Construction Law Solutions
Partnering with You for Construction Success
Construction projects create opportunity – and concentrated legal risk. Duncan Craig LLP has a strong, full-service construction law team, advising owners, developers, contractors, subcontractors, design professionals, lenders, insurers, individual and other construction industry participants across Alberta and Western Canada on a broad spectrum of construction law projects and issues and providing coordinated, practical legal guidance throughout the full lifecycle of projects and ensuing warranty and dispute resolution processes.
Our construction lawyers stay closely engaged with evolving legislation, procurement models, and industry standards to ensure our advice reflects current best practices and emerging risks across the construction sector. Construction law is a core focus of our practice, and we invest deliberately in the people, experience, and support required to handle complex projects and disputes effectively, including everything from large-scale multi-party disputes to discreet issues between individuals.
The legal issues that arise on construction projects are frequently complex and interrelated and often cannot be addressed in isolation. Duncan Craig LLP’s construction practice is supported by a multidisciplinary team of lawyers across litigation, insurance, labour and employment, occupational health and safety, corporate-commercial, tax, and regulatory law. The depth and breadth of experience and knowledge that our team is able to leverage allows us to address the full range of legal, regulatory, and operational issues that arise throughout a construction project so that we can provide comprehensive solutions to our clients’ needs – from procurement and contract formation to risk management, payment, dispute resolution, and beyond.
Our Construction Law Services Include:
Our construction lawyers provide practical legal support across all stages of a project, informed by a pragmatic approach and decades of combined experience. We advise on procurement strategy, tendering, and contract negotiation at the front end, helping clients structure projects to reduce downstream risk and avoid disputes wherever possible before issues escalate. We assist with risk management, contract administration, payment issues, builders’ liens, delays, deficiencies, and dispute resolution as projects progress. When disputes arise, we focus on efficient, cost-effective outcomes through negotiation, mediation, arbitration, or litigation – depending on what best serves the client’s business objectives and aligns with their contractual obligations.
Our Services Include:
- Contract review, negotiation, drafting, and interpretation.
- Risk management and regulatory compliance.
- Builders’ liens, holdbacks, and prompt payment matters.
- Tender and RFP preparation and review.
- Contract administration.
- Change orders, cost overruns, and scope disputes.
- Delay claims, deficiencies, and performance disputes.
- Bonding, insurance, and surety matters.
- Litigation, arbitration, and alternative dispute resolution.
A Multidisciplinary Team Built for Construction Realities
Construction issues rarely exist in isolation. Construction matters routinely involve overlapping contractual, payment, insurance, safety, regulatory, and financing issues, and must be addressed in real time to minimize impacts and control risk as projects move forward.
Our construction lawyers lead these matters with a full understanding of how legal issues intersect on active projects. They integrate focused experience from within the firm, including insurance, labour and employment, occupational health and safety, corporate-commercial, tax, and regulatory law – as part of a coordinated construction strategy with clear lines of responsibility and decision-making. This approach allows our construction team to manage immediate legal issues while maintaining focus on future project success and managing broader project risk efficiently and effectively. Our comprehensive, multi-disciplinary solutions allow us to maintain continuity, accountability, and momentum throughout the life of a project.
Industries We Serve
Our construction lawyers advise clients involved in a wide range of projects, including:
- Commercial, mixed-use, and residential developments, including residential home builders.
- Industrial and manufacturing facilities.
- Municipal and public-sector infrastructure, including transportation and utilities.
- Energy and resource-related projects.
- Water, wastewater, and environmental infrastructure.
- Transportation, logistics, and warehousing facilities.
- Agribusiness and rural construction.
- Professional services and design consulting (architects and engineers).
Resolving Construction Disputes & Managing Risk
We represent construction clients before Alberta courts, administrative tribunals, arbitrators, and mediators, and regularly assist with alternative dispute resolution where appropriate. Our dispute teams work closely with lawyers in insurance, employment, occupational health and safety, and regulatory practices to ensure disputes are managed strategically, efficiently, and with an eye to broader operational risk and project success.
Who We Act For
- Project owners, developers, and municipalities
- Indigenous communities and organizations
- General contractors and subcontractors
- Residential builders and home warranty program participants (including providers, suppliers, and claimants)
- Suppliers and material providers
- Insurers and sureties
- Institutional lenders and financial institutions
- Architects, engineers, and design professionals
Why Choose Duncan Craig LLP
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Industry Experience
Decades of experience advising Alberta’s construction sector. -
Practical, Cost-Effective Advice
Focused on minimizing disruption and legal expense. -
Strong Dispute Resolution Capability
Litigation and ADR experience across a broad array of construction matters. -
Multidisciplinary Bench Strength
Coordinated support across contracts, disputes, insurance, and regulatory issues. -
Client-Focused Approach
Responsive service aligned with commercial and institutional objectives.
Group Leader
Partner
Phone: 780.441.3449
Fax: 780.428.9683
bwallace@dcllp.com
Brad Angove
Partner
Phone: 780.441.3442
Fax: 780.428.9683
bangove@dcllp.com
Get Legal Support for Your Construction Project
Duncan Craig LLP acknowledges that we provide legal services in ᐊᒥᐢᑲᐧᒋᐋᐧᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ, Amiskwacîwâskahikan (Edmonton), and in Drayton Valley, on Treaty 6 Territory, the traditional and ancestral homeland of the Nehiyawak (Cree), Saulteaux, Nakota Sioux, Stoney (Îyârhe) Nakoda, Dene, and Blackfoot peoples, as well as the Métis and Inuit. Indigenous peoples have lived on and stewarded these lands for thousands of years, and we recognize their enduring presence, cultures, and contributions. As legal professionals, we acknowledge our role in reconciliation and our responsibility to uphold the principles of respect, truth, and justice. We are committed to listening, learning, and working alongside Indigenous communities, deepening our understanding of Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing, including those we are privileged to serve through our service practice groups.
Find More Solutions Today
The services highlighted above reflect just a portion of our full legal solutions.
DCLLP Cares
At Duncan Craig LLP, relationships and community are more than values—they are the foundation of who we are. For 130 years, our firm has provided trusted legal services while also dedicating time and resources to supporting Albertans and the communities we serve.
Our lawyers and staff are proud to give back by supporting charitable organizations, scholarships, and sponsoring unique community events every year. We believe in leading by example – paying attention to where immediate support is needed and help make a difference. It’s a culture of giving that extends beyond financial contributions and reflects our commitment to enhance our strong, resilient communities in Edmonton and beyond.
A donor-advised fund ensures Duncan Craig LLP will make community contributions in perpetuity. Read the article in the June edition of Business in Edmonton.