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Laura Poppel

Partner

Calgary
[email protected]
403.232.9575

Expertise

Leah Jeon

Practice Assistant

Calgary
[email protected]
403.266.1395
403.232.9569

Laura's practice focuses on complex commercial litigation and regulatory matters, with a particular emphasis on the oil and gas, and financial institution sectors.

She regularly represents: 

  1. oil and gas clients involved in contractual or tortious disputes;
  2. financial institutions and investment advisors involved in litigation claims or regulatory investigations; 
  3. shareholders, directors and officers involved in disputes concerning allegations of oppression, breaches of shareholder agreements, breaches of fiduciary duties or breaches of duties of care; and 
  4. corporations defending class actions.

Laura has extensive experience appearing before all levels of courts in Alberta, and other tribunals including the Alberta Utilities Commission and the former Mutual Fund Dealers Association.

Experience

  • General
    • Representing the Bank of Nova Scotia, a Canadian chartered bank, in several provincial court and Court of Queen's Bench actions
    • Representing the Bank of Montreal, a Canadian chartered bank, in several provincial court and Court of Queen's Bench actions
    • Representing corporations named as defendants in prospective class actions
    • Representing numerous oil and gas companies in various ongoing disputes in the Court of Queen's Bench
    • Advising companies in the electricity sector with respect to regulatory advice
  • Recent Reported Decisions
    • Acted as co-counsel for the successful Applicant, Nova Chemicals Corporation, in an application concerning the Province of Alberta's unlawful collection of C$20 million in royalties relating to gas processed at the Harmattan Gas Processing Plant.
    • Acted as lead counsel for the successful Plaintiff, PrairieSky Royalty Ltd., in a King's Bench trial concerning whether a royalty constituted an interest in unpatented Crown lands (2023 ABKB 11).
    • Acted as lead counsel for the successful Defendant, Bank of Montreal, in a Provincial Court trial concerning whether BMO had properly completed a Form 33-109 Notice of Termination of Registered Individuals.
    • Acted as co-counsel in successfully defending an application for forum non conveniens (2020 ABQB 723)
    • Acted as co-counsel in successfully defending an appeal of a trial decision concerning a residential property claim brought against a realtor and her brokerage (2020 ABCA 107)
    • Acted as co-counsel for IntelliView Technologies Inc. in a successful application to declare an individual a vexatious litigant in both the Court of Queen's Bench (2018 ABQB 961) and the Federal Court of Canada (2019 FC 504)
    • Acted as co-counsel for the Bank of Nova Scotia in a successful application for summary dismissal of three potential class actions on a summary judgment basis (2016 ABQB 726)
    • Acted as co-counsel for the Market Surveillance Administrator in a successful application to resist an application for judicial review (2016 ABQB 133)
    • Representing the Market Surveillance Administrator in Alberta Utilities Commission Proceeding No. 23535: Application for Approval of a Settlement Agreement
    • Representing the Market Surveillance Administrator in Alberta Utilities Commission Proceeding 22797: Applications to review and vary Decision 21115-D01-2017
    • Representing the Market Surveillance Administrator in Alberta Utilities Commission Proceeding 21115: Application by the Market Surveillance Administrator Regarding the Publication of the Historical Trading Report
    • Representing the Market Surveillance Administrator in Alberta Utilities Commission Proceeding No. 3110: Market Surveillance Administrator allegations against TransAlta Corporation et al., Mr. Nathan Kaiser and Mr. Scott Connelly

Beyond Our Walls

Professional Involvement

  • Member, Canadian Bar Association
  • Member, Law Society of Alberta
  • Member, Calgary Bar Association

Community Involvement

  • Volunteer, Civil Claims Duty Counsel, Provincial Court of Alberta
  • Volunteer, Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench, Amicus Project

Awards & Recognitions

  • Recognized in the 2023 edition (and since 2022) of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in Canada (Corporate and Commercial Litigation)
  • Anthony G. Draper Memorial Prize, awarded for the highest mark in remedies
  • D.A. Thompson, Q.C. Prize, awarded for the highest standing in remedies
  • David and Myrna Bowman Prize, awarded for the highest standing in evidence
  • D.A. Thompson, Q.C. Prize, awarded for the highest standing in property law
  • D.A. Thompson, Q.C. Prize, awarded for the highest standing in constitutional law

Bar Admission & Education

  • Alberta, 2015
  • JD, University of Manitoba, 2014
  • BA, Brandon University, 2010