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Blair C. Yorke-Slader KC

Leading Corporate, Commercial and Energy Litigation Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary

Vice Chair and Partner

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<p>Blair Yorke-Slader talks with <em>Canadian Lawyer</em> about the Court of King's Bench of Alberta ordering NOVA Chemicals Corporation to pay Dow Chemical Canada a total of C$3.56 billion in damages.</p>

Dow Chemical Canada Awarded

Dow Chemical Canada Awarded C$3.56 Billion From Nova Chemicals

<p>Blair Yorke-Slader talks with <em>Law.Com</em> about Bennett Jones' work for Dow Chemical Canada in what is believed to be the largest commercial damages award in Canadian history.</p>

Bennett Jones Team Wins Largest

Bennett Jones Team Wins Largest Commercial Damages Award in Canadian History

E. Bruce Mellett KC

Energy, Insurance, Professional Liability and Construction Litigation Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary

Partner 

Ciara J. Mackey

Commercial Litigation Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary

Partner

Bennett Jones acted as lead counsel for Dow Chemical in securing a historic C$3.56 billion judgment against NOVA Chemicals—the largest commercial damages award in Canadian history. The case involved a long-standing dispute over the operation of a jointly owned ethylene plant in Alberta. The Bennett Jones team included Blair Yorke-Slader KC, Bruce Mellett KC, Ciara Mackey, David Wahl, Adam Williams, Russ Kruger, Liz Allum, and Tao Browne.

Bennett Jones Acts for Dow Chemical in Successful 3 56 Billion Contract Claim

Bennett Jones Acts for Dow Chemical in Successful $3.56 Billion Contract Claim

Katherine Booth

Litigation Lawyer at Bennett Jones Vancouver

Lamont Bartlett

Commercial Litigation Lawyer at Bennett Jones Edmonton

Gannon Beaulne

Litigation Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

<p>Thirty-seven Bennett Jones lawyers have been recognized in the <em><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://benchmarklitigation.com/Firm/Bennett-Jones/Profile/111070#lawyers" target="_blank">Benchmark Canada</a></em><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://benchmarklitigation.com/Firm/Bennett-Jones/Profile/111070#lawyers" target="_blank"> 2025 rankings</a>, including 30 Litigation Stars and 10 Future Stars. Five of our lawyers were also named among the Top 50 Trial Lawyers in Canada.</p>

Bennett Jones Lawyers Named Among Canadas Top Litigators By Benchmark Canada

Bennett Jones Lawyers Named Among Canada's Top Litigators By Benchmark Canada

Mahnaz Jan Ali

Financial Services Lawyer at Bennett Jones Montréal

Andrée-Anne Tremblay

Articling Student at Bennett Jones in Montréal

Articling Student

<p>A recent Quebec Court of Appeal&rsquo;s decision in <em>S&eacute;questre de Bois BSL inc. /</em> <em>BSL Wood Products Inc.</em>, 2025 QCCA 993, builds on the Superior Court&rsquo;s ruling&nbsp;and revisits the dissenting opinion in <em>Maschinenfabrik Rieter AG</em> c. <em>Canadian Fidelity Mills Ltd.</em>, 2005 QCCA 1033. It clarifies the legal treatment of ownership claims in the context of receivership and the consequences of late registration of security under Quebec law.</p>
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Whose Tractor Is It Anyway Quebec Decision Clarifies Ownership Claims in Receivership

Whose Tractor Is It Anyway? Quebec Decision Clarifies Ownership Claims in Receivership

Luke Morrison

Energy Project Development, M&A, and Commercial Transaction Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary

Ashley M. White

Corporate, Commercial Transactions, Power & Energy Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary

Pamela Clark

Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary 

Associate 

<span>On June 6, 2025, the federal government introduced Bill C-5, <em>An Act to enact the Free Trade and Labour Mobility in Canada Act and the Building Canada Act</em>, which proposes new legislation aimed at strengthening Canada's economy by removing interprovincial trade and labour mobility barriers and advancing major projects.</span>

Wind In The Sails of Canadian Energy Project Development

Wind In The Sails of Canadian Energy Project Development: Major Projects Office Open For Business, and Details of Fast-Tracked Projects Emerging

Robert W. Staley

Commercial, Securities and Class Action Litigation Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

Cheryl M. Woodin

Commercial Litigation, Product Liability & Class Actions Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

In <em data-start="65" data-end="94">Sinclair v. Venezia Turismo</em>, 2025 SCC 27, the Supreme Court of Canada clarified that jurisdiction must be assessed for each defendant individually. A plaintiff cannot rely on one defendant&rsquo;s contract or weak connecting factors to extend jurisdiction to others. The decision strengthens the principles of corporate separateness in cross-border disputes.

The SCC Clarifies Approach to Jurisdiction Against Multiple Defendants in Cross Border Disputes

Sinclair v. Venezia Turismo: The SCC Clarifies Approach to Jurisdiction Against Multiple Defendants in Cross-Border Disputes

Stephen D. Burns

Technology Lawyer, Intellectual Property Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary

Partner, Trademark Agent

Matthew Flynn

Technology Transaction Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

J. Sébastien A. Gittens

Intellectual Property and Technology Commercialization Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary

<span>AI transcription tools offer efficiency and accuracy in the boardroom but create risks to confidentiality, privacy and legal privilege. Organizations should adopt clear policies, safeguards and training to ensure responsible use and compliance with governance standards.</span>

AI Notetaking in the Boardroom

Lorelei Graham

Food and Agribusiness Lawyer, IP Lawyer, Litigation Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

<p style="text-align: left;">The United States Patent and Trademark Office's decision to cancel its Climate Change Mitigation pilot program for patents has not gone unnoticed in Canada. For Canadian policymakers and agri-tech innovators, this move by the United States raises two big questions: (1) How might this affect Canada&rsquo;s own intellectual property&nbsp; strategy for green tech, and (2) could it create opportunities for Canada (and others) to take the lead in certain climate-tech domains?</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">A particular area of interest is carbon-capture agri-tech, technologies that help farming not just reduce emissions but actively capture carbon (for instance, special crops or soil treatments that lock away carbon dioxide or farm machinery that traps greenhouse gases). These innovations are crucial for meeting climate goals and could become a competitive arena internationally.</p>

Fast Tracks and Green Gaps Part IV

Fast Tracks and Green Gaps Part IV: Shifting Gears: How the United States' Exit from Climate Protection Fuels Canada's IP Advantage

Appellate Advocacy Seminar for Legal Education Society of Alberta

From the Same Authors