10 Best Lawyers in Banff, Alberta
Behind every legal matter is a decision that has lasting consequences. A new business, a property purchase, an estate, a dispute, a job, or a contract can bring questions that are better answered with professional legal guidance than guesswork.
Knowing which lawyers have experience in the area can make that search much more straightforward. Some have built their practices around specific areas of law, while others bring experience across a broader range of legal matters.
With that in mind, we’ve put together a list of the Best Lawyers in Banff, Alberta. From their professional backgrounds to their areas of practice, here’s a closer look at the legal professionals serving clients in and around Banff.
List of the Best Lawyers in Banff, Alberta and Why
Choosing a lawyer often comes down to more than a name on a list. Their area of practice, professional experience, and the type of legal work they handle can all provide useful context.
Below are the lawyers featured on our list and what makes their professional backgrounds worth noting.
1. Paige Van Der Westhuyzen
Paige brings both international commercial experience and Canadian legal experience to her practice. Before moving to Canada, she worked as a commercial legal associate with a multinational mining corporation, handling procurement and supply chain matters.
Her current practice focuses primarily on residential real estate, with immigration law as a secondary area of focus. Her work in these areas allows her to assist clients through significant transitions, from buying or selling a home to navigating the legal process of establishing a new life in Canada.
Having gone through the immigration process herself, Paige also brings firsthand perspective to the practical and personal considerations involved in complex commercial agreements. She later continued her Canadian legal career with Stringam LLP, first in Medicine Hat.
Paige mentors internationally trained lawyers as they navigate the transition into Canada’s legal profession, reflecting her interest in supporting others within the legal community.
Email: PWest@Stringam.ca
2. Rod Froese
With more than two decades of experience in the Bow Valley, Rod has developed a legal practice centred on property and business matters. His work includes residential and commercial real estate, development projects and corporate transactions, giving him diversified experience.
His connection to the local community also extends beyond his legal work. Rod has been involved in local hockey over the years, including serving as a director with the Canmore Eagles Junior Hockey Club and minor hockey coach.
Email: rfroese@stringam.ca
3. Seth Earle
Seth’s legal interests span three areas that often involve major personal or financial decisions: real estate transactions, corporate and commercial law, and wills and estates. His practice is grounded in an understanding of the legal details involved in property, business, and estates.
He holds degrees in English and International Development from Dalhousie University and Journalism from the University of King’s College, before earning his Juris Doctor from the University of New Brunswick’s Faculty of Law in 2025.
This combination of legal training and communication-focused studies provides a varied foundation for his developing practice in Canmore and Banff.
Email: searle@stringam.ca
4. Anastase E. Maragos
Anastase has built his legal career around personal injury law and insurance coverage, with more than three decades of experience representing injured people.
As a Partner and Leader of the Personal Injury Group at Watson Goepel LLP, he has acted for thousands of injured parties and developed extensive experience handling complex medical-legal matters.
His practice includes significant trial experience, allowing him to navigate personal injury cases that require a detailed understanding of both the legal and medical aspects involved.
His work in personal injury litigation has earned peer recognition through Best Lawyers in Canada, where he was first recognized in 2023.
Email: amaragos@watsongoepel.com
5. Katharine E. Hennebery
Katharine’s practice is centred on personal injury law, with experience representing clients through every stage of a claim, from examinations for discovery and settlement negotiations to complex applications and trials.
She practises in both British Columbia and Alberta and has appeared before the Provincial and Supreme Courts of British Columbia in personal injury and family law matters. A significant part of her practice involves representing survivors of sexual assault and institutional abuse.
These cases can involve particularly sensitive circumstances, and Katharine guides clients through the legal process with care and discretion. Her earlier experience in personal injury, corporate commercial litigation, and family law has also given her exposure to a wide range of disputes, including motor vehicle accident claims and complex property and asset division matters.
Email: khennebery@watsongoepel.com
6. Martin Willemse
Martin Willemse has built his practice around long-term disability, personal injury, and insurance law. As a Partner and Western Canada Practice Leader at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP, he represents clients dealing with denied disability and insurance claims across Western Canada.
His work includes complex cases involving chronic illnesses and conditions, where strong medical evidence can play an important role. He works closely with medical professionals and has experience helping clients pursue denied disability, critical illness, and death benefit claims.
Martin brings extensive litigation experience to his practice, having appeared before courts and administrative tribunals at various levels. His experience includes matters before the Federal Court of Appeal and the Pension Appeals Board, among other legal proceedings.
Email: martin.willemse@stlawyers.ca
7: Paige Gray
Paige brings several years of civil litigation experience to her role as a Litigation Paralegal in the Personal Injury Group, where she manages Alberta matters. Her background includes plaintiff personal injury cases and insurance defence matters.
This experience allows Paige to understand personal injury disputes from different perspectives. Her familiarity with insurance defence strategies can be particularly valuable when managing claims and anticipating the approach an opposing insurer may take.
Paige earned her Bachelor of Legal Studies from Capilano University after beginning her career in retail management. Her interest in problem-solving and helping others ultimately led her toward legal work, with personal injury becoming the area where she could apply those skills to more complex client matters.
Email: pgray@watsongoepel.com
8. Ryan Chew
Ryan is a Senior Associate in the Personal Injury Group, where he represents clients dealing with a wide range of injuries. His experience includes complex chronic pain, psychiatric and orthopedic injuries, brain injuries, and claims arising from accidents, assaults, burns, and dog bites.
His litigation experience covers several stages of a personal injury claim, including trials, mediations, and examinations for discovery. He has appeared before both the Provincial Court and Supreme Court and also advises clients on insurance coverage issues, including motor vehicle insurance breaches and excess insurance claims.
With experience across different types of personal injury files, Ryan takes a practical approach to helping clients understand their legal options. His broad exposure to injury and insurance matters allows him to assess and advise clients on potential risks and outcomes.
Email: rchew@watsongoepel.com
9. Janet De Vita
Janet De Vita is Co-Managing Partner at Watson Goepel and practises personal injury law in both British Columbia and Alberta. Her work covers a broad range of claims, including motor vehicle accidents, slip and falls, traumatic brain injuries, burn injuries, and recreational and sports-related injuries.
She also represents survivors of sexual assault and institutional abuse, guiding clients through claims that can involve complex and sensitive circumstances.
Janet has experience taking cases through negotiation, mediation, and litigation, with appearances before the Provincial and Supreme Courts of British Columbia and the British Columbia Court of Appeal.
Janet has contributed to the legal profession through mentorship and professional organizations. She has mentored female lawyers through Watson Goepel and the Canadian Bar Association’s Women Lawyers Forum and is a member of both the Trial Lawyers Association of BC and the Alberta Civil Trial Lawyers Association.
Email: jdevita@watsongoepel.com
10. Albert Klein
Albert Klein focuses his practice on long-term disability law, helping individuals across Canada deal with disputes involving disability insurance benefits.
His work includes cases where benefits have been denied, delayed, or discontinued, giving him experience with challenges that can arise between claimants and insurance companies.
His approach centres on making complex disability claims easier for clients to understand. Albert provides practical guidance on legal options, advocates for clients in disputes with major insurance providers, and helps them navigate the claims process.
For individuals dealing with a long-term disability claim, having a lawyer who understands the insurance side of these disputes can be important. Albert’s experience in this area allows him to assess the claim and help clients understand the legal actions and options available.
Email: albert.klein@stlawyers.ca
Conclusion
Finding the right legal professional often starts with understanding the experience and perspective that a particular matter requires. The lawyers featured in this list bring different backgrounds and areas of practice to the legal landscape in Banff.
Legal needs can vary greatly from one situation to another, so taking the time to learn about a lawyer’s credentials, practice areas, and approach can help narrow down your options. Use this list as a starting point for further research before making a decision about legal representation.
