Derek D. Key KC

James is a partner and an experienced real estate development and business lawyer who advises on all aspects of real property transactions, including the development, ownership structure, purchase, sale and financing of commercial office complexes, retail shopping centers and residential buildings. He also regularly advises on private mergers and acquisitions, complex corporate restructurings and secured lending transactions. Driven by his desire to add value and ensure positive outcomes for ...

For over 30 years, Zul Verjee has stood at the forefront of commercial litigation and insurance litigation in Alberta and across Canada. Zul is recognized as a leading litigation trial lawyer across Canada and North America. He has appeared at all levels of Court in Alberta, the Federal Court of Canada and conducted over 100 mediations and Judicial Dispute Resolution conferences. Zul’s practice spans the most complex disputes including commercial litigation, major personal injury and fa...

Lara is a Partner with Harper Grey practising in the areas of professional regulation and health law. She is the Assistant Chair of our Professional Regulation Group. She has acted as counsel for physicians, dentists, psychologists, and many other regulated health professionals. Lara articled with Harper Grey and joined the firm upon her Call to the Bar in 1996. She was in-house counsel with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia for two years from 2009 to 2011, before rej...

Michèle Friel practises in the areas of commercial contracts, corporate financing, financial services and general banking law. Her practice focuses primarily on secured financing transactions in Canada and cross-border loans, both on a syndicated and non-syndicated basis. Ms. Friel represents and advises banks and other lending institutions as well as borrowers in a broad range of financing transactions, including asset-based loans, cash flow loans, project financings, acquisition fina...

As a Certified Specialist in Municipal Law (Local Government/Land Use Planning and Development) and original member of the Law Society’s Municipal Law Specialty Committee, Steve O’Melia specializes in municipal, planning/development, and expropriation law. Since returning to private practice in 2003 his clients have included developers, landowners and more than 50 municipalities, school boards, and conservation authorities. Steve’s decade of experience as an in-house municip...

Karl Jessop is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Labour and Employment Law. Karl, who practices law in Québec, Quebec, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Karl is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Chris Drinovz is a Partner at KSW Lawyers and the founder and leader of the Employment & Labour Group. His calling is to excellence through the mastery of his craft and tireless dedication to his clients. He is described as hard-working, trustworthy, and genuine. His strong analytical mind (grounded in a mathematics background) and passion for writing and language make him a force to reckon with. ‍ Chris works with business leaders and union and non-union organizations to solve workpl...

Gillian is a civil litigator focused on personal injury law, professional regulation and discipline matters, insurance law (with a special interest in disability insurance claims), and Workers' Compensation Board claims. After obtaining her B.Comm. (1989) at the University of Calgary and her LL.B. (1992) at the University of Alberta, she was admitted to the Alberta bar in 1993. A past chair of the Canadian Bar Association Alberta Law Conference, Gillian is also a member of the Canadian Bar As...

David is a partner of INQ Law and concentrates his practice on privacy, data protection, access to information and data governance. With more than 30 years of experience, David was a senior information and privacy regulator and has deep expertise in the application and enforcement of privacy and access laws. Over his career, David has held the roles of assistant commissioner, director of legal services, and manager of adjudication with Ontario’s Information and Privacy Commissioner. He ...

Ian Gosselin handles complex litigations, primarily in construction law and product liability. He has extensive experience in commercial litigation and is also involved in the defence of class actions. Mr. Gosselin has frequently pleaded before civil courts and arbitration tribunals and has cumulated more than 500 days before the courts over the course of his career. He also acts as mediator in civil and commercial disputes. Due to his considerable experience in construction and engineering, ...