Peter Rubin, Vancouver

About Peter

For the past 20 years, Peter's commercial litigation practice has focused on contractual disputes, tax appeals, tort claims, shareholder and securities litigation, equitable remedies, including fiduciary duties and creditors' rights.

In addition to appearing frequently in all levels of court in British Columbia, Peter has appeared before the Supreme Court of Canada, the Federal Court of Appeal, the Federal Court and the Tax Court of Canada, as well as numerous administrative tribunals, arbitrators and mediators.

Peter's restructuring and insolvency practice involves advising debtor companies, lender syndicates, secured and unsecured creditors, purchasers of distressed assets, debtor-in-possession (DIP) lenders, and other parties affected by business insolvency issues. He appears in insolvency cases and insolvency courts throughout the country. He has also acted as independent counsel for monitors in reorganization cases, receivers and trustees in bankruptcy.

Peter provides legal services through Peter Rubin Law Corporation.

Select Experience

Representative retainers include acting as counsel for:

Commercial Litigation

Successful defendants in the lengthy trial concerning ownership of the Vancouver Canucks NHL hockey team and arena
The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic Games in defending multiple business-loss claims
Spruce Credit Union on its successful GAAR appeal in the Tax Court of Canada and the Federal Court of Appeal – test case for approximately 40 British Columbia Credit Unions
A taxpayer before the Tax Court of Canada in which a unique award of special costs was made against the Canada Revenue Agency
A large Canadian real estate company with assets around the globe in relation to a large real estate development in British Columbia and associated litigation
A publicly traded medical device company in relation to various contractual and tort claims
A successful respondent in an application to have the claim brought against it struck as an abuse of process
A global marketing, logistics and distribution company in a multimillion-dollar court proceeding involving the international delivery of chemical elements
A pharmaceutical company in relation to various contractual, intellectual property and technology disputes
A client in court proceedings related to a contractual dispute involving the refinancing of outstanding loans and the issuance of warrants
A trustee in bankruptcy in proceedings before the trial court related to preferences, transfers at undervalue and other equitable claims against persons previously involved with the bankrupt entity

Restructuring & Insolvency

Dominion Diamond Mines – Counsel to the company in respect of its filing under the CCAA and the reorganization of its C$1-billion in debt
Carillion Canada – Counsel to the Canadian subsidiary of Carillion plc, one of Canada's largest integrated construction support services and facilities management enterprises based in Ontario, which at the time of the commencement of its CCAA proceedings employed approximately 7,500 individuals across Canada
My Mortgage Auction Corp. – Counsel to the receiver and trustee in relation to the alleged $200-million ponzi scheme involving My Mortgage Auction Corp. and Greg Martel
Trevali Mining Corporation – Counsel to this public company, with operating mines in Canada, Namibia and Burkina Faso, and in all aspects of their CCAA filing
Romspen Investment Corporation – Counsel to this senior secured creditor of a seven tower real estate project in British Columbia in the context of the borrower's CCAA filing
Pure Gold Mining – Counsel to this public company, with an operating mine in Ontario, and in all aspects of their CCAA filing
Bumble Bee Group Insolvency – Canadian counsel to a U.S. senior secured lender in respect of a pre-filing ABL facility and a post-filing DIP facility, in insolvency proceedings for the Bumble Bee Group in both Canada (under the CCAA) and the United States (under Chapter 11)
Catalyst Paper Corporation – a multinational paper company with approximately C$750-million of debt, in a Canadian-U.S. cross-border proceeding
Credit Suisse AG – Counsel to this pre-filing secured lender and post-filing DIP lender of a multinational mining company (Great Basin Gold Ltd.) with operations and assets in South Africa, the U.S. and Canada
Pengrowth Plan of Arrangement – Acting for Cona Resources Ltd. in all aspects of its acquisition of Pengrowth Energy Corporation, completed by way of plan of arrangement under the Business Corporations Act (Alberta)
Sterling Shoes – Counsel to a national retail chain with more than 150 retail locations and in all aspects of their CCAA restructuring
Gateway Casinos and Entertainment Inc. – Counsel to this large multi-jurisdictional gaming operator that successfully restructured in excess of C$1-billion of debt
A secured creditor that owed in excess of C$150-million in relation to the insolvency of a multinational forest company (Pope & Talbot) in a Canadian-U.S. cross-border proceeding

Awards & Recognition

Peter is ranked as a leading lawyer by the following publications:

The Legal 500 Canada (2020–2025: Restructuring and Insolvency; 2023–2025: Dispute Resolution: British Columbia)
Best Lawyers: "Lawyer of the Year" 2025 (Insolvency and Financial Restructuring Law, Vancouver)
The Best Lawyers in Canada – 2011–2025 (Corporate and Commercial Litigation, Insolvency and Financial Restructuring Law)
Chambers Canada: Canada's Leading Lawyers for Business – 2016–2025 (Restructuring/Insolvency – Nationwide; Litigation: General Commercial – British Columbia)
Chambers Global: The World's Leading Lawyers for Business (2009–2024: Restructuring/Insolvency; 2019: Litigation: General Commercial; 2009–2016, 2019: Dispute Resolution)
Lexpert Special Edition: Insolvency and Restructuring 2024
The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory – 2015–2016, 2019, 2023–2024 (Insolvency & Financial Restructuring – Insolvency Litigation)
Who's Who Legal: Global – 2022–2023 (Restructuring & Insolvency)
Who’s Who Legal: Thought Leaders – 2021–2022 (Restructuring & Insolvency)
Who's Who Legal: Canada – 2010–2016, 2022 (Insolvency & Restructuring)
Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyers 2020 – Independently Rated Lawyers (As nominated by senior in-house counsel)
Best Lawyers' 2019 Vancouver Lawyer of the Year for Insolvency & Financial Restructuring Law
Benchmark Canada: The Definitive Guide to Canada's Leading Litigation Firms and Attorneys – 2013, 2015, 2017, 2018 (National Litigation Star: Commercial – Insolvency; Local Litigation Star: British Columbia – Insolvency)
Who's Who Legal – 2010, 2013, 2015–2018 (Insolvency & Restructuring)

Professional Activities

Peter has co-authored Continuing Legal Education (CLE) papers, is a contributing author to a comprehensive text on government liability and has spoken to many groups on legal topics, including at CLE seminars for other British Columbia lawyers and members of the public. He is also a regular guest lecturer at the Law Society's professional legal training course on the topic of creditors' rights.

Peter is a member of the Insolvency Institute of Canada and a former elected representative of the Canadian Bar Association for Vancouver. He is a prior member of the Discipline Committee of a British Columbia regulatory body and has presided over several administrative discipline hearings. From 1999 to 2005, he was a council member of the British Columbia College of Pharmacists.

Peter is active in his community. He is the past president of the North Shore Girls Hockey Association and past president of the Hooplaw Society, which raises money for disadvantaged children in British Columbia.