Calgary’s Burnet Duckworth & Palmer enjoys a historic reputation in the market while at the same time keeping an eye on the future, boasting an array of cutting-edge work attended to by an increasingly younger group of litigators. Clients have turned out to the champion the firm’s cause; one testifies, “They know the law. Burnet Duckworth went to great efforts In order to understand the circumstances and complexities of our dispute.” Another confirms, “I use other firms, but I prefer Burnet Duckworth, as they allow me to be more involved with the process and they seemed to me more structured, in an easier-to-follow manner. The firm is typically more responsive and has a greater bench strength given the comparative size, and their advice is typically more practical and commercially savvy.” A peer also insists, “You have to do oil-and-gas work in Calgary, and of course that includes Burnet Duckworth, but they have also done a good job of diversifying beyond energy in a way gives them a nice balance and a hedge against downturns or other market disruptions.”
Jeff Sharpe, long a key figure and driving force in the firm’s group, is championed by peers for his all-purpose commercial litigation prowess. “Jeff is the main senior strength in that group. I’m against him right now, and he is as good as it gets,” asserts a peer, voicing the consensus of several others. Sharpe leads a team, which includes Andrew Sunter, Robert Martz and Susan Fader, representing CNOOC Petroleum North America in a case involving a significant pipeline failure near the one of the client’s facilities. The claim involves allegations of negligence against the design engineers and the providers of the novel pipe-in-pipe system. “This case is massive,” confirms a peer. “Jeff Sharpe is one of the best in Calgary but, as good as he is, even he couldn’t handle this on his own. But he’s got a crack team working with on that. I know all of them, and they are all proving their worth.”
Paul Chiswell represents the representative plaintiff in a national class action commenced in British Columbia on behalf of residents of Canada alleging that numerous manufacturers and retailers sold products labelled as containing “glucosamine sulfate”, “glucosamine sulfate potassium chloride”, “glucosamine sulfate KCL”, or “glucosamine sulfate • KCL”, when they contained no glucosamine sulfate.
James Murphy is cheered by a client for his skills and persona. “He has an excellent demeanor, and he was easy for me to work. He is very knowledgeable about the law and has outstanding integrity.”
