Claire Hildebrand

Claire's expertise spans commercial litigation and insolvency, plus restructuring, weaving her into the fabric of both debtor and creditor landscapes, distressed asset acquisitions, and the challenges faced by entities grappling with insolvency. Her litigation efforts are primarily aimed at resolving disputes related to contracts, torts, shareholder disagreements, and transactional conflicts. Her clientele includes financial bodies, accounting organizations, and firms within the mining, resources, and construction sectors. Her journey with Blakes began post a clerical tenure with six Supreme Court of British Columbia Justices, transitioning her into an articling student role.

Her commitment extends beyond her professional obligations, as she often engages in offering pro bono legal counsel through Access Pro Bono, reflecting her dedication to justice and community service.

Claire's legal acumen has been instrumental in various capacities, ranging from acting as a legal advisor for an actuarial services company entangled in a professional liability tiff to arbitrating for a global construction entity facing delay and disruption allegations in a significant energy project. She played a pivotal role in the CCAA proceedings for Carillion Canada and defended a multinational auto manufacturer against product liability claims. Her expertise also facilitated a helicopter transport company's industrial equipment acquisition under CCAA protection and resolved a commercial leasing dispute for an international manufacturer.

Her contributions and prowess in the legal domain have not gone unnoticed, earning her spots in prestigious listings such as Chambers Canada and Best Lawyers for her work in restructuring, insolvency, and litigation.

Claire actively contributes to the legal community, serving on the Canadian Bar Association's Executive Committee for the BC Insolvency Subsection and the Allard Hall School of Law Alumni Association's board.

Her intellectual contributions include co-authoring publications that delve into the nuances of receivership over real estate assets and the interplay between arbitration clauses and insolvency, underscoring her scholarly engagement with pressing legal issues.

Her educational background is comprehensive, with her legal foundations being laid at the University of British Columbia, further enriched by a Master's from the University of Toronto and an Honours Bachelor's from Queen's University. Her areas of practice are diverse, covering appellate advocacy, arbitration, construction dispute resolution, litigation, restructuring, insolvency, and corporate disputes, showcasing her versatility and depth of knowledge in the legal field.