Craig O. Alcock
Partner
Experience
Craig’s focus is on:
Commercial and General Litigation
-
Craig has argued matters before all levels of Court in Alberta, the British Columbia Supreme Court and Court of Appeal, and dealt with applications for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada.
-
Broad range of experience representing parties involved in all manner of complex commercial disputes, oil field product liability, well failures, indemnity and transfer fee claims, tort claims, real property issues, commercial lease disputes, debt collections, and breach of contract claims
-
Intellectual property disputes in the Alberta and Federal Courts
-
Private corporation shareholder/officer/ director disputes
Energy Litigation
- Broad experience with a variety of disputes for oil and gas Exploration and Production companies, Service Companies and Drilling Contractors, including builders' liens, contractual, joint venture, accounting, royalty, operator, and oil and gas operating agreement and lease interpretation disputes as well as pipeline construction claims, drilling disputes, and injunctions against blockades
Construction Litigation
- Acting for owners, general contractors and subcontractors in a variety of construction matters, including builders' lien claims, delay and deficiency claims, Safety Code violations, and prime consultant negligence cases.
- Occupational Health and Safety and Environmental Defence
- Extensive experience advising those industries at risk of accidents in the workplace, including responding to and reporting the circumstances surrounding accidents and fatalities
- Extensive experience defending against prosecutions brought pursuant to the Occupational Health and Safety Act including incidents involving service and drilling rigs, battery sites, pump jacks, explosions, and falls from height
- Experienced with a variety of other quasi-criminal matters including charges under the Safety Code, Migratory Birds Convention Act and the Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act
- Experience with Workers' Compensation Act issues.
Occupational Health and Safety and Environmental Defence:
-
Extensive experience advising those industries at risk of accidents in the workplace, including responding to and reporting the circumstances surrounding accidents and fatalities
-
Advises on health and safety compliance and enforcement issues
-
Extensive experience defending against prosecutions brought pursuant to the Occupational Health and Safety Act including incidents involving service and drilling rigs, battery sites, pump jacks, explosions, burns, crush injuries, and falls from height
-
Experience defending against Environmental Prosecutions such as H2S releases and pipeline ruptures
-
Experienced with a variety of other quasi-criminal matters including under the Safety Codes Act
-
Experience with Workers' Compensation Act issues
Professional involvement
Professional and Firm Involvement
Craig acts as mentor and principal to articling students.
Professional associations
- Member, Law Society of Alberta
- Member, Canadian Bar Association
- Member, Calgary Bar Association
Community Involvement
Craig's military service:
- Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, 1997 - 2007
- Queen's Commission, 2003
- Tours of Duty to Bosnia and Afghanistan
- Awarded the Sacrifice Medal, South West Asia Service Medal, Former Yugoslavia Medal, Peacekeeping Service Medal and two Commander in Chief Unit Commendations
Representative work
Counsel in various disputes regarding the interpretation of the CAOEC Master Daywork Contract
Lead counsel on a number of cases involving drilling contractors and the interpretation of the CAOEC Master Daywork Contract
Counsel on various environmental matters
Defence counsel on a number of environmental matters including H2S releases and pipeline ruptures.
Kicking Horse Oil & Gas Ltd.'s $300 million acquisition by Whitecap Resources Inc
Counsel to Kicking Horse Oil & Gas Ltd., a portfolio company of Quantum Energy Partners, in its $300 million acquisition by Whitecap Resources Inc.
Successful defence in an alleged breach of confidence case
Counsel in the successful defence of an $18 million action and appeal involving alleged breaches of confidence, use of seismic data, contractual transfer fees, limitations and the objective intent of the parties when contracting. (Geophysical Service Incorporated v Falkland Oil and Gas Limited, 2020 ABCA 21).
Counsel on Co-op health and safety compliance issues
Lead counsel to a gas co-op with health and safety compliance issues.
Royalties dispute before the Alberta Court of Queen's Bench
Counsel in the successful claim for royalties payable by the defendant. Issues involved the proper interpretation of the royalty agreement and the objective intentions of the parties. (Obsidian Energy Partnership v Grizzly Resources Ltd., 2019 ABQB 406).
Successful summary dismissal before the Alberta Court of the Queen's Bench
Co-counsel for the successful defendant on the summary dismissal of a claim to a number of disputed facilities. The matter turned on the proper interpretation of joint venture agreements and the CAPL Operating Procedure and the objective intentions of the parties to the contract. (O'Chiese Energy Limited Partnership v Bellatrix Exploration Ltd., 2019 ABQB 53)
Successfully advised Murphy Oil Company Ltd. in a $22 million dispute
Counsel to the successful defendant in responding to the plaintiff's appeal of a decision dismissing its $22 million claim. Leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada was refused. (Geophysical Service Incorporated v Murphy Oil Company Ltd, 2018 ABCA 380).
Successfully defended client in a contract dispute
Co-counsel on the successful defence of a claim for fees in excess of what was agreed to in a fixed-fee contract. (Riddell Kurczaba Architecture Engineering Interior Design Ltd. v Governors of the University of Calgary, 2018 ABQB 011).
Advising on a royalty dispute
Lead counsel to a commercial landlord in a dispute involving the royalty payable on the tenant's gross income and misreporting thereof.
Defence counsel in various occupational health and safety disputes
Defence counsel on a number of occupational health and safety matters including exposure to chemical fumes, falls from height, pedestrians struck by heavy equipment; workers injured when standing under suspended loads, workers injured at pinch points, among others.
Advising in a case that involved the impact of limitation periods
Lead counsel to a syndicate of working interest owners in sour and sweet gas facilities. The action involved allocations of produced substances and the impact of limitation periods.
Claim involving accusations of negligence
Counsel to an international well engineering company in a claim involving allegations of negligence, the proper interpretation of a Master Services Agreement and the exclusion of consequential losses.
Farming company's commercial dispute
Counsel to a farming company regarding a dispute between the lessor and lessee of farmland in Saskatchewan.
Dispute regarding abandonment and reclamation
Lead counsel to an Alberta exploration and company that is alleged to be required to pay abandonment and reclamation costs on properties that were assigned to other parties pursuant to purchase and sale agreements.
Advising E&P company on a product liability claim
Lead counsel to an Alberta exploration and production company on a $10 million product liability case involving the failure during fracturing operations of a coupling attached to a joint of P110 casing.
$17 million product liability claim
Lead counsel to an Alberta exploration and production company in a $17 million product liability claim in connection with failed fracking equipment.
Energy company's $16 million claim
Lead counsel to an Alberta exploration and production company in a $16 million claim brought by a pipeline construction company to recover cost overruns on a fixed fee contract.
Advising on a product liability claim
Lead counsel to an Alberta exploration and production company in an $8 million product liability claim in connection with failed fracking equipment.
Joint venture and operating agreements dispute
Counsel to an Alberta exploration and production company in a multi-million dollar claim and counterclaim arising out of late 13th month adjustments, withholding of payment under various joint venture and operating agreements, and the effect of an assignment and novation.
Advising an energy company in a $25 million claim
Counsel to an Alberta exploration and production company in a $25 million claim by a prospective purchaser. The issues include the proper interpretation of an asset purchase agreement, breach of confidence allegations, and the exclusion of consequential losses
Occupational health and safety advice for an agriculture retailer
Counsel to a retail supplier of agricultural products and services with respect to advice regarding their process safety management and potential liabilities under various regulations.
Contract review for a livestock association
Counsel to a livestock association with respect to various contractual review matters.
Awards
Recent honours and recognition
Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America
Named Leading lawyer in Litigation: General Commercial (Alberta) by Chambers Canada (2023)
Named Future Star by Benchmark Litigation Canada, (2020-2024)
Publications
June 26, 2024
No, Third Party Creditors Don't Have a Cause of Action Under British Columbia's Environmental Management Act
News
May 1, 2024
BD&P Lawyers Ranked as Future and Litigation Stars
April 26, 2023
BD&P ranked highly by 2023 Benchmark Litigation Canada
September 29, 2022
Chambers Canada recognizes fourteen BD&P lawyers for legal expertise in 2023 edition
April 28, 2021
Fifteen BD&P litigation lawyers ranked in Benchmark Canada 2021
April 14, 2020