm’s partnership, making him its only non-lawyer partner and one of only a few non-lawyers who have been admitted as partner of a British Columbia law firm.
A spokesperson for the Law Society of BC said Thursday there are only five multi-disciplinary practices in the province with non-lawyer partners.
In BC, non-lawyers cannot join a firm’s partnership unless that firm qualifies as a multi-disciplinary practice.
Asked what went into the firm’s decision to make him a partner, Adam Garvin told Canadian Lawyer the move serves a broader point.
“Law firms are complex organizations, and the best ones are starting to recognize that building a strong firm requires more than legal talent alone,” Garvin said. “I hope this is a signal that Roper Greyell is thinking seriously about what great leadership looks like across the board.”
Garvin officially joined Roper Greyell’s partnership on Feb. 1.
Since 2010, the LSBC has allowed lawyers to participate in multi-disciplinary practices – i.e., partnerships between lawyers and non-lawyers – if they meet certain conditions. These include ensuring that all non-lawyer members of the partnership are of good character and repute, that lawyer members will have control over the delivery of legal services, and that non-lawyer members will not interfere with lawyer members’ compliance with the Legal Profession Act.
At the time the LSBC began permitting multidisciplinary practices, it argued that these business arrangements offer convenience to consumers by providing a one-stop shop for various professional services.
To make Garvin a partner, Roper Greyell applied for and received permission from the LSBC to form a multi-disciplinary practice. The firm currently has 23 other partners.
Garvin joined the firm as its chief operating officer in 2022 and became its CEO in 2024. He previously worked in the financial sector.
According to the executive, conversations about his joining Roper Greyell’s partnership began when its partners reviewed his contributions. They “felt that partnership was the right way to reflect it,” Garvin said.
“The firm has never taken the view that leadership is the exclusive domain of lawyers,” he added. “What matters to Roper Greyell is whether someone is genuinely invested in the firm’s success and whether they’re delivering at the highest level.
“By the time the conversation happened, I’d been doing this for a few years, and the fit felt clear.”
He said his new direct ownership interest in the firm will not change his duties as CEO.
“Adam’s journey to equity partnership is a reflection of the extraordinary leader he has become and the profound impact he has had on every aspect of our firm,” Sandra Guarascio, a partner at Roper Greyell and member of its management committee, said in a statement. “His business acumen, his commitment to our people and clients, and his embodiment of our firm’s values make this a natural and exciting next step.
“We are proud to welcome Adam to the partnership and look forward to everything he will continue to bring to Roper Greyell,” Guarascio added.
Editor's Note: A previous version of this article stated that Garvin is Roper Greyell's first CEO. He is actually the firm's second CEO. Canadian Lawyer regrets the error.
