Working with David was a fantastic experience. He was incredibly responsive and his critical insight shaped our legal strategy. He is client focused and provided me with tremendous comfort in challenging circumstances.

President
Film Production Company

Cool, calm and collected … but don’t let that fool you; he is powerful and persuasive in the courtroom.

Risk Manager
Construction Company

David Edinger is widely considered to be a leading commercial litigator in D&O liability, construction, entertainment and employment law.

Who's Who Legal

Rankings

David Edinger is top-ranked by Leading Global Rankings Agencies and Directories.

Professional Background

David Edinger is a Partner in the Commercial Litigation, Construction, Insurance and Workplace Law Groups at Singleton Urquhart Reynolds Vogel LLP. He is also chair of the firm’s Conflict Committee, and a Member of the Management Committee.

David specializes in uniquely tailored and effective approaches to dispute prevention and resolution, which includes advising on contract and procurement strategy,  crafting creative risk management solutions, and resolving matters through negotiation, mediation, arbitration and litigation at all levels of court in British Columbia.

His broad range of expertise and experience includes resolving commercial and construction disputes involving owners, sureties, general contractors and consultants in relation to builders lien claims, claims for extras, delay, deficiencies and tendering/RFP issues.  Recently, David has focused on assisting procurement and contracting processes on larger construction projects and is particularly knowledgeable with respect to the unique commercial considerations and context of public institutions.

David also regularly advises on matters involving directors and officers liability, shareholders, joint venture and partnership agreements, employers and employees in relation to hiring, termination, severance, confidentiality, non-competition and non-solicitation, Human Rights Code and Employment Standards Act matters, and entertainment industry matters.

David’s expertise includes cross-border litigation, conflict of laws issues including jurisdictional matters and the recognition and enforcement of judgments and the securing of evidence across borders.  He is very experienced working with United States-based counsel on such matters.

David’s broad range of commercial expertise allows him to act as a knowledgeable advisor to clients operating in a complex commercial context who may have a diversity of legal issues.

 

Education

  • Master of Law, University College London, 1992
  • Called to the British Columbia Bar, 1991
  • Bachelor of Laws, University of British Columbia, 1990
  • Bachelor of Arts, University of British Columbia, 1987

Rankings + Recognitions

Memberships

  • Member, Advocates’ Society
  • Member, Canadian Bar Association

Community + Volunteering

  • Pro Bono Advisor, Arts Club Theatre

General Representative Experience
• Acted for a general contractor in relation to litigation which arose from a project to install a turbine, generator, switchgear, and new control systems at a hydro plant in Yukon Territory owned by a crown corporation. The litigation has proceeded to trial, an appeal and a second trial is scheduled for the fall of 2019
• Acted for a general contractor in relation to a $40 million multi-unit residential tower project substantially completed 9 months late, where responsibility for the delays are in issue
• Acted for a joint venture developing a 44-storey residential tower in a dispute with its initial curtain wall contractor arising from the contractor’s decision to abandon the project
• Acted for a developer in relation to the formation of its contract with a general contractor for a 3 phase, 6 tower mixed commercial and residential development
• Acted for a surety in relation to a suite of bonds totaling over $250 million, including labour and material payment, performance and advance payments bonds, provided to an insolvent civil contractor involved in projects across Western Canada, including a large power project in BC
• Acted for an Alaskan engineer in relation to her professional liability on a steam metering project conducted on three US Army bases in Alaska
• Defended the directors, officers, and trustees of a real estate investment trust which consisted of 170 interrelated companies and limited partnerships, against representative action by investors seeking over $230 million in damages for breach of trust, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of duty of care, and negligence
• Defended the directors of a company against an oppression claim arising from consecutive private placements of shares by a TSXV listed company, followed by a takeover bid and going private transaction
• Acted for the shareholders of a fertilizer company with business dealings in BC and Pakistan in a dispute concerning the ownership, control and appropriate financing of the business
• Defended a large Japan-based auto parts manufacturer in three related competition law class actions involving three different auto parts
• Advanced claims fueled by Vancouver’s rising housing market for two strata lot owners in disputes with the same developer who sought to purchase the clients’ properties following alleged misrepresentations
• Acted for a law firm which was alleged to have failed to properly protect a patent claim related to sporting equipment which became the de facto standard for the sport
• Acted for an educational institution in relation to various matters, including the development of new buildings on its campus, its leasing of property from third party and of its own space, its cybersecurity; and its process for tendering for its new enterprise software system
• Acted as litigation and transactional counsel for a company developing and carrying on the business of coffee supplier to large BC retailers

Entertainment Industry Representative Experience
• Defended a California-based film production company pursuant to its errors and omissions insurance against claims of copyright infringement with respect to a series of four thematically related films shot in BC
• Defended a BC film production company against a fraudulent preference and conveyance claims arising out of the alleged improper use of tax credit receipts
• Defended a BC film production company against various contractual claims related to a co-production agreement contemplating certification as a Canadian-German co-production, as well as financing and distribution agreements
• Provided advice to a BC animation film producer on its disputes and potential disputes in multiple areas, including borrowing and financing, rights acquisition, errors and omissions insurance, and software licensing
• Advanced a claim on behalf of an Ontario-based secured lender against a BC film production company which failed to repay a loan intended to be repayable by a tax credit refund
• Represented two prominent musical artists in separate and contractual disputes with their respective managers and management companies, in one case in concert with the artist’s New York based litigation counsel.

Publications

Presentations

  • Co-Chair, “Construction Projects: Latest Trends in Lifecycle Risk Management,” Pacific Business & Law Institute, March, 2024
  • Co-presenter, “In Real Life (IRL): Managing Tomorrow’s Challenges in the Office Environment,” (with Melanie Samuels), Singleton Reynolds’ Workplace Law Webinar, November, 2022