Laura Cundari

Major Projects Litigation and Arbitration

• Acting for Suncor Energy Inc., Imperial Oil Limited, Husky Oil Operations Limited, Cenovus Energy Inc. and Canadian Natural Resources Limited at the Supreme Court of Canada with respect to constitutional matters in Attorney General of British Columbia v. Attorney General of Canada (B.C.) (recognized as Gold Winners for the Commercial Litigation Team of the Year at the 2021 Canadian Law Awards)

• Acting as arbitration counsel to a major utility corporation in a dispute involving delay and disruption claims in connection with the construction of significant energy infrastructure

• Acting as arbitration counsel in a LCIA arbitration involving the sale of mining assets in Mongolia

• Advising clients in the finance, retail, mining and aerospace industries on arbitration procedures and drafting arbitration clauses for inclusion in transactional and consumer contracts

• Acting as arbitration counsel to Carillion Canada with respect to claims relating to the construction of a high-voltage transmission line in the context of its CCAA restructuring

• Assisting clients to efficiently resolve urgent issues such as lien claims, project disruptions and bond claims

Complex Commercial Litigation and Arbitration

• Trial counsel on the leading case in British Columbia on economic impacts and force majeure arising out of the 2008 financial crisis

• Successfully defending a claim brought against a vendor corporation for a C$17-million brokerage fee arising from the sale of a business following a 43-day trial

• Successfully defending class actions brought against major retailers and financial industry participants, including dismissal at the certification stage

• Acting as litigation and arbitration counsel in a wide range of shareholder disputes

Laura has been recognized as a leading lawyer in the following publications:

• Benchmark Canada: The Definitive Guide to Canada's Leading Litigation Firms and Attorneys - 2021 Edition (Litigation Star)

• Chambers Canada: Canadian Leading Lawyers for Business 2021 (Litigation: General Commercial - British Columbia) - Chambers notes: “Laura has a growing reputation in BC for her representation of clients from the energy, construction and infrastructure sectors. She has significant experience in commercial litigation and alternative dispute resolution.”

• The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory 2021 (Repeatedly Recommended - Commercial Arbitration)

• The Best Lawyers in Canada - 2020-2021 (Corporate and Commercial Litigation)

• Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory 2020 (Corporate/Commercial Litigation - Leading Lawyers to Watch)

• Benchmark Canada: The Definitive Guide to Canada's Leading Litigation Firms and Attorneys - 2018-2020 Editions (Future Litigation Star - Litigation & Dispute Resolution)

• Benchmark Litigation, 40 & Under Hotlist - Canada - 2018-2020

Laura is part of the legal team that has been recognized as “Arbitration Firm of the Year” by Benchmark Litigation for four years (2018-2021).

Laura is a director of the Canada Branch of the CIArb as well as the Vancouver International Arbitration Centre (VanIAC). She is an invited member of the Western Canada Commercial Arbitration Society (WCCAS), a director of the inaugural board of CanArbWeek and a member of the ICC Canada Arbitration Committee. Laura is also a member of the Advocates’ Society’s British Columbia Regional Advisory Committee.

Laura volunteers her time with a number of charitable organizations and is a member of the Board of Directors of Ballet BC. She sat on the board of directors of Touchstone Theatre Society for several years, including as President of the board.

Laura is a NexGen Arbitration Place arbitrator. She is also listed on the Arbitrator and Mediators List of ReferToHer™, a series of lists of experienced female lawyers that other lawyers can confidently refer work to. This program is meant to ensure that female lawyers are positioned as equal, available, resources for those seeking legal help.

• Co-author: Canada Chapter
  Country Comparative Guide on International Arbitration, The Legal 500, November 2020.
• Co-author: New Name, New Act, New Rules: Dramatic Changes in Domestic Arbitration in B.C.
  The Advocate, September 2020.
• Co-author: Supreme Court of Canada Finds Arbitration Clause to Be "Uber" Unconscionable
  Blakes Bulletin on Arbitration, June 29, 2020.
• Co-author: Construction Lien Periods During the COVID-19 Pandemic
  Blakes Bulletin on Construction Dispute Resolution, April 14, 2020.
• Co-author: Resolution of Commercial Disputes in the Age of COVID-19 Closures: The Arbitration Advantage
  Blakes Bulletin on Arbitration, March 20, 2020.
• Co-author: Changes Coming to Domestic Arbitrations in British Columbia
  Blakes Bulletin on Arbitration, February 24, 2020.
• Author: Examination in chief and Re-examination
  The Law of Objections in Canada: A Handbook, LexisNexis Canada, Published November 30, 2019.
• Co-author: Canada: International Arbitration
  The Legal 500 & The In-House Lawyer Comparative Legal Guide, (4th ed.), November 2019.
• Co-author: What Law is it Anyways? An Overview of the Systems of Law in Arbitration
  Commercial Litigation and Arbitration Review, (2019) 8:3, 29 August 1, 2019.
• Co-author: Court of Appeal Unanimously Rules Against B.C. Blocking Trans Mountain Pipeline
  Blakes Bulletin on Litigation & Dispute Resolution, May 28, 2019.

• Panellist: Changes in Domestic and International Arbitration Laws
  Resilience in Recovery: 2021 ADR Institute of BC Virtual Symposium, June 7, 2021.
• Panellist: Charting the Future in International Arbitration
  ILA-Canada Biennial Conference, May 20, 2021.
• Co-chair: A Virtual Mini-Course (in Two Parts): Arbitration: From Nose to Tail
  Vancouver International Arbitration Centre, May 6 and 13, 2021.
• Speaker: Trends and Developments in Arbitration
  Blakes Business Class Seminar, April 7, 2021.
• Moderator: Tertulia Sessions
  ICDR America's Conference 2020, International Centre for Dispute Resolution, December 1, 2020.
• Moderator: Blakes Law and Ethics Webinar for In-House Counsel
  Blakes Webinar, November 24, 2020.
• Instructor: Mastering Virtual Discoveries
  The Advocates’ Society, November 17, 2020.
• Moderator: Successfully Managing Risk in Complex Litigation
  Benchmark Women in Law Forum, October 7, 2020.
• Panellist: Online Roundtable with Barry Penner, Managing Director, Vancouver International Arbitration Centre
  New B.C. Arbitration Act, Business Council of British Columbia, October 6, 2020.
• Speaker: The New B.C. Arbitration Act
  Blakes Business Class Seminar, September 22, 2020.
• Panel Chair: New Act, New Rules, New World for BC Arbitrations
  WCCAS Arbitration Panel, CanArbWeek, September 21, 2020.
• Speaker: The New Arbitration Act; Domestic and International
  Webinar presented by ADR Institute of BC, September 11, 2020.
• Panellist: New Act, VANIAC, New Rules
  Webinar presented by Blakes, the Vancouver International Arbitration Centre, and CIArb Canada, August 11, 2020.
• Panellist: Dispute Resolution in a Virtual World
  Conference on Construction in the Wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Pacific Business & Law Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, July 28, 2020.
• Panellist: Virtual Reality: Experiences of Remote Arbitration
  Blakes Business Class Webinar, June 25, 2020.
• Chair: Prompt Payment and Adjudication Symposium
  Presented by CIQS and RICS, Calgary, Alberta, February 27, 2020.
• Co-chair: Direct Examination Skills Workshop
  The Advocates' Society, Vancouver, British Columbia, November 13, 2019.
• Panellist: Tour d’horizon: New Developments in International Arbitration
  ICC Canada International Arbitration Conference, Banff, Alberta, October 18, 2019.
• Panellist: From Plan to Action: Building Successful ADR Counsel and Neutral Practices
  The 2019 ADR BC Symposium - The Differences that Unite Us!, ADR Institute of BC, Vancouver, British Columbia, June 11, 2019.

Admitted to the British Columbia Bar - 2008
J.D., University of Victoria - 2007
B.A. (Class 1 Distinction), University of British Columbia - 2004