Expansion of real estate and corporate-commercial practices creates "unprecedented opportunities" at prominent Alberta firm
This article was provided by Sarah Gibbs of Parlee McLaws LLP.
In barely a year, Parlee McLaws has gained over a century—of legal expertise, that is. Since May 2024, three senior counsel—Kevin W. Keyes, Stuart F. Blyth, and Hon. Daryl S. Fridhandler, K.C.—have joined the venerable firm’s business law group. The practitioners have a combined 124 years at the bar.
Specialists in real estate law and commercial leasing, Keyes and Blyth have worked with diverse groups of clients within Alberta and throughout Western Canada, including property developers, energy companies, telecommunications providers, and municipalities. Fridhandler, who was recently appointed to the Senate of Canada, advises both public and private enterprises on finance and securities-related transactions and is a qualified mediator and arbitrator.
“The addition of these three solicitors has significantly enlarged the firm’s commercial real estate and corporate law capacity,” says senior partner Scott Watson. “We can take on large development files and M&A projects, as well as provide opportunities for mid-career practitioners to engage with Kevin, Stuart and Daryl’s well-established client bases and to benefit from their expertise.”
Practices with “Tangible Results”
Fridhandler describes himself as a business lawyer. His practice provides legal services for companies throughout their lifecycle, from incorporation and IPOs to major mergers and acquisitions. It’s a “fulsome engagement” in client matters that Fridhandler appreciates. “I want to help people build businesses, interesting businesses,” he says. “I don’t want to just fill out forms.” According to Fridhandler, a deep understanding of each client’s business, and of effective corporate governance, makes for a top-tier commercial solicitor. He has advised clients as diverse as brokerages, tech start-ups, energy companies, and food producers, and has acted as counsel for megaprojects that have redefined industries and local geographies. He represented Mobil and Shell in the development of the Hibernia Consortium Offshore Energy project and the Sable Offshore Energy Project, and acted for the Government of Canada in the bidding process for construction of the Confederation Bridge. He also advised on the WestJet start-up and rode on the airline’s first flight. His experience in community building projects mirrors that of his new colleagues.
When Keyes looks out the window of Parlee McLaws’s downtown office, he can see his legal career in the Calgary skyline. A four-time winner of Best Lawyers in Canada’s Lawyer of the Year Award (Real Estate; Commercial Leasing), Keyes has acted as counsel for developers and anchor tenants of some of the city’s most notable skyscrapers, including Brookfield Place, The Bow, Eighth Avenue Place, Bankers Hall, and Gulf Canada Square. Solicitor practice, he notes, allows lawyers to develop long-term client relationships—he has represented several companies for over forty years—and affords practitioners the satisfaction of watching large initiatives come to fruition. In his work on the Midtown Station project—a 34-acre development in south Calgary that will encompass over 6,000 housing units and a new C-train station—he will once again contribute to shaping city spaces.
After forty-two years in practice, Blyth is still fascinated by property law. He notes, “In real estate law, you get to work with clients who build and create things. Your work produces a tangible result. And there’s always something new to learn.” A survey of the diverse projects to which he has contributed provides ample evidence for the claim. As a solicitor, Blyth has advised clients on a broad spectrum of commercial real estate matters, pipeline projects, property developments, leases, telecommunications matters, and planning, development, and subdivision files. His work with property developers has ranged from deals for high-rise condos—including land acquisition, building construction, and unit sales and leasing—to the creation of entire new neighbourhoods. According to Blyth, a good solicitor cultivates an in-depth knowledge of the nature and lifecycle of transactions in order to strategically advise clients launching multi-year projects. His appreciation for such expertise drew him to Parlee McLaws.
A firm with a rich history and a “sophisticated” practice
“The lawyers at Parlee McLaws operate at a very high level of practice and offer sophisticated services,” says Blyth. “Lawyers like Richard Mask are highly respected in the profession, and the team is supported by a first-rate management group eager to grow and evolve the solicitor practice.” He likewise praises the firm’s collegial atmosphere and the desire of senior lawyers to share their expertise. Keyes and Fridhandler concur. According to Keyes, “There’s a strong sense of community at Parlee McLaws, and the organization is flexible and responsive to individual practice needs in a way national firms generally are not.” The combination of factors offers what they describe as “unprecedented opportunities” for mid-career practitioners, who can join a highly respected solicitor team with a rich knowledge base and well-established, varied practices. The firm has a long history and, as these counsel see it, a very bright future.
