Chivers Law Alumni

We appreciate the contribution of our lawyers past and present. Here are some of the esteemed colleagues with whom we’ve worked in the past.

Barrie Chivers, Q.C.

Barrie Barrie left the practice of law in 2016 after a long successful career serving the interests of his clients and community. The firm proudly continues pursuing his legacy under his name.

A former president of the Trade Union Lawyers’ Association and a former provincial vice president of the Canadian Association of Labour Lawyers, Barrie was actively involved in the development of labour law in the province of Alberta over three decades. Barrie represented a broad cross section of trade unions in the public and private sectors. His clients included numerous labour organizations representing firefighters, teachers and educators, municipal workers, food and service workers and maintenance workers. He served as Parliamentarian and Constitutional and legislative adviser to the United Nurses of Alberta. He represented clients in Alberta, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut in grievance arbitration proceedings, in interest arbitration proceedings, in Labour Relations Board proceedings and in Judicial Review proceedings. He represented both institutional and individual clients in disciplinary proceedings. Barrie also represented his clients as their nominee on grievance arbitration and interest arbitration Boards. He appeared as counsel at all levels of the Courts of Alberta, in the Northwest Territories, in the Federal Court and in the Supreme Court of Canada.

He has been a contributor/panelist at numerous forums, seminars and conferences. He served three years as a sessional lecturer in poverty law at the University of Alberta, Faculty of Law. Between December 1990 and June 1993, Barrie served as as member of the provincial legislature for Edmonton Strathcona and as Official Opposition critic for the Attorney General, Solicitor General, Consumer & Corporate Affairs and Native Affairs portfolios.

Barrie is father to three children and devoted grandfather to their children. He has a wide range of recreational interests including hockey, swimming, Nordic & alpine skiing, camping, back country trail riding (horse back), chess, reading, bee-keeping and music.

John Carpenter

John John spent some time in the work force before he attended the University of Western Ontario where he earned a Combined Honors B.A. in History and English and received the Fred C. Langdon Award as the top student in History. John went on to law school at the University of Western Ontario where he finished on the Dean’s Honors List and received the Miller, Thompson, Sedgewick, Lewis and Healy Prize in Labour Law. After serving his articles with the Attorney General of Alberta in 1987, John joined Chivers-Greckol as an associate. In 1992, John entered our partnership. John has appeared on labour matters before all levels of the Court of Alberta, before Arbitrators and tribunals including Alberta and Canada Labour Relations Boards and the Appeals Commissions of the Alberta Workers’ Compensation Board. With a particular interest in injured workers, John has argued a number of cases relating to the “duty to accommodate”. John has been a panelist in a number of forums, including the National Academy of Arbitrators Annual Meeting, the Canadian Association of Labour Lawyers Annual Conference and the University of Calgary Labour Arbitration Conference. John is currently Chair of the Alberta Workers’ Health Center, a labour sponsored organization dedicated to promoting information and awareness in the area of Occupational Health and Safety. John was a participant and Tour Co-Chair for the Govenor General’s Canadian Study Conference 2000. Professional Accreditation Admitted to the Bar of Alberta – 1987 Education LLB University of Western Ontario, 1986 B.A. (Hons) University of Western Ontario, 1983 Professional Activities Labour Arbitration Moot Coach, University of Alberta, 2004-Present Sessional Lecturer, University of Alberta Faculty of Law, 2007-Present Volunteer and Community Involvement Chair and member of the Board of the Workers’ Health Centre, 1990-Present jcarpenter@chiverslaw.com (Please note that if you are not a client of Chivers Carpenter at this time, your email and any information you send are not protected from disclosure by solicitor/client privilege. Additionally, our receipt of your email does not of itself establish a solicitor/client relationship.)

Ritu Khullar, Q.C.

Ritu was managing partner at Chivers Carpenter. Her practice was focused on litigation relating to public law issues including labour and employment, privacy, administrative, human rights, and constitutional law. She represented public and private sector unions, administrative tribunals, and individual clients. She has acted for the Canadian Human Rights Commission and the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner, and appeared before various boards and tribunals, all levels of court in Alberta, and the Supreme Court of Canada.

In addition to teaching at the University of Alberta faculty of law (labour arbitration and constitutional law), Ritu has made numerous presentations at many seminars and conferences (academic and professional) on a wide variety of topics including: labour, employment, privacy, human rights, constitutional law, appellate advocacy and running a fair hearing.

Ritu has been recognized by her peers as having very high “legal ability and ethical standards” as noted in the Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review ratings, for over ten years. In addition, since 2009 she has been selected for The Best Lawyers in Canada in the speciality of Labour and Employment Law and was selected as the Best Lawyers’ 2015 Edmonton Labour and Employment Law “Lawyer of the Year”.

Professional Accreditation

Admitted to the Bar of Alberta – 1992

Education

LLB University of Toronto, 1991
B.A. Honours (Political Science) University of Alberta, 1985

Appointments

2012-current: Alberta Law Reform Institute, Board Member
2006–2012: Center for Constitutional Studies, Board Member
2008–2011: Senator, University of Alberta Senate
2001–2011: Sessional Lecturer, Labour Arbitration, Faculty of Law, University of Alberta
2003–2009: Alberta Law Reform Institute, Rules of Court Project, Member of the Appeals Committee
1996–2006: Independent Chair to hear serious disciplinary offences at the Edmonton Institution for Women
2005/06, 2007/08: Supervising Lawyer, Pro Bono Students Canada Projects, Student Legal Services, Faculty of Law, University of Alberta
1999–2004: Member, Federal Advisory Committee on Judicial Appointments for the Province of Alberta
2002–2003: Member of the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for Alberta
1996–1999: Belzberg Lecturer, Constitutional Law, Faculty of Law, University of Alberta,

Volunteer and Community Involvement

Co-Chair Parent Advisory Council at an Elementary School (2007–2009)
Member of the Canadian Bar Association since 1992; Past-Chair of the National Constitutional Law and Civil Liberties Section (2001–2002); Chair and Co-Chair of Constitutional Law and
Civil Liberties Section, Edmonton (1995–98); member of executive of Privacy Law section (2007–2008)
Past-President and member Board of Shadow Theatre, Edmonton (1998–2002)
Member of National Board of the Women’s Legal Education Action Fund (LEAF) (1995–97); Chair of LEAF Edmonton (1995–97); and Chair of LEAF Edmonton’s * Education Committee
(1993–95); and Counsel for LEAF in R v. Ewanchuk; and R v. Shearing at the Supreme Court of Canada
Member of Fundraising Breakfast Committee in support of Programs to Stop Violence Against Women and Children (1993–98)

David Williams

David is a graduate of the University of Alberta, (B.Com with distinction in 1985; LLB – Dean’s list in 1988). After articling with the Alberta Court of Appeal and the Court of Queen’s Bench, David practiced as an associate with the Edmonton law firm of Shtabsky & Tussman. David joined our firm in 1991 and became a partner in 1996. David has appeared before all levels of the Federal Court and the Alberta Court and has extensive experience before arbitrators and tribunals including the Alberta and Canada Labour Relations Boards. David has been a panelist at a number of labour law forums, including the Canadian Association of Labour Lawyers Annual Conference, the University of Calgary Labour Arbitration Conference and the Canadian Bar Association (Northern Alberta) Subsection on Labour Law.

David is a father to four children. He is an avid hockey player and enjoys travelling, reading and music. As well he coaches minor hockey and soccer.