Cohen Buchan Edwards

What Cohen Buchan Edwards does

Cohen Buchan Edwards LLP is a full-service law firm headquartered in Richmond, British Columbia, founded in 1979 by Gary Cohen and operating under its current partnership name since 1989 when Jack Buchan and Garth Edwards joined. The firm operates two physical locations — a Richmond headquarters at 290 – 13777 Commerce Parkway and a secondary office in White Rock (South Surrey) at 205 – 1676 Martin Drive (open by appointment) — supplemented by virtual consultation channels (Zoom, BlueJeans) and standard phone/email intake. The firm offers services across six practice areas: Business Law, Employment Law, Family Law, Litigation and Dispute Resolution, Property Litigation, Real Estate Law, and Wills, Estates and Trusts. The team comprises licensed lawyers, designated paralegals, paralegals, and legal assistants, with senior partners including Barry Grabowski (Partner), Shannon Kwok (Partner), and Garth Edwards (Associate Counsel), supported by associates and a paralegal bench. The firm explicitly markets multilingual service delivery in English, Cantonese, and Mandarin (with Korean also offered via Associate John You) to serve Richmond's diverse community.

There is no proprietary technology platform underpinning the business — service delivery is traditional legal representation, advisory, and transactional work performed by humans. Client engagement modes include in-person consultations, virtual meetings, and phone/email, with free initial consultations cited as a go-to-market tactic. Marketing channels are dominated by referrals from clients and peer lawyers, augmented by content marketing via the firm's blog, Richmond Chamber of Commerce participation (presentations, lunch-and-learn webinars), community sponsorships (notably the G&F Financial Group Charity Golf Tournament), and a Facebook page.

Revenue is generated through professional service fees (professional_services model) determined by matter complexity, time required, and client circumstances; pricing is not publicly disclosed and the firm has no external funding, operating as an independent limited liability partnership owned by its partners. Customer mix spans individuals, families, small businesses, and larger corporations, with disclosed engagement of one of British Columbia's largest collection firms by the litigation team, alongside routine family law, real estate conveyancing, and estate planning matters. The firm shows no subsidiaries, no M&A activity, and no external institutional investment — strategic activity to date has been limited to organic expansion (White Rock office circa 2018) and selective lateral hiring.

Name

Cohen Buchan Edwards

Legal name

Cohen Buchan Edwards LLP

Website

https://cbelaw.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cohen Buchan Edwards LLP is a full-service, 40+ year-old law firm in Richmond, BC, serving individuals, families, and businesses across Metro Vancouver with multilingual legal services in business, family, real estate, litigation, employment, and estates.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110), Legal Services (5411)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Private Client (Trusts & Estates) Law (BPAHAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Litigation Support & Expert Witness Services (BPAHALAG)

Keywords

• Full-service law firm
• Business law services
• Family law practice
• Litigation and dispute resolution
• Real estate legal services

Headquarters

HQ city

Richmond

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Legal Services: Professional legal services rendered to individuals and businesses across multiple practice areas including business law, family law, real estate, litigation, employment law, and wills/estates. Revenue generated through professional service fees for legal representation, advisory, and transactional services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cohen Buchan Edwards LLP provides professional legal services across seven practice areas: Business Law, Employment Law, Family Law, Litigation and Dispute Resolution, Property Litigation, Real Estate Law, and Wills, Estates and Trusts. Services include legal representation, advisory, transactional work, mediation, arbitration, and collaborative law for individuals, families, and businesses throughout British Columbia, Canada, and internationally. The firm operates through two physical offices and virtual consultation platforms with multilingual support.

Product overview

Cohen Buchan Edwards LLP is a full-service law firm offering a comprehensive portfolio of legal services across six core practice areas: Business Law (corporate, commercial, and business succession matters), Employment Law (advisory and litigation for employers and employees), Family Law (divorce, custody, and collaborative dispute resolution), Litigation and Dispute Resolution (civil and commercial litigation), Real Estate Law (residential and commercial transactions), and Wills, Estates and Trusts (planning, administration, and estate litigation). The firm operates as a unified legal practice where clients can access multiple service areas through a single firm, with lawyers often collaborating across practice boundaries to address complex client needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Business Law Corporate and commercial legal services for businesses and entrepreneurs including incorporations, shareholder agreements, corporate reorganizations, business purchases and sales, commercial leases, and family business succession planning.
• Employment Law Legal advice and representation for employers and employees on workplace rights, employment agreements, termination, human rights, privacy matters, and employment issues related to mergers and acquisitions.
• Family Law Family law services for individuals and couples including collaborative divorce, negotiation, mediation, litigation, marriage and cohabitation agreements, child custody arrangements, and property division.
• Litigation and Dispute Resolution Dispute resolution services covering administrative law, collections, construction claims, employment disputes, estate litigation, foreclosures, property disputes, and real estate disputes, with representation in all levels of British Columbia courts.
• Property Litigation Legal representation for property-related disputes and litigation matters.
• Real Estate Law Residential and commercial real estate services including contract preparation, purchases and sales, mortgage registration, commercial lease negotiation, and strata property disputes.
• Wills, Estates and Trusts Estate planning and administration services including wills, trusts, powers of attorney, representation agreements, advance directives, estate freezes, estate administration, and estate litigation.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• G&F Financial GroupminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCohen Buchan Edwards LLP has been a sponsor of the G&F Financial Group Charity Golf Tournament for multiple years (2021 as presenting sponsor, 2022 and 2023 as sponsor). The annual event supports charitable causes including the Centre for Child Development and Zajac Ranch for Children.
• Centre for Child DevelopmentminorOthersCharitable beneficiary of the 2023 G&F Financial Group Charity Golf Tournament sponsored by CBE. Organization supports children with special needs.
• Zajac Ranch for ChildrenminorOthersCharitable beneficiary of the 2022 G&F Financial Group Charity Golf Tournament. Zajac Ranch supports children with chronic or life-threatening conditions through camp programs.
• Richmond Chamber of CommerceminorOthersFirm lawyers are members and ambassadors of the Richmond Chamber of Commerce. Partner Barry Grabowski serves as past Chair and currently as volunteer ambassador. Firm participates in Chamber events and presentations.
• Richmond Gateway TheatreminorOthersPartner Shannon Kwok served as past director, treasurer and chair of the Human Resources Committee of the Richmond Gateway Theatre.
• Richmond Sunrise Rotary ClubminorOthersGarth Edwards is a member and past president of the Richmond Sunrise Rotary Club and past assistant district governor for Rotary International. Firm supports community service through Rotary.
• Richmond Concert AssociationminorOthersGarth Edwards is a founding director and past president of the Richmond Concert Association and chair of the Richmond Gateway Theatre Endowment Fund.
• Chor LeoniminorOthersGarth Edwards is a patron of the arts and member of Chor Leoni men's choir.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• McMillan LLP: National Canadian law firm with strong Vancouver presence, covering business, real estate, employment, litigation and estates. Larger incumbent competing for the same regional book of business.
• Lawson Lundell LLP: Larger BC-based full-service law firm with overlapping practice areas including business, real estate, wills & estates and litigation. Operates at a broader scale across Western Canada.
• Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP: Major Canadian law firm with significant Vancouver office covering business, real estate, employment, family and litigation. Broad incumbent competing for the larger end of CBE's corporate and estate clients.
• Alexander Holburn Beaudin + Lang LLP: Established Vancouver full-service firm with overlapping business, real estate and litigation practices. Larger incumbent serving similar Metro Vancouver clientele.

Direct peers

• Clark Wilson LLP: Full-service Vancouver-based law firm offering business, real estate, family, litigation and estate planning services across BC. Closely comparable full-service mid-market regional firm serving Metro Vancouver clients.
• Watson Goepel LLP: Metro Vancouver full-service law firm covering business, real estate, wills & estates, family and litigation. Comparable mid-sized regional competitor in the same geography and practice mix.
• Harper Grey LLP: BC-based full-service firm with strong litigation, real estate, business and estates practices. Comparable Vancouver regional competitor serving similar clients.
• Koffman Kalef LLP: Vancouver-based business, real estate and litigation firm serving BC clients. Comparable regional competitor with overlapping corporate/commercial and real estate practices.
• Boughton Law Corporation: BC-based full-service firm covering business, real estate, family, wills & estates and litigation. Comparable mid-sized regional firm operating across Metro Vancouver and BC.

Regional players

• Pushor Mitchell LLP: Full-service BC law firm based in Kelowna with overlapping practice areas (business, real estate, family, litigation, wills & estates). Comparable regional firm operating in a different BC geography but similar mid-sized full-service model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php?id=100063950389079

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cohen Buchan Edwards