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Brian P. Reid

Litigation, Construction, Joint Venture Agreement and Builder's Lien Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary

Partner

Christopher Petrucci

Commercial Litigation Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary

Kaamil Khalfan

Associate

This article examines a recent Alberta Court decision confirming that during the PPCLA transition period, the former BLA&rsquo;s shorter 45-day lien deadline remains decisive. The ruling underscores that once a lien deadline expires, the lien ceases to exist and cannot be revived by the Court or through Land Titles corrections.

Better Early Than Sorry Strict Compliance Required for Lien Deadlines

Better Early Than Sorry: Strict Compliance Required for Lien Deadlines 

David J. Wahl, FCIArb

Construction Arbitration & Litigation Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary

Alex Payne

Commercial Litigation Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

The Ontario Superior Court in Feldt Electric Ltd v Gorbern Mechanical Contractors held that non-compliance with an adjudicator&rsquo;s determination does not automatically invalidate a lien. The decision underscores the importance of jurisdiction and procedural fairness in construction disputes under Ontario&rsquo;s prompt payment and adjudication regime.

Liening on Fairness

Vasilis F. L. Pappas, FCIArb

International Arbitration Lawyer at Bennett Jones Vancouver and Calgary

Partner 

The Alberta Court of Appeal in Husky Oil Operations Limited v Technip Stone & Webster Process Technology Inc, 2024 ABCA 369 recently held that parties attempting to impose an arbitration requirement on third-party beneficiaries of a contract that contains an arbitration clause must make the obligation to arbitrate clear and explicit in the contract.

Clear and Explicit Contractual Language Required to Impose Arbitration on Third Party Beneficiaries

Clear and Explicit Contractual Language Required to Impose Arbitration on Third-Party Beneficiaries

In 2022, amendments to the Prompt Payment and Construction Lien Act (PPCLA) introduced a prompt payment and related fast-track adjudication process. Recently, in Welcome Homes Construction Inc v Atlas Granite Inc, the Alberta's Court of King's Bench interpreted these provisions, considering how they relate to the lien process under the PPCLA. Prior to this case, Alberta courts had not considered the intersection of the adjudication process and the lien process under the PPCLA.

AB Court of Kings Bench Concludes Adjudicator Decisions Under the PPCLA Independent of Lien Validity

Prompt Payment Update—Alberta's Court of King's Bench Concludes Adjudicator Decisions under the PPCLA are Independent of Lien Validity

Sarah E. Gilbert

Regulatory, Environmental and Health and Safety Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

Julia E. Schatz

Commercial Litigation, Agribusiness, Arbitration, Real Estate, Construction and Environmental Litigation at Bennett Jones Toronto

Gatlin Smeijers

Environmental Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

On December 31, 2025, the Federal Government published the Prohibition of Certain Toxic Substances Regulations, 2025 under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999. When they come into effect on June 30, 2026, the 2025 Regulations will repeal and replace the Prohibition of Certain Toxic Substances Regulations, 2012. The Federal Government published a proposed version of the 2025 Regulations in 2022 for public consultation.

Federal Government Publishes Prohibition of Certain Toxic Substances Regulations

Federal Government Publishes Prohibition of Certain Toxic Substances Regulations, 2025

William S. Osler KC

Capital Markets, Securities, M&A and Corporate Governance Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary

Drew C. Broughton

Corporate Commercial and M&A Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary

Audrix Arce

Articling Student

Recent changes to the Commissioner of Lobbying&rsquo;s interpretation of the federal Lobbying Act significantly lower the threshold for mandatory lobbyist registration. As of January 2026, organizations may be required to register if employees collectively spend as little as eight hours lobbying within a four-week period, including preparation and written communications. This update has important compliance implications for corporations and other organizations engaging with federal public office holders.

Expanded Federal Lobbyist Registration Requirements

Natalia E. Iamundo

Commercial Real Estate Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

Alixe A.L. Cameron

Corporate Commercial and Real Estate Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary

Troy Mack

Corporate Commercial Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary

Rights of first refusal and rights of first offer are often used interchangeably, but they carry very different legal consequences in Alberta land transactions. This post explains how Alberta legislation and case law treat each right, why only a ROFR can support a caveat, and what parties should consider when structuring agreements to protect their interests.

Right of First Refusal vs Right of First Offer in Alberta Land Transactions

Right of First Refusal vs. Right of First Offer in Alberta Land Transactions 

Edward (Ted) Yoo

Intellectual Property Lawyer and Canada/US Patent and Trademark Agent at Bennett Jones Edmonton

Partner, Patent Agent, Trademark Agent

Ahmed Elmallah

Intellectual Property Lawyer at Bennett Jones Edmonton

Counsel, Patent Agent, Trademark Agent

Joshua Kim

Articling Student at Bennett Jones in Edmonton

The Alberta Court of King&rsquo;s Bench decision in SHAC Solutions Inc v Guenther confirms that intellectual property includes confidential processes, trade secrets and institutional know-how. The Court&rsquo;s injunction highlights the power of confidentiality agreements and the irreparable harm that can result from misuse of confidential information.

Protecting Your Proprietary Information Lessons from SHAC Solutions Inc v Guenther

Protecting Your Proprietary Information: Lessons from SHAC Solutions Inc v Guenther

Shahrose Javed

Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

Andrew L. Jeanrie

Commercial Real Estate and Infrastructure Development Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

Inclusionary zoning is a planning tool that requires certain new residential developments to include a prescribed percentage of affordable housing units.&nbsp;IZ was introduced as a unique zoning tool for Ontario&mdash;it would use zoning bylaws not only to dictate the uses permitted in a given area, but also as a tool to control the market price of what that zoning permits. 
<div>&nbsp;</div>

Ontario Moves to Pause Inclusionary Zoning Obligations

Inclusionary Zoning in Ontario: Ontario Moves to Pause Inclusionary Zoning Obligations 

Recent Developments in Construction Law

From the Same Authors