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Matthew G. Swanson

Partner

Vancouver
[email protected]
604.632.3474

Expertise

Marissa Julmi

Practice Assistant

Vancouver
[email protected]
604.632.3520

Matthew Swanson is a leading litigation and disputes lawyer in BLG’s Vancouver office. He has extensive experience acting for companies and individuals in critical business and personal disputes.

Matthew is known for his strategic approach to challenging cases. He regularly appears as counsel in complex matters and has conducted numerous trials, arbitrations, and appeals. He handles transactional disputes, contract disputes, real estate, and construction disputes, franchise disputes, and matters relating to the breakdown of business relationships, including partnership disputes, shareholder disputes and oppression claims.

Matthew is a frequent author and speaker. He has written and spoken extensively on a broad range of litigation and dispute resolution issues including topics relating to contract law, real estate law, construction law and franchise law.

Matthew provides legal services through a Law Corporation.

Testimonials

Acritas Stars, 2017

"Matthew is a very tenacious, hardworking and creative litigator."

Matindale-Hubbell Client Review, 2019

"Matthew is a results oriented, strategic thinker. He embraces the challenge of high stakes litigation."

Martindale-Hubbell Client Review, 2019

"He is meticulous in his approach to litigation, and he is able to decipher complex matters and make them easy for clients and judges to understand."

Martindale-Hubbell Client Review, 2019

"Matthew is one of the best and most effective I have ever engaged. His strategic insight into both substantive legal issues and the creation of an effective litigation plan is excellent. "

Martindale-Hubbell Client Review 2019

"When dealing with tough litigation, Matthew is my first call...[he] is my go-to. Matthew has and always will be a key part of our business and success."

Experience

  • Construction dispute. Arbitration counsel to a general contractor in a dispute relating to non-payment, successfully advancing a claim to obtain compensation for services rendered, and defending against claims for alleged defects, and deficiencies (2024).
  • Share purchase dispute. Arbitration counsel to the purchaser of shares in a post-closing adjustments dispute, focussing on the application of generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) (2024). 
  • Real estate dispute - Commercial leasing. Litigation counsel to landlord in a petition brought by a tenant for relief from forfeiture after the lease was terminated, successfully avoiding the reinstatement of the lease (2024 BCSC 2246).
  • Protection of Public Participation Act (PPPA) dispute. Litigation counsel in defence of an application to dismiss counterclaims, successfully avoiding dismissal while confirming that the PPPA did not protect against physical acts that lead to expression (2024 BCSC 570).
  • Partnership dispute. Litigation counsel to a limited partnership and its general partner in an application seeking and successfully obtaining a stay of court proceedings by a limited partner in favour of arbitration (2024 BCSC 528). 
  • Defamation - Injunction. Litigation counsel in defence of an application for a broad sweeping gag order relating to allegations of past and prospective instances of defamation, seeking and successfully obtaining a dismissal of the application and special costs (2023 BCSC 2112).
  • Protection of confidential information- Injunction. Litigation counsel to the applicant seeking an injunction, successfully obtaining an interlocutory order preventing former employees and a former consultant from using confidential and proprietary information, including software code, in circumstances where there is a strong prima facie case of breach of fiduciary duty and civil conspiracy (2023 BCSC 1187).
  • Asset purchase dispute. Arbitration counsel to a vendor of mining assets, responding to allegations of breach of warranty and allegations of fraudulent misrepresentation (2023).
  • Construction dispute. Litigation counsel to a real estate developer seeking and successfully obtaining an order dismissing Builders Lien Act claims by relying on accrued limitation defences after the plaintiff was dissolved (2021).
  • Real estate dispute - Collapsed transactions. Litigation counsel in four  actions, involving five applications to have certificates of pending litigation cancelled because the underlying pleadings did not claim an interest in land, successfully obtaining cancellation orders, with an order of special costs in three applications (2021 BCSC 1922, 2021 BCSC 2354, 2021 BCSC 2310, Marharj v. Chou et al, Action No. S-241757 (unreported) and 2021 BCSC 2580).
  • Partnership dispute. Litigation counsel to a limited liability partnership and its managing partner, defending against an attempt by an equity partner to dissolve the partnership (2020-2021).
  • Construction dispute. Litigation counsel to a general contractor in a claim relating to the construction of public highways, successfully avoiding summary judgment while clarifying the law on what it means for an applicant to put its best foot forward (2019 SKQB 254).
  • Real estate dispute - Collapsed transactions.  Appellate counsel to a real estate developer who succeeded at trail by obtaining declarations contracts were valid and enforceable, successfully obtaining a dismissal of the appeal (2018 BCCA 337). 
  • Construction dispute. Appellate counsel to a real estate developer in response to an appeal of a lower court judgment that dismissed the appellant’s claims, successfully defending against an application for fresh evidence and obtaining a dismissal of the appeal (2017 BCCA 201).
  • Real estate dispute - Collapsed transactions. Litigation counsel to a real estate developer at a trial about the validity and enforceability of contracts of purchase and sale tied to a land assembly project, successfully obtaining an order in favour of the developer that the contracts were valid and enforceable (2017 BCSC 430) and an order for a distinct costs award (2017 BCSC 1137).
  • Construction dispute. Arbitration counsel to a construction manager, successfully advancing a claim to obtain compensation for services rendered, and defending against claims for alleged defects, deficiencies and backroom deals (2016); in turn, obtaining a supplementary award for legal costs incurred in the arbitration (2017).
  • Construction dispute. Litigation counsel to a real estate developer in an application against the plaintiff for want of prosecution, successfully obtaining a dismissal of all claims, including builders lien claims (2015 BCSC 1928).
  • Franchise dispute. Counsel to an auto dealer/franchisee in a National Auto Dealer Arbitration Program proceeding in respect of alleged breaches of the franchise agreement (2015).
  • Franchise and technology dispute. Litigation counsel to a franchisor in a breach of contract action against a technology supplier, successfully defending against an application for an adjournment on the eve of trial, obtaining an order allowing the case to proceed to trial without delay ([2015] BCJ No 1969).
  • Creditors remedies - Execution on land. Litigation counsel to mortgage lender in an application to approve the sale of lands in partial satisfaction of debt, successfully obtaining an order for sale without an appraisal, relying on the market to establish value ([2013] BCJ No. 2924). 
  • Creditors remedies. Litigation counsel for creditor at trial successfully enforcing an indemnity agreement, including legal fees (2012 BCSC 1283).
  • Joint venture dispute. Litigation counsel to a real estate brokerage, successfully extricating the brokerage from a joint venture dispute between one of its realtors and others (2012 BCSC 997).
  • Creditors remedies. Litigation counsel for creditor at summary trial, successfully enforcing an indemnity agreement, including legal fees (2011 BCSC 1825).
  • Real estate dispute. Litigation counsel to vendor in defence of a summary trial for damages due to the state of property at closing, successfully relying on the “as-is-where-is” clause (2011 BCSC 1061).
  • Trust dispute. Litigation counsel to financial institution at trial relating to competing claims over funds in a bank account and the application of trust principles (2011 BCSC 856).
  • Real estate dispute - Commercial leasing - Injunction. Litigation counsel in an application for an injunction, successfully obtaining an order restraining the landlord from interfering with various parking rights (2010 BCSC 1371).

Beyond Our Walls

Professional Involvement

  • Member, Law Society of British Columbia
  • Member, Law Society of Saskatchewan (non-practicing)
  • Member, The Advocates' Society
  • Member, American Bar Association

Community Involvement

  • Member, Emerging Leaders Committee, VGH-UBC Hospital Foundation, 2022-present
  • Member, Vitality Gala Committee, VGH-UBC Hospital Foundation, 2022-present
  • Director, Kids Up Front - Vancouver Club, 2024-present
  • Member, Governance Committee, Vancouver Club, 2024-present
  • Co-Chair, Finance Committee, Vancouver Club, 2022-2024
  • Chair, Discipline Committee, Vancouver Club, 2022-2024
  • Past supervising lawyer, Pro Bono Students Canada ID Project, Powell Street Getaway Resource Centre
  • Past member, BLG United Way campaign
  • Past mentor, Canadian Bar Association

Awards & Recognitions

  • Recognized in the 2025 (and since 2022) edition of The Best Lawyers in Canada (Franchise Law)
  • Recognized as the 2023 'Lawyer of the Year' in Vancouver by The Best Lawyers in Canada (Franchise Law)
  • Recognized in the 2024 edition (and since 2022) of Benchmark Canada – The Definitive Guide to Canada’s Leading Litigation Firms & Attorneys as a “Litigation Star” in British Columbia.
  • Recognized in the 2021 (and since 2018) edition of Benchmark Canada – The Definitive Guide to Canada’s Leading Litigation Firms & Attorneys as a “Future Star” in Litigation in British Columbia.
  • Recognized in the 2019 and 2018 editions of Benchmark Litigation — 40 & Under Hot List, Canada, as a top litigation lawyer in Canada aged 40 or younger.
  • Recognized in the 2019 Edition of The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory® as a Leading Lawyer to Watch (Litigation - Corporate and Commercial).
  • Recognized in 2021 (and since 2017) as a Thomson Reuters Standout Lawyer (formerly known as Acritas Star Lawyers)

Bar Admission & Education

  • British Columbia, 2008
  • Saskatchewan, 2019
  • LLB, University of British Columbia, 2007
  • BA (Dist., Philosophy), University of Regina, 2003