In the Beginning
1903
In 1903 John Ford Burne, became the first Solicitor in Kelowna. Born in England, he came to Canada in order to begin practicing law and did so opening up an independent practice. When Kelowna was incorporated as a city in 1905, Burne was the first Police Magistrate. Two years later he was made the first judge of the Small Debts Court of Kelowna.
Weddell Horn
1957
Forty years after joining the firm in 1917, EC Weddell who was also the “City Solicitor,” met Jim Horn in the summer of 1957 allowing him to do his articles. The two worked well together and created a new partnership which resulted in a firm name change to Weddell Horn.
Fillmore and Company
1960s-1970s
A young Howard Berge began practicing in Kelowna at Fillmore and Company in the 1960s and built a solid reputation alongside Derril Warren and Hugh Ladner. In 1978 Doug Flannigan joined the firm.
Berge & Company
1980s
In 1982 Flannigan became a partner when Warren & Ladner left. The firm name was changed to Berge (Jim) Bishop (Keith) Purvin-Good & Flannigan. A couple of years after this change Rod Pacholzuk joined as an Associate and would eventually become a partner in 1989. Also, in 1987 Jim Herperger became an Associate with the firm which was now named Berge & Company.
Merger Discussions
2000
In the year 2000 both Don Lewthwaite who was practicing at Weddell Horn in Kelowna and Rod Pacholzuk, began discussing a possible merger into one larger firm to able to assist more people seeking legal help throughout the Okanagan.
Berge Horn
2001
On July 1, 2001, their discussions became a reality when Weddell Horn and Berge & Company merged to form Berge Horn. The lawyers of this new identity offered a full-service firm practicing in most areas that they do still today.
Special Olympics Golf Tournament
2012
When the Special Olympics were in search of a title sponsor to their annual golf tournament, FH&P Lawyers (Berge Horn at the time) were there to answer the call in 2012. Since then each year our Firm helps organize the tournament and raises funds for the various programs for children ranging from 2-18 years old in Kelowna.
Brand New Home
2013
Following years of planning FH&P Lawyers hired local company Worman Construction to build a new expanded building at the corner of Lawrence Avenue and Water Street in Downtown Kelowna. The Firm finally moved into the brand new brick building in 2013 at 275 Lawrence Avenue beside the historic firehall.
FH&P Lawyers LLP
2014
Finally, in 2014 Berge Horn once again morphed into what we know today as FH&P Lawyers LLP. The initials are the first letters of the last names of the three senior partners that year, Doug Flannigan, James Herperger, and Rod Pacholzuk.
FH&P Lawyers LLP Penticton
2019
After years of discussion and planning, FH&P Lawyers expanded and opened a new office at 74 Wade Avenue East in Downtown Penticton in December of 2019. Associate Counsel Ian McAndrews who had been in Penticton for 31 years opened the Firm and became the first lawyer in the expansion. The goal of this second office is to assist more people in living in the South Okanagan.
Bernard Avenue Expansion
2021
Our Firm located on Lawrence Avenue in Downtown Kelowna has been busting at the seams from the first day we moved in. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 our staff grew requiring more office space to accommodate the expanding services. We opened a second space on Bernard Avenue and have several staff working and assisting clients.