Laura Bracco-Callaghan
Partner
LITIGATION INSURANCE LAW EMPLOYMENT SPORTS LAW
Email: lbc@svrlawyers.com
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Assistant: Diane Perry
Phone: 403.231.8247
Email: d.perry@svrlawyers.com
Professional Background
As a civil litigator, Laura’s practice has primarily focused on matters involving complex commercial actions - including construction matters, large industrial losses and contract disputes - professional negligence, defamation and serious personal injury/wrongful death claims. Laura also maintains an employment practice and advises clients in all manner of employment, human rights, privacy and OHS-related matters. She also advises clients with respect to, and conducts, workplace investigations.
Some of Laura’s recent work includes defending numerous Alberta universities in actions involving defamation, harassment, breach of contract and negligence. As a former member of Canada’s national biathlon team, Laura takes a particular interest in sports law. She has acted for both professional and amateur athletes and advised sports organizations in respect of various matters including discipline, team selection and harassment investigations.
Clients can count on Laura to take immediate action when a legal matter arises. Meticulous in her preparations, she tailors her strategies in each case in order to deliver solutions to complex and unusual claims. Laura has appeared as trial and appellate counsel before all levels of Court in Alberta. Laura also represents clients in arbitration proceedings, complex multi-party mediations, professional disciplinary proceedings, judicial review applications and proceedings before the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta and the Human Rights Tribunal of Alberta.
Laura remains an active athlete and can often be found hiking or skiing the mountains surrounding her hometown of Canmore.
+ Education
- Bachelor of Laws, University of Alberta, 2010
- Bachelor of Arts, Political Science (Honours, First Class), University of Calgary, 2007
- Called to the Alberta Bar, 2011
+ Affiliations
- Calgary Bar Association
- Canadian Bar Association
- Association of Women Lawyers, Calgary
- Advocates Society
+ Career Highlights
- Trial counsel in Bruen v University of Calgary (2018 ABQB 26) where the defence team brought a successful motion for non-suit after a week of trial in an action involving a novel duty of care argument. The decision was upheld on appeal (2019 ABCA 211).
- Defence counsel for a professional hockey player in a personal injury action where the damages claimed exceed $10 million.
- Defence counsel in ET v Rocky Mountain Play Therapy Institute Inc (2017 ABQB 475) involving multiple defamation, breach of contract and negligence claims against a professional where the defence brought a successful motion to have the plaintiff declared a vexatious litigant.
+ Decisions
- Alexander v University of Lethbridge, 2022 ABCA 320
- Alexander v University of Lethbridge, 2022 ABCA 228
- Zachry Energy International Inc v Sinopec Shanghai Engineering Co Ltd, 2024 ABCA 24
- Zachry Energy International Inc v Sinopec Shanghai Engineering Co Ltd, 2021 ABQB 969
- Martinez v Chaffin, 2019 ABQB 439
- Bruen v University of Calgary, 2019 ABCA 211
- Martinez v Chaffin, 2019 ABCA 2019 ABCA 216
- Bruen v University of Calgary, 2018 ABQB 26
- Kang v MB, 2019 ABQB 246
- Martinez v Chaffin, 2019 ABQB 349
- Martinez v Chaffin (13 February 2019), Calgary 1901-0024AC (Alta CA) (unreported)
- Bruen v University of Calgary, 2018 ABQB 650
- E.T. v Calgary Catholic School District No. 1, 2017 ABCA 349 (Appeal No.: 1701-0263-AC)
- ET v Rocky Mountain Play Therapy Institute Inc, 2017 ABQB 475
- Sizer v Calgary (Police Service), 2017 ABCA 257
- ET v Rocky Mountain Play Therapy Institute Inc, 2016 ABCA 320
- ET v Rocky Mountain Play Therapy Institute Inc, 2015 ABQB 396
- ET v Rocky Mountain Play Therapy Institute Inc, 2015 ABQB 824
+ Publications & Presentations
- Presenter, Privacy Considerations for Condo Boards and Property Managers, for BFL Canada, February 2023
- Presenter, Fireside Chat with the Experts on Employee and Employer Responsibility, for CCI South Alberta, November 2022
- Panelist, “Covid-19 Related Workplace Litigation Around the World: A Virtual Roundtable Discussion”, for Mackrell International, April 2021
- COVID-19: A Roundup of the Financial Assistance Available to Businesses and Workers as of April 17, 2020 - April 2020
- A Warning to Alberta Employers: Temporary Layoffs due to COVID-19 May Amount to Constructive Dismissal or Wrongful Termination - March 2020
- COVID-19: An Update to the Federal Aid Package Now Called the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (“CERB”) - March 2020
- COVID-19: An Overview of Federal and Provincial Aid Packages and Alberta Employment Implications - March 2020
- An Alberta Response to the Rise in Vexatious and Abusive Litigation - February 2019
- Presenter, “Tips and Traps When Dealing with Self-Represented Litigants”, RMC Meeting, November 2018