Who We Really Are

Yeah, we're lawyers - but the kind who'd rather be charting new frontiers than shuffling papers in some stuffy office. We've built something different here.

Our Story (The Real Version)

Back in 2018, three of us were sitting in a Vancouver coffee shop complaining about how traditional law firms just weren't cutting it for clients dealing with international shipping disputes and the emerging space industry. Everyone kept saying "that's not how it's done" - which pretty much became our rallying cry to do things differently.

We'd all spent years at big firms watching maritime cases get treated like cookie-cutter contracts and seeing aerospace companies struggle to find lawyers who actually understood their tech. Someone had to bridge that gap, right? Turns out that someone was gonna be us.

Fast forward to now - we're handling everything from cargo disputes in the South China Sea to satellite launch agreements, and honestly? It never gets boring. Our clients range from shipping magnates who've seen it all to startup founders launching their first payload into orbit. What they've got in common is they need lawyers who get the technical stuff AND can actually win cases.

The Team Behind the Work

We're not your typical legal eagles - more like a crew that happened to go to law school

Catherine Winters

Catherine Winters

Managing Partner & Maritime Specialist

Cat spent 15 years doing admiralty law before she'd had enough of the old guard telling her "that's not how we do things." She's argued cases from Vancouver to Singapore and has this weird ability to remember every shipping regulation ever written. Outside the office, she's usually sailing - because apparently working with boats all day isn't enough.

Marcus Chen

Marcus Chen

Senior Partner - Aerospace & Space Law

Marcus is probably the only lawyer in Canada who holds both a JD and a degree in aerospace engineering. He got tired of explaining basic orbital mechanics to other attorneys, so he became one himself. Now he's the go-to guy when satellite operators need someone who speaks both legalese and rocket science. Fair warning - get him started on space debris mitigation and you won't get away for an hour.

Amara Okafor

Amara Okafor

Partner - International Trade & Customs

Amara joined us after spending a decade navigating customs nightmares for multinational corporations. She's dealt with trade disputes across four continents and somehow keeps smiling through it all. Her superpower? Making customs regulations actually make sense - which trust me, is harder than it sounds. She's also our resident foodie and keeps introducing the office to cuisine from every port city imaginable.

David Rousseau

David Rousseau

Senior Counsel - Dispute Resolution

Dave's the guy you want in your corner when things go sideways. He's mediated disputes involving everything from container ship collisions to international satellite frequency conflicts. Spent years in arbitration before realizing he wanted to actually help prevent disputes, not just clean up after them. Still, when litigation's unavoidable, he's got a track record that speaks for itself. Weirdly calm under pressure - maybe too calm sometimes.

Elena Vasquez

Elena Vasquez

Associate Partner - Emerging Tech Compliance

Elena's our secret weapon for anything involving new technology and regulatory frameworks that don't quite exist yet. She came from Silicon Valley's legal scene and brought that "move fast but don't break laws" mentality with her. Whether it's autonomous vessels or AI in space operations, she's usually three steps ahead of the regulators. Coffee consumption is legendary - we're talking espresso-by-the-pot levels here.

James Blackwell

James Blackwell

Partner - Corporate Restructuring & M&A

James handles the big deals - mergers, acquisitions, corporate restructuring for maritime and aerospace companies. He's done everything from billion-dollar shipping line acquisitions to helping space startups get bought out by major players. Used to work at one of the big Toronto firms until he realized he preferred working with companies that actually build things. Collects vintage maritime maps in his spare time because apparently his day job isn't nautical enough.

What Actually Drives Us

Not corporate speak - just what we actually believe in

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Real Expertise

We don't fake it. If we're handling your maritime case, we know the difference between a bill of lading and a charter party without googling it. Same goes for space law - we actually understand the tech.

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Forward Thinking

The legal landscape's changing fast, especially in our fields. We're not waiting around for precedents to catch up - we're helping write them alongside our clients.

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Straight Talk

Legal jargon has its place, but when we're talking to you, we speak like normal humans. You're paying for advice, not a vocabulary lesson.

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Global Perspective

Our work crosses borders constantly - literally and figuratively. We've got networks on six continents and we're not afraid to pick up the phone at odd hours to get stuff done.

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Results Over Billables

Yeah, we need to make money like everyone else, but we'd rather win your case efficiently than drag it out. Repeat clients and referrals beat one-time maximized billing any day.

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Adaptability

Every client's different, every case brings something new. We've learned to roll with whatever comes our way - whether that's a midnight call about a detained cargo ship or a last-minute satellite licensing issue.