Emily Margaret MacKinnon

Emily MacKinnon is a skilled litigator with over a decade of experience in high-stakes litigation and arbitration. She is a trusted advisor and a veteran strategist. A sophisticated legal thinker and an exceptional oral advocate, Emily has argued at the Supreme Court of Canada and at all levels of court in British Columbia, Manitoba, Alberta, and Ontario.

Adept at identifying the crux of an issue, Emily provides practical advice to help her clients navigate thorny commercial disputes. She excels in matters involving complex statutory and contractual schemes. Her wide experience includes successfully defending class actions, construction disputes, and contract and tort cases. She has argued a wide variety of appeals with issues ranging from defamation to shareholder disputes, constitutional law, and trusts.

Emily is a leader in the community. She sits on the board of directors of Vancouver Opera, the National Self-Represented Litigants’ Project, and the UBC Allard School of Law Alumni Association. Emily maintains an active pro bono practice, and she is an adjunct professor at UBC. She also works as a legal officer for the Canadian Forces Reserves.

Emily received her JD from the University of British Columbia in 2012, where she graduated as the gold medalist and as a Wesbrook Scholar. Following her graduation from law school, she clerked at the Supreme Court of Canada for Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin.

The consultation period is now open for British Columbia’s Construction Prompt Payment Act.

The B.C. Court of Appeal’s decision in Hvitved v. Home Depot reaffirms that applications to strike remain a key tool in class action defence.