Lawyer Profile
Richard F. Steele
Calgary, Alberta
Overview
Brigham Young University, Bachelor of Arts (cum laude), 1993 University of Alberta, Bachelor of Laws, 1996 Certificate of Workplace Investigation Fundamentals, 2024 Bar admission: Alberta 1997
Richard appears before all levels of Court in Alberta and the Federal Court of Canada. He also appears before the Alberta Labour Relations Board, the Canada Industrial Relations Board, the Saskatchewan Labour Relations Board and the Alberta Human Rights Commission. He regularly:
Richard is a member of the Executive Committee at BD&P and is the employment and labour group leader.
Richard completed his Articles of Clerkship at the Alberta Court of Appeal, serving as a clerk to Justice Anne H. Russell from 1996 to 1997.
Counsel for plaintiff class in successful settlement agreement with the City of Leduc for systemic sexual abuse, harassment, and assault against female city employees, including firefighters. Terms of settlement include the highest per-person monetary compensation in a Canada class action settlement for workplace misconduct. The per-person settlement amounts combined with the non-adversarial claims process, non-monetary remedies, and the lengthy claimant eligibility time period, arguably makes this settlement the most progressive workplace class action settlement in Canadian history. This is the first settlement of a class action involving sexual misconduct and sexual assault in a fire department or municipality in Canada. The individual compensation in this settlement exceeds that provided by Canada’s most notable workplace harassment class action settlements to date. This settlement was approved by the Court on July 4, 2023.
Co-counsel in a $40 million claim and counterclaim, alleging misappropriation and misuse of confidential and proprietary information, unfair competition, wrongful solicitation of employees and customers, breach of fiduciary duties, conspiracy, defamation and oppression.
Counsel in a $5.5 million claim asserting breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duties, misappropriation and misuse of confidential information, inducing breach of contract, wrongful solicitation of employees, customers and suppliers, and interference with contractual relations and economic interests.
Counsel representing a defendant employer in two human rights complaints alleging discrimination based on gender, equal pay, and retaliation, which matters were heard before the Alberta Human Rights Commission, before the Court of Queen's Bench and twice before the Alberta Court of Appeal.
Practice Areas
Bar Information
Called to the bar: 1997 (AB)