Branch MacMaster
Branch MacMaster LLP is a Canadian boutique litigation firm with 18 lawyers across Vancouver and Toronto, serving insurers, healthcare providers, and class action plaintiffs/ defendants through specialized practices in class actions, health law, and insurance coverage and defense.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersVancouver, Canada
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Branch MacMaster does
Branch MacMaster LLP is a Canadian boutique litigation firm founded in August 1998 by Jim MacMaster and Ward Branch, both formerly of Faskens, and headquartered at 777 Hornby Street in Vancouver with a secondary office at 175 Carlton Street in Toronto. The firm operates three specialized practice areas: Class Action Litigation (representing both plaintiffs and defendants in matters involving contaminated products, consumer protection, price-fixing, Charter and copyright breaches, privacy, and Covid-19-related claims), Health Law (regulatory work for health colleges, hospital privilege disputes, and medical malpractice defense for physicians and surgeons), and Insurance Coverage and Defence (coverage counsel and liability defense for leading Canadian insurers, including Supreme Court of Canada appearances and environmental insurance matters). Its 18 lawyers are admitted in multiple provincial and territorial law societies and appear before all levels of court in Canada, including the Supreme Court of Canada. The firm's value proposition is "big firm law in a small firm context," emphasizing cost-effectiveness, responsiveness, and lower conflict risk relative to large national firms.
The business model is professional-services based, with revenue generated through hourly billing and contingency arrangements depending on practice area (specific pricing is not publicly disclosed). The go-to-market is traditional and sales-led, relying on referrals, reputation, and long-standing institutional relationships — particularly with leading Canadian insurers dating to the firm's founding — rather than active marketing. The firm has grown slowly but steadily over more than 25 years and currently lists 18 practicing lawyers supported by paralegals and operational staff. Recent years have seen significant leadership turnover, including the 2017 departures of both founders (Ward Branch to the B.C. Supreme Court, Jim MacMaster to retirement) and the 2024 retirement of class action practice leader Luciana Brasil. There is no external investment, no parent company, and the firm operates as an independent LLP owned by its partners.
Branch MacMaster firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Branch MacMaster
- Legal name
- Branch MacMaster LLP
- Website
- https://branchmacmaster.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Branch MacMaster LLP is a Canadian boutique litigation firm with 18 lawyers across Vancouver and Toronto, serving insurers, healthcare providers, and class action plaintiffs/ defendants through specialized practices in class actions, health law, and insurance coverage and defense.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Branch MacMaster industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Legal Services / Litigation
- NAICS
- Offices of Lawyers (541110)
- SIC
- Services-Legal Services (8111)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Personal Injury & Insurance Defense (BPAHAAAM)
Keywords
Where Branch MacMaster is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Vancouver
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Branch MacMaster business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Legal Services - Class Action Litigation: Handling class action litigation for plaintiffs and defendants across various subject matters including contaminated products, consumer protection, price-fixing, statutory interpretation, breach of Charter, breach of copyright, privacy and data use, and Covid-19 related class actions.
- Legal Services - Insurance Coverage and Defense: Insurance coverage and liability defence for leading Canadian insurers, including coverage counsel for leaky condo cases and environmental insurance matters on national and international basis.
- Legal Services - Health Law: Regulatory matters for health colleges, hospital privileges, and medical malpractice cases for physicians and surgeons.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels1 record
Branch MacMaster product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Branch MacMaster LLP is a boutique litigation law firm providing specialized legal services in three core practice areas: Class Action Litigation (representing plaintiffs and defendants in matters such as contaminated products, consumer protection, price-fixing, Charter breaches, copyright, privacy/data use, and Covid-19 related class actions), Health Law (regulatory matters for health colleges, hospital privileges, and medical malpractice defence for physicians and surgeons), and Insurance Coverage and Defence (coverage counsel and liability defence for leading Canadian insurers, including Supreme Court of Canada representation). The firm serves clients nationally across Canada from offices in Vancouver and Toronto.
Product overview
Branch MacMaster LLP is a boutique litigation law firm offering legal services through three core practice areas: Class Action Litigation, Health Law, and Insurance Coverage and Defence. The firm operates from offices in Vancouver, BC and Toronto, ON, with lawyers appearing before all levels of Court including the Supreme Court of Canada. The firm serves clients cost-effectively with responsiveness and flexibility as a smaller specialized litigation practice.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Class Action Litigation Comprehensive class action litigation services representing plaintiffs and defendants in matters including contaminated products, consumer protection, price-fixing, statutory interpretation, breach of Charter, breach of copyright, privacy and data use, and Covid-19 related class actions.
- Health Law Legal services covering regulatory matters for health colleges, hospital privileges, and medical malpractice cases for physicians and surgeons.
- Insurance Coverage and Defence Insurance coverage and liability defence services for leading Canadian insurers, including representation in Supreme Court of Canada cases, environmental insurance, and major liability claims on national and international basis.
Companies that use Branch MacMaster
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Branch MacMaster technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Branch MacMaster partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Branch MacMaster competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Cavalluzzo LLP: Toronto-based Canadian boutique known for class actions, labour law, and constitutional/charter litigation. Comparable given overlapping class action and Charter litigation practice areas.
- Blaney McMurtry LLP: Canadian full-service firm with a strong litigation and insurance defence practice. Comparable given shared insurance defence and commercial litigation focus in the Canadian mid-market.
- Koskie Minsky LLP: Toronto-based Canadian litigation firm with a leading class actions and insolvency practice. Comparable as a peer given its class action specialization and similar size in the Canadian boutique-to-mid-market segment.
- Siskinds LLP: London, Ontario-headquartered Canadian law firm renowned for its class actions practice and consumer litigation. Direct peer given shared boutique-to-mid-size Canadian class action focus and plaintiff-side litigation expertise.
- Lax O'Sullivan Lisus Gottlieb LLP: Toronto-based Canadian litigation boutique focused on complex commercial, class action, and appellate matters with appearances before the Supreme Court of Canada. Directly comparable in boutique model, practice mix, and Supreme Court capability.
Broad incumbents
- Bennett Jones LLP: Major Canadian national law firm with strong litigation and insurance practices. Comparable as a broad incumbent competing for the same insurance coverage and commercial litigation mandates.
- Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP: Major Canadian national and international law firm from which Branch MacMaster's founders departed. Comparable as a broad incumbent with extensive insurance, health law, and litigation practices that compete for the same institutional clients.
- McCarthy Tétrault LLP: One of Canada's largest national law firms with leading litigation, insurance, and health law practices. Comparable as a broad incumbent competing for institutional insurance and healthcare clients.
- Stikeman Elliott LLP: Prominent Canadian national law firm with leading litigation and insurance practices. Comparable as a broad incumbent with overlapping commercial litigation and insurance coverage work for institutional clients.
- Norton Rose Fulbright Canada: Global law firm with significant Canadian litigation, insurance, and healthcare practices. Comparable as a broad incumbent with overlapping insurance coverage and class action capabilities at much larger scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Branch MacMaster social profiles
Digital presenceBranch MacMaster compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Branch MacMaster financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Branch MacMaster leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
Branch MacMaster funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Branch MacMaster M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Branch MacMaster
What does Branch MacMaster do?
Branch MacMaster LLP is a boutique litigation law firm providing specialized legal services in three core practice areas: Class Action Litigation (representing plaintiffs and defendants in matters such as contaminated products, consumer protection, price-fixing, Charter breaches, copyright, privacy/data use, and Covid-19 related class actions), Health Law (regulatory matters for health colleges, hospital privileges, and medical malpractice defence for physicians and surgeons), and Insurance Coverage and Defence (coverage counsel and liability defence for leading Canadian insurers, including Supreme Court of Canada representation). The firm serves clients nationally across Canada from offices in Vancouver and Toronto.
Is Branch MacMaster a public or private company?
Branch MacMaster is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Branch MacMaster founded?
Branch MacMaster was founded in 1998. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Branch MacMaster based?
Branch MacMaster is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Branch MacMaster make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Legal Services - Class Action Litigation is the primary driver. The others are legal Services - Insurance Coverage and Defense and legal Services - Health Law.
Who are Branch MacMaster's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Cavalluzzo LLP, Blaney McMurtry LLP, Koskie Minsky LLP, Siskinds LLP and Lax O'Sullivan Lisus Gottlieb LLP. Broad incumbents are Bennett Jones LLP, Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, McCarthy Tétrault LLP, Stikeman Elliott LLP and Norton Rose Fulbright Canada.
Does Branch MacMaster have an API?
No public API is recorded for Branch MacMaster.
What industry is Branch MacMaster in?
Branch MacMaster's product category is Legal Services / Litigation. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAAAM, Personal Injury & Insurance Defense. Its NAICS code is 541110 and its SIC code is 8111.