Brendan MacArthur-Stevens How to pronounce this name. (he, him, his) Partner | Calgary

Recent matters in which Brendan has been involved include:

Commercial Disputes

• Successfully representing the City of Edmonton in resisting an application to stay an arbitration in favour of litigation (decision reported at IBI Group Architects v. Edmonton (City), 2022 CarswellAlta 1805) and then in the underlying commercial arbitration proceedings

• Successfully representing a Canadian municipality in a four-week C$125-million private commercial arbitration regarding allegations of unlawful contract termination, delay, disruption and bad faith in the context of a significant public transportation project

• Successfully representing an energy company in a C$65-million expedited private arbitration that progressed from notice of arbitration to final award within 2.5 months

• Successfully representing Encana Corporation in an appeal to the Court of Appeal of Alberta involving breach of confidence, copyright infringement, and limitations periods (decision reported at Geophysical Service Incorporated v. Encana Corporation, 2018 ABCA 384)

• Successfully representing an insured to obtain a C$362-million award in a five-week private arbitration against its insurer pursuant to a political risk insurance policy

• Successfully representing WestJet Airlines Ltd. in the context of multiple complex plan of arrangement proceedings before the Alberta Court of King's Bench, including its C$5-billion sale to Onex Corporation

• Representing a First Nation in a four-week trial in the Alberta Court of King's Bench involving allegations of unjust enrichment and breach of duties by the Federal Crown

• Successfully representing the National Hockey League in the Alberta Court of King's Bench to obtain a stay in favour of arbitration of a claim involving an on-ice incident between a referee and a player

• Successfully representing a large energy services company in a five-week intellectual property trial in the Federal Court of Canada, involving both patent infringement and patent validity issues (reported at Packers Plus Energy Services Inc. v. Essential Energy Services Ltd., 2017 FC 1111)

Public Law Commercial Disputes

• Successfully representing SaskEnergy Incorporated, a Crown corporation, in judicial review proceedings in the Federal Court of Canada arising out of The SaskEnergy (Carbon Tax Fairness for Families) Amendment Act and the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act

• Successfully representing the applicant at first instance and on appeal in a judicial review application to quash a decision of the Minister of Energy and obtain related declarations (Court of King's Bench decision reported at Shell Canada Limited v. Alberta (Energy), 2022 ABQB 4; Court of Appeal decision reported at Shell Canada Limited v. Alberta (Energy), 2023 ABCA 230)

• Representing the respondent, ATB Financial, in a case known as Redwater before the Supreme Court of Canada involving the constitutional doctrine of federal paramountcy and insolvency law (decision reported at Orphan Wells Association v. Grant Thornton Ltd., 2019 SCC 5)

• Successfully representing Suncor Energy Inc. in a judicial review application in the Court of King's Bench of Alberta involving the calculation of oil sands royalties

Public Interest Litigation

• Successfully represented Egale Canada as lead intervention counsel in the Supreme Court of Canada about whether the Charter applies to public school boards (reported at York Region District School Board v. Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario, 2024 SCC 22)

• Successfully representing QMUNITY and the Skipping Stone Foundation as lead counsel in the Supreme Court of Canada in a case about anti-SLAPP legislation and the public interest in speech that counters discrimination against vulnerable groups (reported at Hansman v. Neufeld, 2023 SCC 14)

• Successfully representing a public-interest organization to obtain intervenor status in the Alberta Court of King's Bench and the Court of Appeal of Alberta to make submissions regarding the constitutionality of an Alberta law that facilitates Gay-Straight Alliances and protects the privacy of LGBTQ2S+ youth (injunction decision reported at P.T. v. Alberta, 2018 ABQB 496; Court of Appeal decision reported at P.T. v. Alberta, 2019 ABCA 158)

Brendan is recognized as a leading lawyer in the following publications and awards:

• Chambers Canada: Canada’s Leading Lawyers for Business 2025 (Litigation: General Commercial – Alberta, Construction – Nationwide)

• The Best Lawyers in Canada 2025 (Construction Law)

• Canadian Association of 2SLGBTQ+ Lawyers (2024 PRISME Recognition for Local Leadership in 2SLGBTQ+ Rights Advocacy in Alberta)

• The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory 2024 (Commercial Arbitration, Litigation – Corporate Commercial)

• The Legal 500 Canada 2024 (Next Generation Partner – Dispute Resolution: Alberta)

• Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in Canada – 2022–2024 (Corporate and Commercial Litigation)

• The Legal 500 Canada 2023 (Rising Star – Dispute Resolution: Alberta)

• Avenue Calgary Magazine (Top 40 Under 40 Class of 2022)

• Euromoney’s LMG Rising Stars Expert Guide 2022 (Litigation)

Brendan teaches Administrative Law at the University of Calgary Faculty of Law. He also volunteers with the Civil Claims Duty Counsel Program and the King's Bench Amicus Program, where he provides pro bono legal advice to unrepresented litigants.

Brendan is on the Executive Committee of the Canadian Bar Association's Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Community Forum (SOGIC) and a member of the Young Advocates Standing Committee of The Advocates' Society.

Brendan helped found the first Trans ID Clinic in Alberta, which provides pro bono legal services to assist trans individuals in updating their name and gender markers on government-issued identification. The Clinic has now expanded to include substantive legal advice in various areas. Brendan also does extensive pro bono work for various LGBTQ2S+ organizations in Alberta.

• Co-author : SCC Holds that the Charter Applies to Public School Boards in Landmark Decision
  Blakes Bulletin on Litigation & Dispute Resolution, June 25, 2024.
• Co-author : Alberta Court of Appeal Provides Guidance on Constructive Expropriation Claims in the Natural Resource Sector
  Blakes Bulletin on Litigation & Dispute Resolution, May 9, 2024.
• Co-author : Unpacking Recent Trends in Major Projects and Infrastructure Arbitration
  Five Under 5 on Arbitration, May 2, 2024.
• Co-author : Federal Court of Appeal Breathes New Life Into Climate Claims
  Blakes Bulletin on Environmental, January 15, 2024.
• Co-author : SCC Hears Important Appeal on Workplace Privacy and Charter Application
  Blakes Bulletin on Litigation & Dispute Resolution, October 26, 2023.
• Co-author : Alberta Court of Appeal Upholds Quashing of Ministerial Decision Under Alberta Royalty Regime
  Blakes Bulletin on Litigation & Dispute Resolution, October 25, 2023.
• Co-author : SCC Affirms the Public Interest in Counter-Speech That Advances the Equality Rights of Transgender Youth in Anti-SLAPP Decision
  Blakes Bulletin on Litigation & Dispute Resolution, March 24, 2023.
• Co-author : The future of advocacy and work arrangements ‘post’-pandemic: Perspectives of young advocates
  The Advocates’ Society, Keeping Tabs, July 2022.
• Co-author : A Eulogy for Arbitral Deference? The Standard of Review for Private Arbitrations Post-Vavilov
  Canadian Journal of Administrative Law and Practice, Thomson Reuters Canada Limited, June 2022.
• Author : The Legal Battle Over Gay-Straight Alliances in Alberta
  LGBTQ2+ Law: Practice Issues and Analysis, Emond Publishing, November 2019.

• Speaker : Common Insurance Issues in the Construction Industry
  Blakes Business Class Seminar, June 4, 2024.
• Speaker : Key Trends in Major Project and Infrastructure Arbitration
  Blakes Business Class Seminar, April 24, 2024.
• Speaker : Setting Up for Digital Evidence Success
  Digital Evidence for Litigators, Plenary Session, The Advocates’ Society, March 5, 2024.
• Speaker : 2SLGBTQ+ Rights and Legal Updates
  SOGIC Winter Social, Ontario Bar Association, Toronto, Ontario, December 4, 2023.
• Speaker : Arbitration Advocacy – Case Law Update
  Arbitration Advocacy Program, The Advocates' Society, Calgary, Alberta, November 22, 2023.
• Speaker : The Supreme Court of Canada's Decision in Hansman v Neufeld
  Sexual and Gender Diversity Alliance Section Meeting, Panel Presentation, Canadian Bar Association, Calgary, Alberta, and online, October 26, 2023.
• Speaker : What Is a Conflict of Interest?
  Blakes Business Class Seminar, October 25, 2023.
• Speaker : The Duty to Learn
  Equality, Diversity and Inclusion for Litigators, National Webcast, The Advocates’ Society, October 5, 2023.
• Speaker : Proactive Litigation Management
  Blakes Business Class Seminar, September 29, 2023.
• Speaker : Creating Inclusive Spaces
  Panel Discussion, CREW Calgary and NAIOP, Calgary, Alberta, June 27, 2023.
• Speaker : Climate Change Disputes in Canada: Are You Ready?
  Blakes Business Class Seminar, Calgary, Alberta, May 3, 2023.
• Speaker : The Law of Good Faith in Contract Termination
  Blakes Business Class Seminar, Calgary, Alberta, March 1, 2023.
• Speaker : Jurisdictional Battles Between Arbitration and Litigation
  Construction Law Alberta Section, Webcast, Canadian Bar Association, October 24, 2022.
• Speaker : Contractual Good Faith and Arbitration Appeals
  Civil Litigation North Alberta Section, Webcast, Canadian Bar Association, June 14, 2022.
• Speaker : Delay and Damages in Construction Litigation
  Blakes Business Class Seminar, December 1, 2021.
• Speaker : The Art and Science of Settling Litigation and Arbitration
  Blakes Presentation to In-House Counsel, November 5, 2021.

Admitted to the Alberta Bar – 2017
Admitted to the Ontario Bar – 2015
JD (With Distinction, Bronze Medal, Dean's Key), University of Toronto – 2014
BA (Hon.), University of Western Ontario (Richard Ivey School of Business, Valedictorian) – 2011