Simon Lidster

Craig Gillespie is a founding partner of Cuming & Gillespie LLP . He is a leading personal injury, class action, and medical malpractice lawyer with a proven track record of success. With decades of experience representing clients throughout Western Canada, he has secured multi-million dollar settlements and verdicts in complex cases. Craig has been consistently recognized for his exceptional work, including being named medical malpractice lawyer of the year. Beyond his legal practice, Cr...

Jessica's practice focuses on commercial litigation and arbitration, with an emphasis in insolvency and restructuring. She advises clients on general commercial disputes, all aspects of insolvency and restructuring matters, including cross-border proceedings, and banking and oil and gas related litigation. Clients value Jessica’s practical and collaborative approach to complex legal disputes and restructuring proceedings. Jessica has acted for debtor companies, guiding them through the ...

Kevin Keyes is a Partner in the firm’s Calgary office. His practice focuses on real estate development, financing and leasing. Kevin has advised clients with respect to land assembly; annexation; purchase; subdivision; rezoning; development approvals; financing; leasing; management and sale of commercial and institutional projects, and public/private-sector initiatives. Regularly assists clients in making strategic business decisions, negotiating and preparing complex commercial agreeme...

Alex Kotkas is Managing Partner of the Alberta Region, with primary responsibility for leadership of the Firm’s Calgary and Tsuut’ina offices. As Regional Managing Partner, Alex manages the region's operations while developing and executing its strategic direction. His leadership focuses on cultivating a supportive environment that prioritizes exceptional client service, drives innovation, and nurtures outstanding talent. Alex is the founder and former leader of the Firm’s L...

Geoff Poelman practises in the litigation group with a focus on complex commercial litigation within the energy industry, construction law, and insurance defence. He has been involved in matters at all levels of court in Alberta, having experience with proceedings including contractual disputes, statutory interpretation and negligence. Geoff has successfully managed multi-party actions with complex procedural issues, often participating in a variety of alternative dispute resolution processes...

James’ practice involves all aspects of corporate restructuring and insolvency law. He regularly advises clients in reorganizations pursuant to Canadian insolvency statutes, corporate arrangements, receiverships, bankruptcies, security reviews and enforcement proceedings. He frequently represents debtor companies, secured and unsecured creditors, plan or proposal sponsors, purchasers and court officers in domestic and cross-border cases. James strives to work collaboratively with client...

Michael is Head of the Advocacy Group in the Calgary office. He represents numerous domestic and international clients in all major areas of commercial litigation, arbitration and alternative dispute resolution. Michael’s dispute resolution philosophy is predicated on the principle that every dispute has unique characteristics and exigencies. Efficient and effective dispute resolution requires a flexible and business outcome oriented approach. His primary focus is to provide decisive ad...

Philip W. Nykyforuk is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Health Care Law, Insurance Law, Medical Negligence and Personal Injury Litigation. Philip W., who practices law in Calgary, Alberta, has been recognized since 2019. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Philip W. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Jennifer Koschinsky is senior counsel in the Employment & Labour Group. Her practice focuses on all aspects of the employment relationship, from pre-employment matters and hiring to performance management, and discipline and termination. Jennifer provides practical advice to employers concerning employment law compliance, human rights and workers’ compensation, including drafting employment agreements, policies, restrictive covenants, and termination documentation. She is also an ex...

Michael practises exclusively in the area of Pensions and Benefits law. He provides private and public sector clients, including boards of trustees, with strategic advice and practical counsel about legal, legislative and regulatory issues surrounding retirement plans, employment benefits and related human resource matters. In business transactions, Michael advises clients on the pension and benefit implications. He assists clients with drafting, amending and interpreting a wide variety of pl...