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Douglas A. Graham, Q.C.

Doug has practised exclusively in the area of civil litigation in the city of Calgary for the past 30 years. He has spent his entire career at the firm of Macleod Dixon, as a partner since 1980. Doug specializes in areas involving highly complex and difficult technical litigation. Doug has extensive litigation experience in the following areas:

Professional Liability Litigation including Engineering, Architectural, Sale of Securities and Medical.

Construction Litigation 
Doug has conducted numerous defences for engineering firms and municipalities defending large and complex cost overrun claims. In this regard, he has prepared and conducted trials lasting many months and involving many thousands of documents.

Some of his activities in this area include:

As a result of this experience in this area, Doug has appeared as a lecturer and panelist for numerous organizations, including:

Recently, Doug led a team of approximately 30 lawyers and numerous experts in respect of a claim by an oil sands owner respecting a very large claim on a cost overrun and delay policy of insurance. The arbitration that resulted was one of the most complex and difficult in Canadian history and concluded in a settlement very satisfactory to the client.

Mass Tort Litigation
In respect of mass tort litigation, Doug was lead counsel for the Province of Alberta involving claims against the Province by in excess of 900 individuals claiming damages approximating $1 billion. The case involved allegations of abuse and sterilization of these individuals while resident in homes for the mentally disabled. Doug led a team of approximately 30 lawyers and 15 paralegals in analysing, negotiating and settling these claims within a three-year period of time.

Alternate Dispute Resolution
In the course of his acting in respect of many large technical litigations, Doug has participated in and led the settlement of a large number of claims through structured mediation. This has included settlement of many of the large mass tort matters listed.

Recently, Doug obtained a Court order for the compulsory mediation of what may be the most complex and lengthy mediation held in western Canada.  The case arose from the construction of a residential subdivision and involved over 100 claims and 29 law firms.  The case was successfully settled following a two-week structured mediation.

Medical Malpractice
Doug has acted on behalf of numerous plaintiffs in medical malpractice actions. These actions have included claims involving wrongful loss of limbs and brain injury.

Corporate Liability
Doug has acted for the insurers of Directors and Officers in respect of actions brought by shareholders alleging breach of fiduciary duty, slander, and oppression of minority shareholders.

Doug has acted in defence of investment houses in respect of actions by investors alleging negligence and misrepresentation by brokerage houses and investment salesmen in respect of sales of securities and investments.

Intellectual Property
Doug has acted on behalf of technology companies in respect of highly technical actions involving the design of software. Additionally, he has acted on behalf of manufacturers of cellular telephones in respect of actions brought by purchasers of cellular telephone systems in respect of the performance of such systems.

Environmental
Doug is the Past Chairman of the Environmental Subsection, Southern Alberta Canadian Bar Association (he served two years as Chairman) and has acted on a number of environmental matters. 

Major project work includes:

Doug is a Past Board Member of the Environmental Law Centre of Alberta and has delivered numerous lectures and participated on panels dealing with such matters as:

Doug has appeared before the Alberta Court of Queen's Bench, Alberta Court of Appeal, Supreme Court of Canada, Federal Court of Canada and Federal Court of Appeal.

For numerous years Doug was an instructor at the University of Calgary Law School, Trial Advocacy Course, and a Judge for the Legal Education Society of Alberta, Advanced Civil Litigation Course.