Archives: Lawyers

Karen Swartzenberger practices in the areas of Immigration law and Family law.  In the Immigration area, she assists clients interested in obtaining, or retaining, permanent resident status in Canada, those who wish to sponsor family members or who wish to obtain or renew temporary status as visitors, workers or students.  She also assists employers who wish to hire foreign workers.    Her Family Law practice includes separation, divorce and matrimonial property issues.  She also practices in the areas of estate planning, estate administration and estate litigation.

Karen is a member of the Law Society of Alberta, and the Canadian Bar Association including the Immigration, Family and Wills & Estates Sub-sections.

Karen is a past Director of the Alberta Law Foundation, a former Instructor at the Faculty of Law at the University of Alberta in Immigration Law and Contract Law, a former member of the Legal Aid Appeals Committee and a former Chair of the Edmonton Regional Legal Aid Committee.

Pierre C. Desrochers, c.r. conducts a general business law practice which focuses on corporate law, commercial law and real estate law. He has a number of years’ experience working with independent business clients and commercial lenders in areas relating to commercial financings, real estate developments and joint ventures, incorporations, corporate reorganizations, shareholder agreements, partnership agreements, shareholder disputes and purchases and sales of businesses. Pierre assists clients with family business succession issues, estate planning, wills and trusts. He has a keen interest for issues relating to minority language education and francophone school authorities.

Pierre was admitted to the Alberta Bar in 1982. In January 2004 he was designated Queen’s Counsel. Pierre is and has been active in a number of professional and community organizations and has served on a number of corporate boards. Pierre has served as a member and chair of the Fédération des conseils scolaires de l’Alberta, trustee and chair of Le Conseil scolaire Centre-Nord, member of the Board and President of the Franco-Albertain (Alberta’s French language weekly newspaper), and was a long time member of the Edmonton Community Foundation’s Distribution Committee. He was on the executive of the Canadian Bar Association’s Conference of French Speaking Common Law Members and was formally active in the Canadian Bar Association as a member of its council.  He is currently the President of the Conseil Consultatif (the advisory committee) of Campus St Jean, University of Alberta’s French language faculty.

Lorimer Dawson conducts a general business law practice, concentrating on corporate law, commercial law and real estate law.  He has many years of experience assisting his clients with incorporations, business acquisitions and sales, commercial financing, corporate reorganizations, agri-business requirements, shareholder agreements and shareholder disputes, real estate development, commercial leasing, joint ventures, franchising (for both franchisors and franchisees) and an extensive array of business contracts.  His corporate law experience includes legal work on a variety of legal issues for not-for-profit entities.  He also assists his clients on their succession and will and estate planning needs.

Lorimer was admitted to the Alberta Bar in 1979, having obtained his B.A./B.Sc. at the University of Lethbridge and his LL.B at the University of Alberta.  He was formerly an instructor for the Alberta Bar Admission Course in the areas of Company Law and the Legal Profession. He has served on the Board of Directors of a public corporation.  Lorimer has been active in a number of community groups addressing issues such as family service needs, child education, and fundraising to combat violence against women.  He was an advisory committee member for the Grant MacEwan University in connection with their Legal Assistants Program.

Since 2004, Lorimer has also been a member of the Northwest Territories Bar. In 2012, he was appointed King’s Counsel in Alberta.

Robert Curtis has more than four decades of general litigation experience, including commercial litigation, contractual disputes, complex matrimonial issues, testamentary capacity and estate disputes, foreclosure, bankruptcy, insolvency, and professional malpractice. While a wise old Barrister once gave him the sage advice that has become his motto, “A settling lawyer is a successful lawyer”, Rob has a reputation as a tenacious advocate.  He has conducted many trials on behalf of individuals and institutions, and argued appeals through to the Supreme Court of Canada.

Rob was admitted to the Alberta Bar in 1974, having obtained his B.A. at McGill University and his LL.B. at the University of Alberta.  He was awarded many scholarships and prizes during his academic career, was Case Notes Editor of the Alberta Law Review, and elected as the Law Representative to General Faculty Council.  He has been a sessional instructor teaching evidence at the University of Alberta Faculty of Law, and has served the Canadian Bar Association in many capacities, including membership on the National Executive and Planning Committees.

In 2000, he was appointed Queen’s Counsel in Alberta.  When not practicing law he can frequently be found in his workshop or watching eagles and seals on Vancouver Island.