Paul Barrette

Paul is a senior partner and expropriation lawyer at Prowse Chowne LLP. His main area of practice is in defending landowners’ property rights when their land is forcibly taken by government or industry. He acts extensively in both land compensation and surface rights cases. Paul is also a commercial litigation lawyer, focusing on property rights and litigation over land and property interests, including trespass and contested ownership issues. He is a passionate advocate for his clients’ rights and entitlements, looking for creative solutions that best meet the clients’ interests.

He has achieved several precedent-setting decisions before the Land and Property Rights Tribunal, including establishing ownership rights in an expropriation in Edmonton (City) v. Can-West Corporate Air Charters Ltd., obtaining comprehensive damages for relocations of businesses in Celtic Homes v. Edmonton (City) and E-Z Air Inc. et al v. Edmonton (City), and winning compensation for loss in value to the land remaining after a taking, which was future development land in a trifecta of cases beginning with Soorya Investments Ltd. v. Alta link Management. He has also successfully conducted several hearings on objections to expropriations, such as in the unique situation of Yellowhead Motor Inn Ltd. et al v. the City of Edmonton.  

Paul has twice served as president of the Alberta Expropriation Association and remains active with the association. He regularly gives guest lectures for prominent organizations such as the Legal Education Society of Alberta and the University of Alberta. Paul is also a board member of the municipal law section of the Canadian Bar Association. He is a hockey player, a tennis player, a husband and proud father.

Areas of Practice