Overview
Steve Robertson is an experienced commercial litigator and trial lawyer. He believes that a lawyer’s role is to help clients resolve legal and business conflicts in the most practical way possible—by firmly advancing litigation, by securing assets before they can be moved or hidden, or by efficient negotiation as required under the circumstances. His practice focuses on business disputes, corporate fraud recovery, and anti-fraud and anti-corruption advice in a variety of industries including energy, retail and wholesale distribution, agriculture, and health.
Steve regularly advises clients in the following areas:
Commercial litigation: Strategy is critical to successful commercial litigation and experience is critical to successful strategy. Steve brings his considerable experience to bear in assessing the facts and developing a strategy to achieve practical results for his clients.
Fraud asset recovery: The response to fraud must be fast and deliberate to recover stolen assets before the fraudsters know that they have been detected. Steve has experience in quickly investigating the situation and obtaining extraordinary orders from the court to locate and freeze assets before they can be moved or hidden.
Foreign corruption: Steve advises clients and responds to allegations of breaches of the Corruption of Foreign Public Officials Act. He can conduct internal investigations of suspected breaches and advise clients on the implementation of anti-bribery and corruption compliance programs and on issues relating to foreign corruption that arise in mergers and acquisitions.
Health law: Steve has significant knowledge of the legal aspects of Canada’s health care system including professional regulation, judicial review, privacy, human rights, and fatality inquiries.
Steve regularly speaks on fraud prevention and recovery, conducting internal investigations, foreign corruption, and civil litigation. He is the secretary of the Calgary chapter of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners and a member of the Canadian Bar Association Anti-Corruption Team and Transparency International.
Prior to joining Miller Thomson, Steve was a partner with another major Canadian national law firm.
Steve is the president of the Sir Winston Churchill Society of Calgary, a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of the memory of Sir Winston Churchill through the sponsorship of high school debates, and the Mount Royal University Moot Court Program.
Professional achievements & leadership
- LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell, 4.4/5, BV Distinguished Peer Review Rating
Notable matters
- Conducted a successful trial of allegations of fraud against a former employee and obtainied a $2.4 million judgment
- Succeeded in an oppression action resulting in the transfer of shares to the rightful owner
- Obtained numerous urgent, ex-parte, pre-judgment orders tracing and freezing funds and preserving evidence
- Conducted numerous professional negligence actions including many trials
- Conducted numerous internal investigations into allegations of fraud and corruption
Thought leadership
- Author/Editor, Alberta Civil Practice Manual, Legal Education Society of Alberta, 2010, 2014
- Guest Lecturer, “Fraud Recovery,” Mount Royal University
- Guest Lecturer, “Residents, Dealing with Difficult Physicians,” University of Calgary Medical School: Department of Anesthesia
- Facilitator and Evaluator, “Chambers Advocacy,” Canadian Centre for Professional Legal Education (CPLED)
Community involvement
- Member, Sir Winston Churchill Society of Calgary, 2012-present
- Member, 78th Fraser Highlanders, 2010-present
Corporate directorships
- Sir Winston Churchill Society of Calgary, President, November 2013- present
- Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, Director and Secretary of Calgary Chapter, 2008-present
Professional memberships
- Member, Canadian Bar Association, Anti-Corruption Team, Civil Litigation Section, Securities Law Section
- Member, Calgary Bar Association
- Associate Member, Association of Certified Fraud Examiners
- Member, The Advocates’ Society
- Member, Transparency International
Bar admissions & education
- Alberta, 1995
- LL.B., University of Alberta, 1994
- B.A. (History), University of Regina, 1988
- B.F.A. (Drama), University of Regina, 1986