Biography
Bill has over 45 years of experience appearing before all levels of court in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut as well as before numerous agencies, boards and tribunals. He has appeared as counsel before international commercial arbitration panels in London and Paris. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, and a Founding Fellow and former Governor of the Canadian College of Construction Lawyers and Fellow of Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.
Bill was named winner of the Client Choice 2016 award in Construction. Published by
International Law Office and Lexology, the Client Choice awards are based on a survey of senior corporate counsel around the world. Selection criteria focus exclusively on the ability to add real value to clients’ business. In 2019 he was recognized for receiving an “AV” rating in the LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rating for the past 20 years.
Bill Kenny has been appointed as arbitrator and mediator in many commercial disputes. He has experience in all forms of claim-related events and dispute resolution as well as the preparation of contract documents.
Bill also acts as general counsel, practicing civil and regulatory litigation and construction law, as well as transportation, insurance, and corporate-commercial law. Bill has acted for construction contractors, consulting engineers, and owners, as well as being appointed mediator and arbitrator.
Bill has written numerous articles and participated in seminars dealing with litigation, construction law, director’s liability and corporate governance.
Professional Recognitions
Appointed Queen’s Counsel (1994)
Acritas Stars global survey of stand-out lawyers, 2019
Chambers Canada, Construction – Band 1
Best Lawyers in Canada:
Bet-the-Company Litigation; Construction Law; Corporate and Commercial Litigation; Director and Officer Liability Practice; Insurance Law; International Arbitration; Product Liability Law; Securities Law, 2006-2020
Best Lawyers in Canada – Edmonton Lawyer of the year:
Corporate and Commercial Litigation (2010 and 2014)
Director and Officer Liability (2012, 2015 and 2019)
Construction Law (2011, 2013, 2017, 2020 and 2024)
Insurance Law (2016)
Securities Law (2021)
Benchmark Canada, Litigation Star: Construction, General Commercial, Insurance
Benchmark Canada, Top 50 Trial Lawyers in Canada
Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory:
Construction Law – Most Frequently Recommended;
Litigation – Securities – Repeatedly Recommended;
Litigation – Product Liability – Repeatedly Recommended;
Litigation – Directors’ & Officers’ Liability – Repeatedly Recommended;
Litigation – Corporate Commercial – Most Frequently Recommended;
Litigation – Commercial Insurance – Repeatedly Recommended;
International Who’s Who Legal: Global Leader – Construction 2019
International Who’s Who Legal: National Leader – Canada – Construction 2019
Martindale-Hubbel AV Preeminent Rating in both Legal Ability & Ethical Standards, 2019 (20 year AV rating)
Community Involvement
Past Member, Board of Directors of the South Side Athletic Club
Past Member, Board of Directors Legal Aid Society of Alberta
Past member of the Board of Directors and former Vice-Chair, Catholic Social Services
Vice-Chair, Foundation for Newman Theological College and St. Joseph’s Seminary
Member of The Alberta Rules of Court Committee
Secretary, The Legal Forum
Professional Memberships
Member, Canadian Bar Association
Member, Law Society of Alberta
Member, Edmonton Bar Association
Member, Law Society of Northwest Territories
Member, Law Society of Saskatchewan
Member, Law Society of Manitoba
Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers
Founding Fellow, Canadian College of Construction Lawyers
Former Governor, Canadian College of Construction Lawyers
Fellow, The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
Member, and member of the Board of Directors Western Canadian Commercial Arbitrators Society
Former Member, Construction Owners Association of Alberta (COAA) Contracts Committee
Past Chair of the Canadian Bar Association Construction Law Section for Northern Alberta
Past Member of the Law Society of Alberta Insurance, Audit, and Finance Committees
Bar Admissions & Education
LL.B., University of Saskatchewan, 1973
Alberta Bar, 1974
Northwest Territories Bar, 1982
Saskatchewan Bar, 2012
Manitoba Bar, 2017
Nunavut Bar, 2019
Representative cases and arbitration references
Available upon request