Peter Banks

Peter D. Banks

Partner

Calgary
[email protected]
403.232.9781

Peter represents clients in a broad range of litigation matters in court and in arbitration. He practises commercial and construction litigation and acts on behalf of owners, contractors and subcontractors in disputes arising from large-scale construction and engineering projects. These cases include significant claims involving breach of contract, deficiency claims, delay claims, liquidated damages claims, and warranty and tendering issues.

Peter also acts in significant cases involving:

  • Commercial disputes;
  • Constitutional issues;
  • Shareholder disputes;
  • Injunctions; and
  • Publication bans.

Peter has appeared before the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada.

Peter clerked for Mr Justice Major at the Supreme Court of Canada and has since appeared at the Supreme Court on three significant cases, including one of the leading cases in Canada on the law of tendering.

Peter is the current Vice-Chair of the Canadian Bar Association Civil Litigation (South Section) and the Vice-Chair of The Advocates' Society Construction Law Practice Group.

Peter provides legal services through a Law Corporation.

Experience

  • Counsel for a design build contractor in a dispute arising out of the design and construction of a major ring road project in southern Alberta
  • Counsel for an owner of a $1 billion sour gas processing plant in northern Canada in a multi-party UNCITRAL arbitration
  • Counsel for a multimillion dollar case arising on a major infrastructure project in the City of Calgary
  • Counsel for an EPC contractor involved in a dispute with the owner of a carbon capture plant
  • Toronto Star Newspapers Ltd. v. Canada, 2010 SCC 21 – constitutional challenge to a statutory publication ban
  • Canada v. McLarty, 2008 SCC 26 – meaning of “expense incurred” and factual non-arm-length dealings under the Income Tax Act
  • Double N Earthmovers Ltd. v. Edmonton (City), 2007 SCC 3 – leading case on the law of tendering

Beyond Our Walls

Professional Involvement

  • Member, Law Society of Alberta
  • Member, The Advocates’ Society
  • Member, Canadian Bar Association
  • Member, Society of Construction Law North America
  • Member, Calgary Bar Association
  • Honorary Member, COMBAR Commercial Bar Association (England)
  • Past Member, The Editorial Board of the Alberta Law Review

Community Involvement

  • Volunteer, BLG Reads to Kids
  • Past Cub and Beaver Scout Leader, 1st Okotoks Scouts

Awards & Recognitions

  • Recognized in the 2023 edition (and since 2022) of The Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory (Construction Law).
  • Recognized in the 2022 edition (and since 2021) of The Best Lawyers in Canada (Corporate and Commercial Litigation) and in the 2022 edition (Construction Law)
  • Recognized in the 2022 edition (and since 2021) of Benchmark Canada as a Future Star.
  • Recognized in the 2022 edition of Lexpert Special Edition: Infrastructure
  • Recognized as a “Litigation Lawyer to Watch” by the Lexpert® Guide to the Leading US/Canada Cross-border Litigation Lawyers in Canada.
  • Recognized as one of Lexpert’s® Rising Stars: Leading Lawyers Under 40.

Bar Admission & Education

  • Saskatchewan, 2016
  • Alberta, 2003
  • BCL (with distinction), University of Oxford, 2004
  • LLB (with distinction and gold medallist), University of Alberta, 2002
  • B.Ed (with distinction), University of Alberta, 1997