DBB Law is proud to announce that four of its partners, Wendy E. Best, KC, Patricia Blocksom, KC, Caroline Lee, KC, and Gordon Sterchi, KC, have been ranked as top Calgary lawyers by Lexpert®.

To be included in The Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory is an acknowledgement of a lawyer’s excellence by their peers and colleagues. The value and prestige of being a “Lexpert®-ranked” lawyer are demonstrated by the legal profession’s high level of participation in the Lexpert® survey. This year, the overall national response rate from law firm practitioners was 76.28%. Lexpert® rankings and awards are recognized throughout the Canadian legal community.

Wendy E. Best, KC, Lexpert® Ranked Calgary Family Lawyer

Wendy E. Best, KC joined DBB Law in 1982 and practices primarily in the area of family law. She acts for high-net-worth individuals and families in litigation and alternative dispute resolution processes.

In recognition of her experience, Wendy was appointed Queen’s Counsel (now King’s Counsel) in 1994 and has been repeatedly recommended as a leading family law practitioner by Lexpert® and Best Lawyers in Canada®. In 2010 and 2017, she was named Calgary Family Lawyer of the Year by Best Lawyers in Canada®. She has also previously been awarded the Canadian Bar Association/Law Society of Alberta Distinguished Service Award for “Service to the Profession” and the Women in Law “Leadership Award for Leadership in the Profession (Private Practice)”.

In addition to being a highly sought-after speaker and presenter on family law issues and prolific legal writer, Wendy was appointed to the Federal Judicial Advisory Committee for Alberta from 2017 to 2019. She also has sat on multiple boards and served as a member of the Alberta Securities Commission for six years and the Law Society of Alberta’s Family Law Advisory Committee.

Patricia Blocksom, KC, Lexpert® Ranked Calgary Family Lawyer

Patricia Blocksom, KC, has been a partner with DBB Law since 1990. Her practice focuses on family law, particularly alternative dispute resolution processes (including mediation and arbitration). She has been recognized as a leading family law lawyer by Best Lawyers in Canada® and Lexpert®.

Pat was appointed Queen’s Counsel (now King’s Counsel) in 1998 and was inducted as a fellow of the International Academy of Lawyers in 2001. She is highly involved in international human rights and poverty issues and has been a director for multiple Canadian charitable foundations. In 2011, she was inducted by the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta into the Alberta Order of Excellence – the highest honour the Province of Alberta can bestow on a citizen. Pat has also received multiple awards for her outstanding accomplishments, including the Canadian Bar Association Touchstone Award, the Lilian Ruby Clements Trailblazer Award, and the Women in Law and Leadership Award.

In 2022, Pat received the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee medal to recognize her significant contribution to the Province of Alberta. She is a frequent speaker and sessional lecturer at the University of Calgary and provincial, national, and international family law conferences. She also is a prolific author of legal papers on family law topics and equality issues.

Caroline Lee, KC, Lexpert® Ranked Calgary Family Lawyer

Caroline Lee, KC, has been a partner of DBB Law since 1994. She is a senior family law practitioner specializing in family law and alternative dispute resolution, including mediation and arbitration. She was appointed Queen’s Counsel (now King’s Counsel) in 2004 and has been recognized as a leading family lawyer by Best Lawyers in Canada® and Lexpert®.

Caroline is passionate about continuing legal education and has been a family law teacher and lecturer with the Legal Education Society of Alberta and the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Law. She has also spoken at the Law Society of Alberta’s Bar Admission (CPLED) Course and the National Family Law Program, sponsored by the Federation of Law Societies of Canada and the Canadian Bar Association.

In addition to her numerous family law commitments, Caroline is dedicated to volunteering with the Calgary Women’s Emergency Shelter, Children’s Shelter, Calgary Sexual Assault Centre, and Y.W.C.A. She was also a founding member of the Missing Children’s Association.

Gordon Sterchi, KC, Lexpert® Ranked Calgary Family Lawyer

Gordon Sterchi, KC, has been a partner with DBB Law since 2010. He practices family law and litigation and acts as a mediator and arbitrator. He also represents landowners in surface rights matters in Alberta. Gord was appointed King’s Counsel in 2022 and has been recognized as a leading family lawyer by Best Lawyers in Canada® and Lexpert®.

Gord volunteers with the Canadian Centre for Professional Legal Education (CPLED) as an instructor and evaluator for the Bar Admission Course. He has authored and presented at the Legal Education of Society of Alberta’s Family Law Bootcamp in Calgary and Edmonton and was previously a coach/facilitator of Law 411 at the University of Calgary Law School.

Gord has been a member of the Calgary Flames Ambassadors and serves on their Board of Directors. He has also sat on the executive of the Calgary Bar Association and has served as President. Gord has also served on the Board of Directors with the Distress Centre of Calgary.

Congratulations to Wendy E. Best, KC, Patricia Blocksom, KC, Caroline Lee, KC, and Gordon Sterchi, KC, for their recognition in this year’s edition of The Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory!