Rob Martz has over a decade of experience in commercial and corporate dispute resolution. His practice focuses on complex and high stakes appellate litigation, arbitrations, and trial work. This work encompasses a wide range of matters include disputes involving constitutional questions, corporate and commercial matters, energy and natural resources, and joint venture disputes. Rob is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and has extensive experience as counsel in domestic and international arbitrations.
He has successfully litigated at all levels of Court in Canada. As a former clerk at the Supreme Court of Canada he has a particular interest and experience in appellate litigation of all kinds.
Rob has worked on multiple precedent-setting cases recently including two appearances in front of the Supreme Court of Canada, a historic class action settlement and the first litigation over the entitlement to emissions credits in Canada.
Rob was counsel for plaintiffs in the successful settlement agreement with the City of Leduc for systemic sexual abuse, harassment, and assault against female city employees, including firefighters. Terms of settlement include the highest per-person monetary compensation in a Canada class action settlement for workplace misconduct. The per-person settlement amounts combined with the non-adversarial claims process, non-monetary remedies, and the lengthy claimant eligibility time period, arguably makes this settlement the most progressive workplace class action settlement in Canadian history. This is the first settlement of a class action involving sexual misconduct and sexual assault in a fire department or municipality in Canada.
Rob worked on the Whitecap arbitration that addressed the allocation of emissions credits under Canadian climate legislation for carbon capture and storage. It sets a precedent, impacting Canadian energy and power sectors navigating future emission credit allocations. He has also dealt with complex constitutional questions in cases like the BC Pipeline Reference in regard to the Trans-Mountain Pipeline before the Supreme Court of Canada and the IAA Reference before the Alberta Court of Appeal.
Rob is experienced in dealing with questions around international sanctions regimes, along with developing compliance plans and dealing with anti-corruption issues for companies around the globe under the Corruption of Foreign Public Officials Act, in developing practical methods for compliance with the CFPOA and other anti-corruption statutes including the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and the UK Bribery Act, in assisting clients with CFPOA and FCPA due diligence during mergers, and in working with companies and providing advice on operating in South America, North Africa, Russia, and the Middle East.
Updated April 2024
