Christine Pratt KC(She/Her)Partner, Practice Group Leader Overview Experience Professional Recognition Community News + Views + Events Client Stories Notable Work Christine Pratt, KC represents individuals, insurers, governments and corporations of various sizes located throughout Alberta and the Northwest Territories, with a focus on insurance defence, personal injury and general civil litigation, including mediation. Christine's insurance clients turn to her for help with casualty, coverage, subrogation, errors and omissions, fidelity and employment disputes.
Christine represents corrections and police services clients before administrative tribunals and inquiries, including peace officer disciplinary reviews before the Law Enforcement Review Board of Alberta and various Fatality Inquiries. In addition, Christine regularly represents contractors and subcontractors regarding construction liens and other general construction matters.
With over 30 years experience pursuing and defending personal injury claims involving minor to serious bodily injuries and fatalities, Christine provides her clients with a risk assessment and a range of options to ensure they understand the likelihood of success at trial and whether a favourable alternative resolution is ideal under the specific circumstances of the case. Christine is also available as an Umpire in the dispute resolution process under s. 519 of the Insurance Act, RSA 2000, c I-3.
Christine articled with Field Law from 1992-93 and returned to the firm in 1998 after practicing for five years at a small, full-service law firm. She also taught insurance law for 12 years and is currently in her fourth year of teaching civil procedure at the University of Alberta Faculty of Law.
Value to Clients
"Regardless of the industry sector or type of dispute at issue, I always try to understand my clients' non-legal, business pressures. I’m also an empathetic listener and dedicated to fostering relationships with clients built on trust. My clients occasionally deal with claims that touch on aspects of their business and areas of law that fall outside my practice focus. One of the numerous benefits of practicing at Field law is the ability to leverage the skill sets of lawyers throughout the firm to ensure the diverse needs of my clients are served no matter what issues may arise.”
Outside the Office
Christine is fond of reading fiction, particularly English mystery writers such as P.D. James and Agatha Christie. Canadian Defense Lawyers Member 2002-Present Alberta Association of Insurance Adjusters Associate Member 2001-Present Alberta Civil Trial Lawyers Association (ACTLA) Associate Member 2000-Present Canadian Bar Association Alberta, Insurance Law Section (North) Member 1999-Present Edmonton Bar Association Member 1994-Present Law Society of Alberta Member 1992-Present Canadian Bar Association Alberta, Civil Litigation Section (North) Member University of Alberta Law School Sessional Instructor, Civil Procedure 2021-Present University of Alberta Law School Sessional Instructor, Insurance Law 2011-2021 Alberta Association of Insurance Adjusters Associate Member 2001-Present Law Society of Alberta Credentials and Education Committee 2015-2017 Insurance Law The Best Lawyers™ in Canada 2020 - 2025 Personal Injury Litigation The Best Lawyers™ in Canada 2019 - 2025 Distinguished Service Award for Pro Bono Contributions Law Society of Alberta 2016 Distinguished Service Award ECLC 2012 Pro Bono Leader in the Community Award PBLA 2011 University of Alberta, Alumni and Friends of the Faculty of Law Board Member 2012 - Present DRI VOICE of the Defence Bar (USofA) Member 2007 - Present University of Alberta, Faculty of Law Dean’s Advisory Counsel 2015 - 2020 University of Alberta, Alumni and Friends of the Faculty of Law President 2015 - 2017 Citie Ballet Board Member 2009 - 2015 Edmonton Community Legal Centre Secretary 2007 - 2010 Edmonton Community Legal Centre Volunteer Staff 2003 - 2010 Edmonton Community Legal Centre Board Member 2004 - 2007 Northern Alberta Brain Injury Society (NABIS) Secretary 2000 - 2002 Northern Alberta Brain Injury Society (NABIS) Board Member & Fundraising Committee Member 1998 - 2000 Acielo v. Condominium Plan 9022497, 2016 ABCA 251, Alberta Court of Appeal Fish v Tagg, 2013 CanLII 69155 (AB LERB), Alberta Law Enforcement Review Board Sullivan v. Edmonton (Police Service), 2014 ABLERB 53, Alberta Law Enforcement Review Board Wagener v Alberta (Minister of Justice and Solicitor General), 2014 ABLERB 19, Alberta Law Enforcement Review Board Fish v Tagg, 2014 CanLII 13820 (AB LERB), Alberta Law Enforcement Review Board JR and MR v Edmonton (Police Service), 2014 ABLERB 58, Alberta Law Enforcement Review Board Olsen v Edmonton (Police Service), 2014 ABLERB 48, Alberta Law Enforcement Review Board Atchison v Director of Law Enforcement, 2013 CanLII 48820 (AB LERB), Alberta Law Enforcement Review Board Gladue v. Alberta (Attorney General), 2012 ABQB 319, Alberta Court of Queen's Bench Hoover v. Solicitor General and Public Security, 2012 ABLERB 014, Alberta Law Enforcement Review Board Gladue v. Alberta (Attorney General), 2012 ABQB 5, Alberta Court of Queen's Bench Gladue v. Alberta (Attorney General), 2011 ABQB 651, Alberta Court of Queen's Bench Golf Western Ltd. v. Britsky, 2011 ABCA 274, Alberta Court of Appeal Brown v. Britsky, 2010 ABQB 445, Alberta Court of Queen's Bench Fullowka v. Pinkerton's of Canada Ltd., 2010 SCC 5, Supreme Court of Canada Fullowka v. Royal Oak Ventures Inc., 2008 NWTCA 4, Northwest Territories Court of Appeal Fok v. Director of Edmonton Remand Centre, Alberta Court of Queen's Bench Trang v. Alberta (Edmonton Remand Centre), 2007 ABCA 263, Alberta Court of Appeal Vector Electric and Controls v. Enviro-Abled Solutions Inc., 2006 ABQB 502, Alberta Court of Queen's Bench Fullowka v. Royal Oak Ventures Inc., 2004 NWTSC 66, Northwest Territories Supreme Court Geary v. Alberta (Edmonton Remand Centre), 2004 ABQB 23, Alberta Court of Queen's Bench Geary v. Alberta (Edmonton Remand Centre), 2004 ABQB 19, Alberta Court of Queen's Bench Munoz v. Alberta (Edmonton Remand Centre), 2004 ABQB 769, Alberta Court of Queen's Bench Moeckl v. East Central Regional Health Authority 7, 2003 ABQB 174, Alberta Court of Queen's Bench Cardinal v. 361881 Alberta Inc., 2001 ABQB 51, Alberta Court of Queen's Bench Verbeek v. Verbeek, 1998 ABQB 968, Alberta Court of Queen's Bench Lifeview Emergency Services Ltd. v. Alberta Ambul Operators Assoc., (1995) 101 FTR 43, 64 CPR (3rd) 157 (FCTD), Federal Court Trial Division Settling an insurance claim below the cap
- Our client: An insurance company in Alberta.
- Where we began: Our client faced an action brought by a woman with injury claims from two accidents with no dispute on the liability issues.
- Our approach: While we were on the lookout for a case to take to litigation, the client was willing to settle for an amount within the cap. "The case had the ideal facts to fall within the cap, but we settled before we could litigate for an amount within the cap on account of non-legal pressures."
- The result: According to Christine, "We didn't get the law we wanted, but it was an offer we had to take after looking at, analyzing and discussing all of the options."
Quick response in getting a lien removed in order to close
- Our client: A homebuilder in Alberta.
- Where we began: In the midst of closing a real estate transaction, our client discovered a subcontractor's lien that needed to be removed by the next Monday, or we couldn't close on 50 deals and our client would have to return the mortgage funds. The challenge was that the subcontractor was out of business and couldn't be reached.
- Our approach: Christine found the subcontractor's subcontractor and discussed what was necessary to remove the lien. They analyzed the options, timelines and the risks, including our client's relationship to the subcontractor and its effect on other liens. Christine and her client also developed a plan with how they were going to handle similar scenarios in the future, limit liability and close deals.
- The result: "I got the subcontractor's lien off Monday, and our client's deal closed on time."
- Negotiated favourable settlement of a personal injury lawsuit involving a plaintiff with significant injuries, with multiple Plaintiffs and insurance limits issues
- Represented clients at fatality inquiries as interested parties
- Conducted numerous LERB appeals
- Conducted and trial and appeal of a double fatality action and liability split
- Defended (as part of a legal team) complex multi-year/multi-party litigation
- Quickly removed a subcontractor’s lien discovered in the midst of closing a major real estate transaction on behalf of an Alberta home builder
Education University of Alberta, 1992, Bachelor of Laws |
|
|