Mr Randall W Block Partner Borden Ladner Gervais LLP - Lawyer Biography - International Law Office

Background

Randall W. Block is a partner at our Calgary, Alberta office. Randall was admitted to the Alberta Bar in 1985 and became a partner in 1991. He graduated from the University of Alberta in 1984 and was awarded the Silver Medal in law.

Areas of Practice

• Randall specializes in all forms of dispute resolution in the oil and gas industry, including commercial litigation, regulatory proceedings and arbitration. He has appeared before the Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench, Alberta Court of Appeal, the Supreme Court of Canada, the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board, the National Energy Board and various arbitral panels.
• Randall has written and lectured on various issues in oil and gas law, and realization on oil and gas related security.

Professional Experience

• Randall's emphasis is on corporate/commercial litigation, regulatory proceedings and arbitration relating to oil and gas and general corporate/commercial matters.
• Acted as co-counsel for Gulf Canada Resources Limited (now ConocoPhillips Canada Resources Limited), an oil sands owner, on its successful application to the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board to shut-in gas production in the Surmont area in Northern Alberta. The hearing was the longest ever heard by the AEUB and resulted in the Board ordered shut-in of 146 producing gas wells in the Surmont area overlying Conoco’s oil sands interests.
• Acted for Nexen Canada Ltd., a bitumen developer, on the Leismer/Chard Hearing, before the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board.
• Acted and continues to act on behalf of ConocoPhillips on its successful commercial application to the AEUB to operate a 100,000 barrel per day SAGD project at Surmont.
• Acted as co-counsel for Stampeder Exploration Ltd. in the litigation arising out of Stampeder’s acquisition of Westar Petroleum Ltd. before the Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench and the Alberta Court of Appeal. Randall acted for Stampeder on its successful leave application to the Supreme Court of Canada seeking the reinstatement of the Trial Judge’s award of $1 million punitive damages in favour of Stampeder.
• Randall acted for Gulf in numerous split-title oil and gas cases establishing that the oil owner remains the owner of all natural gas that evolves from oil during the course of production resulting in the trial judgment confirming the petroleum owners right to solution gas.
• Randall regularly appears before all levels of Alberta Courts, the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board and arbitral panels.
• Representative matters include:
  • corporate takeovers and securities litigation;
  • representing energy companies in litigation relating to oil and gas operations, acquisitions, and contracts;
  • shareholders’ disputes and corporate oppression;
  • arbitration, including gas price arbitration and mediations;
  • court proceedings relating to fundamental corporate changes such as arrangements, reorganizations and amalgamations, take-overs;
  • numerous cases involving general corporate commercial matters;
  • representing several Canadian Chartered Banks in litigation relating to banking matters;
  • a large number of receiverships.

Professional and Community Activities

• Randall is very active in the Crowfoot Minor Hockey Association coaching as well as being involved in administering the hockey program.
  
• Randall’s publications include:
  • Realizing on Oil and Gas Related Security, 1987 Legal Education Society of Alberta, Coping with Tough Times in the Oil Patch. Co-authored with Frank Foran, Q.C.
  • Recent Judicial Developments of Interest to Oil and Gas Lawyers, [1993] Alta. Law Rev., vol. XXXI, p. 152. Co-authored with Frank Foran, Q.C. and P. Burgess.
  • Claims of the Operator, Non-Operator and Bank Arising from Oil and Gas Operations, in Recent Developments in Canadian Oil and Gas Litigation, 1994, Canadian Institute. Co-authored with Dean Allatt.
  • Claims of the Operators, Non-Operators and Third Parties Arising From Oil and Gas Joint Ventures, 1999, INSIGHT Information Co. Co-authored with Ted Semadeni.
  • Litigation, Class Actions and Reserve Reporting, 2000, Canadian International Petroleum Conference.
  • The Surmont Bitumen-Gas Conflict, 2000, Canadian Heavy Oil Association.
  • Resolving Disputes Arising out of Natural Gas Contracts, 2001, INSIGHT Information Co. Co-authored with R. Liam Mooney.
  • Civil Litigation Review 2003: Sealed ExParte Norwich Orders: Safeguarding Against Abuse of the Pre-Action Disclosure Remedy, 2003. Co-authored with Michael A. Marion and R.J. Daniel Gilborn

Links for practice areas to which Randall W. Block belongs:

Appeal and Review

Broker Liability and Compliance

Commercial Litigation

Constitutional Law

Directors' and Officers' Liability

Oil and Gas

Securities and Shareholders Litigation