Sarah McEachern

Partner

Vancouver
[email protected]
604.632.3471

Sarah has extensive experience in all aspects of commercial litigation and arbitration disputes. She focuses her practice on helping clients resolve complex disputes in the commercial, construction, mining, health and energy sectors. She has expertise in both domestic and international disputes and has acted or advised on proceedings under the rules of the ICC, ICDR, AAA, SCC, HKIAC and BCICAC (now VanIAC).

Sarah is BLG’s regional manager of commercial and construction disputes. Sarah has experience negotiating commercial agreements with health authorities, as well as resolving related disputes through mediation and arbitration. She has acted for online pharmacies and pharmaceutical development companies dealing with financing and licensing disputes. Sarah, an experienced arbitrator, was selected as one of 12 arbitrators to sit on the inaugural roster of Arbitration Place's NextGen Arbitrators. In 2021 the Government of British Columbia appointed Sarah to serve a five-year term as a roster member for BC's Bid Protest Mechanism and Dispute Resolution panels, established under the New West Partnership Trade Agreement and the Canadian Free Trade Agreement.

She writes and presents frequently on topics related to arbitration and complex litigation, and co-authored the guide Technology Resources for Arbitration Practitioners for the IBA.

Sarah has a working knowledge of French and Spanish. 

Sarah provides legal services through a Law Corporation.

Testimonials

Experience

  • Experience in product liability trials.
  • Expertise in international and domestic commercial arbitration hearings.
  • Experience in enforcement of foreign arbitral awards, jurisdictional disputes and licensing disputes.
  • Experience in commercial dispute resolution and negotiations in the health sector.
  • Assisted physicians in the health sector in negotiating commercial agreements with health authorities as well as in resolving related disputes, including successful arbitration proceedings.
  • Worked with online pharmacies, and pharmaceutical development companies dealing with financing and licensing disputes.
  • Frequent author, moderator and speaker of arbitration issues and matters.
 

Beyond Our Walls

Professional Involvement

  • Steering Committee, IBA Arb40
  • Editorial Board, Commercial Litigation and Arbitration Review
  • Roster Member, Arbitration Place, NextGen
  • Director, Vancouver International Arbitration Centre
  • Advisory Board, Young Canadian Arbitration Practitioners

Community Involvement

  • Volunteer, BLG Reads to Kids
  • Pro Bono Lawyer, Duty Counsel Project
  • Minerva Foundation, Women Leading the Way

Awards & Recognitions

  • Recognized in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in Canada™ (Corporate and Commercial Litigation)
  • Recognized in the 2025 (and since 2023) editions of Chambers Canada (Dispute Resolution: Arbitration).
  • Recognized in the 2024 (and since 2021) editions of The Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory (Commercial Arbitration).
  • Recognized in the 2024 (and since 2021) editions of Benchmark Canada – The Definitive Guide to Canada's Leading Litigation Firms & Attorneys as a "Litigation Star" and in the 2019 (and since 2017) editions as a "Future Star".
  • Recognized in the 2024 edition (and since 2022) of Benchmark Canada – The Definitive Guide to Canada's Leading Litigation Firms & Attorneys in the "Top 100 Women in Litigation".
  • Recognized in the 2024 edition (and since 2018) of Who's Who Legal: Canada (Arbitration) and since 2024 (Commercial Litigation)
  • Recognized in the 2023 edition (and since 2020) of Lexpert Special Edition: Litigation.
  • Recognized as a 2020 Lexpert Rising Star.
  • Recognized in the 2020 edition (and since 2017) of the Benchmark 40 & Under Hot List.
  • Recognized as a Rising Star in Commercial Arbitration in Expert Guides 2017.

Bar Admission & Education

  • British Columbia, 2008
  • JD, University of Toronto, 2007
  • BA (Hons.), University of Victoria, 2003
  • Participant, Singapore International Arbitration Academy, Nov/Dec 2013