Robert J.C. Deane

Partner

Location
Vancouver
Phone

Testimonials

Presentations & Publications

Beyond Our Walls

Professional Involvement

  • Member, Law Society Tribunal
  • Member, Attorney General’s Advisory Committee on Commercial Arbitration
  • Member, The Advocates' Society - British Columbia Regional Advisory Committee (and the Advocacy, Justice Reform & Diversity Sub-Committee)
  • Member, The Advocates' Society - Arbitration and Mediation Advocacy Practice Group
  • Member, Roster of Advocacy Advisors, Supreme Court Advocacy Institute
  • Member, International Arbitration Committee of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce (ICC Canada)
  • Member, Western Canada Commercial Arbitration Society
  • Member, Toronto Commercial Arbitration Society
  • Member of the Advisory Board, The Institute for Transnational Arbitration
  • Member, Singapore International Arbitration Centre Users Council
  • Member, Litigation Counsel of America
  • Member, Advisory Board, ADRIC Rules Modernization Project
  • Member, Canada Advisory Board, Institute for Transnational Arbitration
  • Member, Canadian Bar Association – British Columbia Branch
  • Member, American Bar Association
  • Faculty Member, CLEBC Winning Advocacy Skills Course
  • Most Prolific Volunteers, CLEBC (1996-2016)
  • Editor (Investment Arbitration Section), IBA Arbitration News (International Bar Association – Arbitration Committee)
  • Roster Member – BC Bid Protest Mechanism, New West Partnership Trade Agreement, and the Canadian Free Trade Agreement
  • Roster Member, International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR), International Division of the American Arbitration Association
  • Roster Member, ICDR Canada, International Division of the American Arbitration Association
  • Roster Member, Vancouver International Commercial Arbitration Centre
  • Roster Member, Canadian International Internet Dispute Resolution Centre
  • Regional Representative for North America (Canada), Young International Arbitration Group – London Court of International Arbitration (2010 – 2013)
  • Co-Chair, Working Group on Best Practices for Electronic Document Discovery and Production in Canada (Sedona Canada) (2010-2014); Member of Steering Committee and Editorial Board, Sedona Canada, 2005-2010
  • International speaking engagements: invited to speak at seminars and conferences around the world, including National University of Singapore, Ireland, and the U.S.
  • Extensive publications, presentations and faculty service concerning arbitration, electronic discovery, litigation practice, intellectual property, privacy, and competition law

Community Involvement

  • Vice-Chair, Cystic Fibrosis Canada (Member, Governance Committee), 2019 to present
  • President, Cystic Fibrosis Canada - Vancouver Chapter, 2013-2019

Awards & Recognition

  • Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America
  • Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated
  • Recognized in the 2025 edition (and since 2016) of Lexology Index (Arbitration) (formerly known as Who's Who Legal)
    • "Rob is the best in Canada in the field of international arbitration." "Mr. Deane offers his clients smart and effective advocacy paired with strategic and measured advice." "He has a great business sense and is easy to work with."
  • Recognized in the 2024 edition (and since 2016) of Who's Who Legal: Commercial Litigation: Robert Deane garners plaudits as "an extremely bright litigator" who excels in intellectual property disputes
  • Recognized in the 2024 edition (and since 2015) of Who's Who Legal: Canada (Arbitration): Robert Deane is recognized as one of the leading names in the Canadian market when it comes to arbitration and is described by sources as "highly competent in local and international disputes"
  • Recognized by Best Lawyers in Canada as the 2025 'Lawyer of the Year' for Appellate Practice and as the 2022 and 2023 'Lawyer of the Year' in Vancouver for Bet-the-Company Litigation
  • Recognized in the 2025 edition (and since 2012) of The Best Lawyers in Canada (International Arbitration, Corporate and Commercial Litigation, Class Action Litigation, Privacy and Data Security Law and Advertising and Marketing Law), in the 2024 and 2022 edition (Bet-the-Company Litigation and Appellate Practice)
  • Recognized in both 2017 and 2018 as the “Vancouver Privacy and Data Security Law Lawyer of the Year” by The Best Lawyers in Canada
  • Recognized as the 2017 “Vancouver International Arbitration Lawyer of the Year” by The Best Lawyers in Canada
  • Recognized in the 2025 edition (and since 2015) of Benchmark Canada – The Definitive Guide to Canada's Leading Litigation Firms & Attorneys as a “Local Litigation Star: British Columbia" and a "Litigation Star: Arbitration, General Commercial Litigation, Competition, Intellectual Property” Praised for building a substantial international arbitration practice, and is said to be "one of the few in Canada, and certainly in the province, to have done this."
  • Recognized at the 2024, 2023, 2022, 2016, 2014, and 2013 Benchmark Canada Awards as "Arbitration Lawyer of the Year."
  • Recognized in the 2025 edition (and since 2011) of Chambers GlobalThe World's Leading Lawyers for Business (Dispute Resolution – Arbitration) and in the 2022-2025 editions (Dispute Resolution - Litigation). Rob was recognized in Chambers Global as an "an excellent all-around counsel. He's very thoughtful and very precise in his submissions."
  • Recognized in the 2025 edition (and since 2016) of Chambers Canada — Canada's Leading Lawyers for Business (Litigation: General Commercial Litigation, British Columbia; Dispute Resolution: Arbitration - Nationwide)
    • Dispute Resolution: Arbitration - Robert Deane heads the international trade and arbitration team at Borden Ladner Gervais. Based in Vancouver, he operates a robust arbitration practice with experience acting on commercial disputes and investor-state proceedings. "Rob Deane is an excellent lawyer." "He is an excellent all-around counsel. He's very thoughtful and very precise in his submissions."
    • Litigation: General Commercial (British Columbia) - Robert Deane represents clients before provincial and federal courts across the nation, including the Supreme Court of Canada. He is lauded for his expertise in international arbitration as well as cross-border and domestic commercial litigation.
  • Recognized in the 2021 edition (and since 2015) of Who's Who Legal (Global) (Arbitration; E-Discovery)
  • Recognized in the 2024 (and previous editions) of the Lexpert/American Lawyer Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada (Commercial Arbitration)
  • Recognized in the 2025 edition (and since 2024) of Lexpert Special Edition: Technology
  • Recognized in the 2024 edition of Lexpert Special Edition: Health Sciences
  • Recognized in the 2023 edition (and since 2020) of Lexpert Special Edition: Infrastructure
  • Recognized in the 2023 edition (and since 2020) of Lexpert Special Edition: Energy
  • Recognized in the 2023 edition (and since 2020) of Lexpert Special Edition: Litigation
  • Recognized in the 2025 edition (and since 2022) of The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory (Litigation - Regulatory & Public Law) and the 2023 (and since 2015) editions (Commercial Arbitration, Litigation – Corporate Commercial, Litigation – Intellectual Property) and the 2024 edition (Computer & IT Law)
  • Recognized in the 2019 edition (and since 2014) of the Lexpert Report on Business Litigation Special Edition as a leading litigator
  • Honoured with a 2014 Lexpert Zenith Award (International Commercial Arbitration)
  • Recognized in the 2024 edition (and since 2017) of the Legal 500 Canada as a "Leading individual: British Columbia" (Dispute Resolution). Rob is recommended in The Legal 500 for "his broad expertise, which spans commercial litigation, arbitration, privacy and IP Disputes."
  • Recognized as a 2023 Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyer
  • Recognized in 2017 and 2018 as an Acritas Star

Bar Admission & Education

  • British Columbia, 2000
  • LLB, University of Victoria, 1998 (Law Society of BC Gold Medallist)
  • BA, Simon Fraser University, 1995