Nathanson, Schachter & Thompson LLP

What Nathanson, Schachter & Thompson LLP does

Nathanson, Schachter & Thompson LLP (NST) is a Vancouver-based boutique civil and commercial litigation firm founded in 1987 by Irwin Nathanson, Stephen Schachter, and Ardella Thompson. The firm operates as a limited liability partnership with 27 employees and a single office in Vancouver, serving successful private and public companies across British Columbia and Canada in complex business, commercial, and civil disputes. Its practice spans contract disputes, shareholder and securities disputes, real estate development and property disputes, hostile takeover bids and derivative actions, administrative proceedings, professional negligence, defamation, employment disputes, class actions, mining claims, and pension litigation, with advocacy before all levels of BC courts, the Federal Court of Canada, the Supreme Court of Canada, and arbitration panels.

The firm's core technology footprint is concentrated in eDiscovery and legal support, employing specialized paralegals and managers using third-party platforms including Summation, iPro Eclipse SE, and Relativity for document management and review in complex multi-jurisdictional commercial litigation. NST does not sell software products; its "product" is legal expertise delivered by litigators, supported by an internal eDiscovery function. Service lines are organized as interconnected practice areas — civil/commercial litigation, appellate advocacy, arbitration and ADR, bankruptcy and insolvency (added in 2020), forestry and natural resources law, class action defense, and professional negligence — frequently deployed together on multi-party matters.

NST generates revenue through professional services fees for litigation representation, with pricing not publicly disclosed and structured around hourly or alternative fee arrangements tied to case complexity and lawyer seniority. The firm goes to market primarily through legal directory rankings and awards (Chambers, Legal 500, Benchmark, Lexpert, Best Lawyers, Globe and Mail), referrals from leading Canadian and international law firms, and individual lawyer reputation. Its roster of six King's Counsel partners, several law school gold medallists, and former clerks to senior BC judges underpins a strong talent and brand moat in the BC litigation market.

Name

Nathanson, Schachter & Thompson LLP

Legal name

Nathanson, Schachter & Thompson LLP

Website

https://nst.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Nathanson, Schachter & Thompson LLP is a Vancouver-based boutique civil and commercial litigation firm founded in 1987, serving successful private and public companies in complex business disputes across British Columbia and Canadian courts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (54111), Offices of Lawyers (541110)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Litigation & Dispute Resolution (BPAHAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Employment & Labor Law (BPAHAAAD), Family & Private Client (Trusts & Estates) Law (BPAHAAAK)

Keywords

• Commercial litigation services
• Appellate advocacy
• Dispute resolution
• Arbitration services
• Civil litigation

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Legal Services Fees: The firm generates revenue through legal fees charged for litigation representation in civil disputes. As a law firm, fees are based on legal services provided, typically including hourly rates or alternative fee arrangements for complex commercial litigation matters.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Nathanson, Schachter & Thompson LLP is a boutique civil litigation firm representing private and public companies, senior government officials, and judges in complex commercial disputes. The firm litigates before all levels of British Columbia courts, the Federal Court, the Supreme Court of Canada, and arbitration panels, and offers appellate advocacy, arbitration, bankruptcy and insolvency, forestry and natural resources law, class action defense, and professional negligence and regulatory proceedings.

Product overview

NST operates as a unified suite of specialized legal services organized around a single core offering: high-stakes civil and commercial litigation and dispute resolution. The firm does not sell discrete software products; its 'product' is legal expertise delivered through its team of litigators. Services are organized into interconnected practice areas — civil/commercial litigation, appellate advocacy, arbitration/ADR, bankruptcy and insolvency, forestry and natural resources law, class action defense, professional negligence, and eDiscovery/legal technology support — that are frequently deployed together on complex, multi-party disputes. The eDiscovery and Legal Technology function operates as an internal support module within the firm's litigation services rather than a standalone offering.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Civil and Commercial Litigation Services Representation of private and public companies, senior government officials, and judges in complex commercial disputes before all levels of British Columbia courts, the Federal Court, and the Supreme Court of Canada.
• Appellate Advocacy Services Specialized advocacy at the appellate level, including representation before the British Columbia Court of Appeal, the Federal Court of Appeal, and the Supreme Court of Canada.
• Arbitration and Alternative Dispute Resolution Representation in domestic and international arbitration proceedings, including advocacy before arbitration panels.
• Class Action Defense Defense representation for corporate clients facing class action lawsuits in British Columbia and federal courts.
• Professional Negligence and Regulatory Proceedings Representation in professional negligence claims and regulatory proceedings, including defense of senior government officials and professionals.
• Bankruptcy and Insolvency Law Legal services in bankruptcy and insolvency matters for corporate clients and stakeholders.
• Forestry and Natural Resources Law Specialized legal services for clients in the forestry and natural resources sectors, including dispute resolution and regulatory matters.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully defended $350+ million claim for Concord Pacific defendants
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Stockwoods LLP: Toronto-based boutique litigation firm focused on commercial litigation, appellate advocacy, and class actions. Comparable to NST as a similarly-sized Canadian specialist litigation boutique with a reputation for high-quality advocacy and acceptance of complex mandates by referral from larger firms.
• Lenczner Slaght LLP: Canada's pre-eminent litigation boutique based in Toronto, consistently ranked as the top litigation firm in the country. Directly comparable to NST as a specialist, high-end civil/commercial litigation boutique with a similar talent-density model, KC-rich partnership, and top-tier Chambers/Legal 500 rankings.
• Singleton Urquhart Reynolds Vogel LLP: Canadian litigation boutique with offices in Vancouver and Toronto, focused on construction, insurance, and commercial litigation. Comparable to NST as a litigation specialist with strong regional presence and similar boutique-scale operations.

Broad incumbents

• Borden Ladner Gervais LLP: Canada's largest full-service law firm with a substantial litigation practice and a strong Vancouver office. Competes with NST for complex commercial litigation matters but offers much broader geographic and practice coverage.
• Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP: Major Canadian full-service firm with an elite litigation group and significant Vancouver presence. Comparable as a competitor for complex commercial and securities litigation mandates, though operating at much larger scale across multiple offices.
• Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP: Leading Canadian litigation and corporate firm with a strong reputation in bet-the-company commercial litigation. Comparable to NST as a competitor for high-end commercial mandates, including appellate work before the Supreme Court of Canada.
• McCarthy Tétrault LLP: One of Canada's largest full-service national law firms with a strong litigation practice across multiple offices including Vancouver. Comparable as a competitor to NST on major commercial litigation mandates, but offers a much broader service portfolio and geographic footprint.
• Torys LLP: Major Canadian business law firm with a strong litigation practice. Comparable as a competitor for complex commercial litigation mandates, with a broader corporate and transactional practice supporting cross-selling.
• Stikeman Elliott LLP: Top-tier Canadian business law firm with a strong litigation practice serving enterprise clients. Comparable as a competitor for high-stakes commercial litigation, particularly in securities and shareholder disputes, with broader transactional capabilities.
• Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP: One of Canada's leading full-service law firms with an elite litigation group. Comparable to NST as a top-tier competitor for high-stakes commercial disputes, with significantly broader geographic reach and service offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nathanson-schachter-thompson-llp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles23 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 Nathanson, Schachter & Thompson LLP