Ryan Krushelnitzky acts for construction and product manufacturer clients involved in the litigation and arbitration of complex commercial disputes. With a Ph.D. in civil engineering, his background assists him in dealing with the practical and technical issues faced by his clients.
Ryan’s practice is concentrated around construction law and complex contractual disputes. Ryan regularly represents construction contractors and subcontractors. He has acted on contractual disputes over progress and payment, delays, lost productivity, builders' and construction liens, construction deficiencies, tendering, and insurance/bonding. Ryan also assists his clients with contract review and general advice on construction-related matters. He has experience with industrial, infrastructure, large diameter pipeline, module, tunnelling, earthworks, civil, and commercial construction-related projects.
Ryan’s practice also focuses on product liability litigation. He acts for product manufacturers and distributors involved in product liability disputes. Ryan has experience dealing with breach of warranty and negligence claims relating to allegedly defective industrial and construction equipment, farming equipment, building systems, motor vehicles, building materials and various consumer goods. He also has experience with fire losses, and other product liability matters, such as personal injury losses. He also provides advice regarding the cross-border and jurisdictional issues that often arise when international manufacturers do business in Alberta.
Ryan clerked at the Supreme Court of Canada, Canada’s highest Court, working for the Honourable Justice Marshall Rothstein. Clerking gave Ryan a unique insight into the judicial decision-making process.
Ryan has been recognized in the construction law area of practice in The Best Lawyers™ in Canada. Recognition in Best Lawyers™ is based on peer reviews of leading lawyers and their professional abilities.
Ryan has appeared before the Alberta Court of Justice (Provincial Court), the Alberta Court of King’s Bench, the Court of Appeal of Alberta, the King’s Bench for Saskatchewan, the Court of King’s Bench of Manitoba, as well as ad hoc and ICC arbitration panels. He has experience in both domestic and international arbitrations, as well as appeared as counsel in a week-long fully virtual trial. Representative matters that Ryan has acted on include:
- Counsel for a major international EPC contractor involved in an oil sands module construction dispute resolved by way of an ad hoc commercial arbitration with a month-long merits hearing
- Counsel for a major international EPC contractor involved in a wrongful termination dispute with an oil sands owner for an industrial site services contract
- Counsel for a major international EPC contractor involved in a wrongful termination dispute involving a furnace upgrade at an ethylene plant
- Representing a US-based engineering, fabrication, construction and maintenance contractor involved in a dispute with an oil sands producer over payment and delays
- Representing a large civil construction company in an arbitration over changed conditions and extras arising from a large highway upgrading project
- Counsel for a major Canadian construction and building services company involved in a dispute over the construction of a petrochemical facility that proceeded to a 3-week merits hearing as part of an ICC arbitration
- Counsel for a major Canadian construction and building service company involved in a dispute over an infrastructure project that proceeded to a week-long merits hearing as part of an ad hoc commercial arbitration
- Counsel defending a manufacturer in a 3-week King’s Bench product liability trial, and,
- Counsel for a major farm implement manufacturer on a number of product liability related lawsuits.
Outside the Office
Ryan is a Term Lecturer teaching law to engineering students at the University of Alberta's Faculty of Engineering.
Defence Research Institute
Member
2012 - Present
Canadian Bar Association, Insurance Law Section (North)
Member
2011 - Present
Canadian Bar Association
Member
2010 - Present
Law Society of Alberta
Member
2010 - Present
Canadian Bar Association Alberta, Civil Litigation Section (North)
Member
2009 - Present
Canadian Bar Association Alberta, Construction Law Section (North)
Member
2009 - Present
Construction Law
The Best Lawyers™ in Canada
2021 - 2025
Listed Product Liability Law
The Best Lawyers™ in Canada
2022 - 2023
The Alberta Law Review, William Morrow Essay Contest, 2nd Prize
2009
Alberta Crown Attorneys Association Prize in Criminal Procedure
2009
The Carswell Prize in Law
2009
George Bligh O'Connor Silver Medal in Law for graduating with 2nd highest standing
University of Alberta Faculty of Law
2009
Jason Lang Scholarship
2008
Alberta Law Foundation Scholarship
2008
Louise McKinney Post-Secondary Scholarship
2007
Blake, Cassels & Graydon Scholarship
2007
Chief Justice S. Bruce Smith Prize for the highest standing in 1st year law
2007
Ontario Graduate Scholarship in Science and Technology
2005
Canadian Geotechnical Society Undergraduate Student Report Award, 2nd Prize
2004
Canadian Geotechnical Society Graduate Student Presentation Award, 2nd Prize
2004
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Canadian Graduate Scholarship
2003 - 2005
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada PGS-A Scholarship
2001 - 2003
The Canadian Society for Civil Engineering- Edmonton and Northern Alberta Section-R.L. Gerard Student Paper Competition- 1st Prize
2000
Pro Bono Law Alberta
Small Claims Duty Counsel
2012 - Present