From left: Justices Grant Dunlop (photo courtesy of Ogilvie LLP) and Michael Lema (photo courtesy of subject)
Christmas came early for UAlberta Law alumni Michael Lema and Grant Dunlop, QC on December 19 2017, when both men were appointed to the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta.
Justice Lema, who prior to his appointment to the bench served as General Counsel with the Department of Justice Canada, fills the seat vacated by Justice Mary Moreau, who was appointed Chief Justice of the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta effective October 12, 2017.
Justice Dunlop, a partner at Ogilvie LLP in Edmonton, fills a brand new position on the Court of Queen's Bench created by way of the Budget Implementation Act of 2017.
"This is a serious responsibility," said Lema of his new appointment.
"I will try to bring insight, energy, practicality and patience to my new role."
Lema, who graduated from the Faculty of Law in 1986 and also holds a degree in Commerce from the University of Alberta, articled with Bryan & Company in Edmonton and then worked as a litigator at Duncan Collins LLP in Calgary (now under the aegis of Blake Cassels & Graydon) before joining Justice Canada. While his legal practice primarily focused on bankruptcy and insolvency, as General Counsel he was worked on files ranging from Aboriginal law to elections to the environment.
Dunlop, who completed his LLB at UAlberta Law in 1988, has spent his entire legal career at Ogilvie LLP, where he became a partner in 1999 and developed a wide-ranging litigation practice encompassing directors' and officers' liability, banking regulation, professional liability, estates, patents and public utilities. He has lectured on board governance for a variety of audiences, and in 2005 he taught a course in business law at Concordia University of Edmonton. He was appointed Queen's Counsel in 2016.
As of the first week of January, both new appointees were busy getting ready for their new role.
"I am indebted to my Justice Canada colleagues for their collegiality and support over the years and grateful to my new colleagues for a warm welcome," said Lema.