Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) Registration

The Legal Profession Act defines a "limited liability partnership" as a partnership registered as a limited liability partnership under Part 6 of the Partnership Act.

A lawyer or law corporation may carry on the practice of law through an LLP provided that the lawyer or law corporation and the LLP comply with the Partnership Act and meet the prerequisites under Part 9 Division 2 – Limited Liability Partnerships of the Law Society Rules. Specific requirements for a partnership or an extraprovincial limited liability partnership to apply for LLP registration with the Law Society of BC are outlined under Rule 9-15.

Expedited services are not available. Please refer to the processing times outlined below and ensure you submit your application well in advance to allow sufficient time for processing. 

How to register an LLP

Registering an LLP requires several steps and must be done through both the Registrar of Companies (via BC Registries) and the Law Society of British Columbia.  

Note that this section describes the process for registering a new LLP in this province and with the Law Society. If you are currently practising law at an LLP that is already registered outside of BC and your LLP does not need to be registered with BC Registries, please register your firm with the Law Society by following the instructions on this webpage instead: Law Firm Registration

Before you begin, ensure the partnership requirements are met and the proposed business name of the LLP complies with the Law Society Rules and the Code of Professional Conduct. See more information in phase 1 below.

PHASE 1: OBTAIN AUTHORIZATION TO REGISTER THE LLP

Step 1.1 – Reserve the proposed business name of the LLP with BC Registry

1. Apply to the Registrar of Companies through BC Registries and Online Services to reserve the proposed business name of the LLP, which must comply with Rule 9-14 of the Law Society Rules, and the Code of Professional Conduct, Section 4.2 Marketing.

Step 1.2 – Obtain Name Approval and Authorization to Register the LLP from the Law Society

2. Submit the following to the Law Society’s Registration & Licensee Services department at: registration@lsbc.org:

a. A copy of the Results of Name Request issued by BC Registries;

b. A copy of the completed and signed Registration Statement that will be filed with BC Registries under the Partnership Act.

c. A written Statement of Consent containing the names of the proposed partners and confirming that they meet the requirements under Law Society Rules 9-15(3) and 9-15(5).  Each partner in an LLP must be:

i. a member of the Law Society of British Columbia;

ii. a member of a recognized legal profession in another jurisdiction;

iii. a law corporation holding a valid permit under this part or the equivalent in the jurisdiction in which it provides legal services, or

iv. a non-lawyer participating in the partnership in another Canadian jurisdiction as permitted in that jurisdiction.

d. LLP registration fee specified in Schedule 1 of the Law Society Rules ($420 GST included) using one of the payment methods outlined in our Payment Option Sheet.  Online banking is recommended.

Allow up to 10 business days for processing.

Once your proposed LLP information is reviewed, the Law Society will provide written authorization (“Statement of Approval”) to the partnership to register as an LLP.  This letter must accompany the completed and signed Registration Statement (item b above) for Registration with BC Registries.  

At this stage, your LLP has not been registered with the Law Society yet, so it is important that you do not start rendering legal services through the LLP at this stage.

PHASE 2: COMPLETE LLP REGISTRATION WITH THE LAW SOCIETY

Once the Registrar of Companies has registered the partnership as an LLP, submit the following to the Law Society’s Registration & Licensee Services department at: registration@lsbc.org:

1. A copy of the filed Registration Statement issued by BC Registries, and 
2. A letter/email with the following information:

a. the date you intend to begin practising law through the LLP;
b. the firm address and telephone numbers;
c. the names of all lawyers who will be practising at the firm; and
d. the name of the designated representative(s).

Allow up to 10 business days for processing.

You will receive a confirmation email when your LLP is registered with the Law Society.   

Annual reporting requirements

Pursuant to Rule 9-18, an LLP must deliver to the Executive Director copies of the annual report immediately after it is filed with BC Registries. Submit the annual report to the Law Society’s Registration & Licensee Services at: registration@lsbc.org once it has been filed.

LLP Name Change

To apply for changing the LLP name with the Law Society, complete the following steps.

Note: this section is about name change of an LLP only. If there are also other changes to the LLP, such as adding/removing partners, please also follow the steps under the "Other LLP Changes" section below.

PHASE 1: OBTAIN AUTHORIZATION TO CHANGE THE LLP NAME

Step 1.1 – Reserve the proposed business name of the LLP with BC Registries

1. Apply to the Registrar of Companies through BC Registries and Online Services to reserve the proposed business name of the LLP, which must comply with Rule 9-14 of the Law Society Rules, and the Code of Professional Conduct, Section 4.2 Marketing.

Step 1.2 – Obtain Name Approval and Authorization to Change the LLP Name

2. Submit the following to the Law Society’s Registration & Licensee Services department at: registration@lsbc.org:

a. A copy of the Results of Name Request issued by BC Registries;
b. copy of the completed and signed Registration Statement Change that will be filed with BC Registries under the Partnership Act.

There is no fee associated with a name change request for an LLP. 

Allow up to 10 business days for processing.

Once your proposed LLP information is reviewed, the Law Society will provide written authorization (“Statement of Approval of Name Change”) to change the LLP name.  This letter must accompany the completed and signed Registration Statement Change (item b above) for filing with BC Registries.  

At this stage, your LLP name has not been changed with the Law Society yet so it is important that you must not start rendering legal services through the new LLP name at this stage.

PHASE 2: COMPLETE LLP NAME CHANGE PROCESS WITH THE LAW SOCIETY

Once the Registrar of Companies registers the partnership as an LLP, submit the following to the Law Society’s Registration & Licensee Services department at: registration@lsbc.org:

• A copy of the filed Registration Statement Change issued by BC Registries

Allow up to 10 business days for processing.

You will receive a confirmation email when your LLP name is updated with the Law Society.   

Other LLP Changes

Pursuant to Rule 9-18, an LLP must deliver to the Executive Director copies of an amendment to the Registration Statement. Submit the filed copies to: registration@lsbc.org.

If an LLP is undergoing a change in partnership structure, also submit a copy of a revised Statement of Consent containing the names of all partners under the new partnership structure, as well as confirming that each of them meets the requirements under Rules 9-15(3) and 9-15(5).

Dissolution of an LLP

The LLP must provide a copy of either of the following to: registration@lsbc.org as soon as available:

• a filed Dissolution or Change of Partnership Registration issued by BC Registry Services, or
• a filed letter from the LLP issued by BC Registry Services

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)