Rankings

Seema Lal is top-ranked by Leading Global Rankings Agencies and Directories.

Professional Background

Seema Lal is a Partner and Co-Chair of the Construction and Infrastructure practice group, and member of the Commercial and Business Litigation practice group at Singleton Urquhart Reynolds Vogel LLP.

Seema is focused on the negotiation and preparation of construction contracts, procurement issues, builders’ liens, disputes; and construction dispute resolution, including claims for extras and delays. She seeks to provide strategic legal advice to assist her clients in making informed and effective legal and business decisions.  Through her practice and her involvement in industry associations, she has built up an in-depth understanding of the construction sector and the unique issues facing its stakeholders. She is also experienced in assisting clients with insurance matters and professional liability claims.

She is a Fellow of the Canadian College of Construction Lawyers, an association of lawyers who are distinguished for their skill and experience in the practice or teaching of construction law. Seema regularly provides lectures and seminars, including for the Independent Contractors Association of British Columbia, Buildex, Vancouver Regional Construction Association and Pacific Business & Law Institute. She was also previously an adjunct professor at the University of British Columbia for engineering students – Legal Aspects in Engineering Practice.

Seema is involved in the Vancouver community and holds board positions for a number of industry groups and non-profit organizations. She also volunteers with Access Pro Bono and the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada’s Volunteer Legal Advocacy Program.

Education

  • Bachelor of Arts (Psychology), University of British Columbia, 1997
  • Bachelor of Laws, University of British Columbia, 2000
  • Called to the British Columbia Bar, 2001

Rankings + Recognitions

  • Recognized as a Leading Lawyer in the area of Construction Law in the Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory.
  • Ranked in the areas of Construction Law and Insurance Law by Best Lawyers Canada®.
  • Recognized by The Legal 500 as a leading lawyer in Canadian Construction Law
  • Featured in Doyle’s Guide list of leading construction, engineering and infrastructure litigation lawyers

Memberships

  • Fellow, Canadian College of Construction Lawyers
  • Chair, Construction Law Section, Canadian Bar Association (BC Branch)
  • Chair, Canadian Construction Women
  • Director of Board of Directors of the British Columbia Construction Roundtable
  • Member, South Asian Bar Association

Community + Volunteering

  • Co-Chair, BC Children’s Hospital Foundation, A Night of Miracles Gala
  • Volunteer Lawyer, MS Society of Canada – Volunteer Legal Advocate Program (VLAP)
  • Volunteer Lawyer, Access ProBono

Seema has acted as counsel for owners, developers, general contractors, subcontractors and suppliers in relation to the drafting, review and negotiation of standard form and bespoke construction and engineering agreements, including CCA, CCDC, MMCD, AIBC, ACEC and RAIC documents and providing advice on builders liens issues. Her transactional experience includes:

  • Advising a renewable resource company on the construction of multiple solar power generation facilities, including the drafting and negotiation of bespoke EPC contracts for the design and construction of the facilities, the drafting and negotiation of supplementary conditions for CCDC contracts related to the construction of the facilities and major supply agreements;
  • Advising an engineering firm in relation to a $80 million EPC Contract;
  • Developing a suite of contracts and subcontracts for a major contractor carrying out residential and commercial construction works;
  • Drafting and negotiating CCDC and bespoke contracts for a number of developers undertaking the development and construction of large residential, commercial and industrial developments;
  • Advising a wide range of construction project participants concerning builders lien issues, including lien-related contractual provisions, statutory rights and obligations, holdback liability and the enforcement of lien rights.

Seema also has experience with construction disputes, having represented all construction industry participants in dispute resolution matters, including complex delay claims.  Her litigation experience includes:

  • Representing an owner/developer in a complex arbitration proceeding relating to the delays in the construction of a large residential building in Vancouver;
  • Representing a construction subcontractor on a major infrastructure project in the pursuit of payment recovery involving complex builders lien issues;
  • Representing general contractors, owners and subcontractors with respect to payment disputes and disputes relating to claims of deficiencies, delays and extras;
  • Involvement with complex builders lien disputes, including holdback claims.

Publications

Presentations

  • Moderator, Panel Discussion: “How to Deal with an Unrealistic Schedule from Various Parties’ Perspectives,” 2024 Guide to Managing Delay and Impact Claims in Construction – Osgoode Professional Development, April, 2024
  • Co-Chair, “Construction Projects: Latest Trends in Lifecycle Risk Management,” Pacific Business & Law Institute, March, 2024
  • Co-presenter, “Navigating Construction Contracts,” Singleton Reynolds Lunch + Learn (with the Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers (British Columbia) Society [FACL BC]), February, 2024
  • Speaker, “Navigating Construction Project Close-Out: A Comprehensive Analysis,” BUILDEX Vancouver, February, 2024
  • Panelist, “How We Build Now Roadshow: BC Edition,” Procore Technologies, November, 2023
  • Moderator, “Women in Construction Panel Discussion,” Burnaby Board of Trade, October, 2023
  • Session Moderator, “ESG Considerations in Construction Projects: Navigating the Path to Sustainable Structures,” CBA Construction and Infrastructure Conference, October, 2023
  • Panelist, “Contract Termination at 90+% Construction Completion,” 2nd annual Society of Construction Law – North America Conference, July, 2023
  • Session Moderator, Roundtable Discussion on Collaborative Project Delivery Models, British Columbia Construction Roundtable, May, 2023
  • Canadian Legal Education Society of BC, Builders Lien Update (2023), Closing out a Project – March, 2023
  • Canadian Bar Association – BC Branch, Civil Litigation Annual Dinner, February, 2023 – Featured Speaker
  • Canadian Institute – 15th Annual Conference on Managing Risk in Construction Contracts & Projects – Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: Solving Canada’s Skilled Labour Shortage, January, 2023
  • Construction Super Conference, Risks and Strategies on Concurrency and Pacing for the Proactive Owner/Contractor – December, 2022
  • Canadian Bar Association, Strong Foundations: Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in the Construction Industry, December, 2022
  • Independent Contractors and Businesses Association, “Nuts and Bolts of Builders Liens”, November, 2022
  • Pacific Business & Law Institute – Construction Projects in 2022: Global Disruptions, Local Solutions – Limitation Periods, October, 2022
  • Society of Construction Law North America – Surety Bond Fundamentals for Canadian Construction Projects, June, 2022
  • Canadian Construction Women (CCW) – Integrated Project Delivery – April, 2022
  • Independent Contractors and Businesses Association, “Nuts and Bolts of Builders Liens”, December, 2021
  • Pacific Business & Law Institute – Successful Construction Projects in a Post-Covid World, Labour and Supply Chain Challenges – October, 2021
  • Canadian Bar Association – BC Branch, Women Lawyers Forum – Hot Tips from Top Mentors – October, 2021
  • Independent Contractors and Businesses Association, “Nuts and Bolts of Builders Liens”, September, 2021
  • Canadian Construction Women (CCW) – Moderator for Diversity and Inclusion Panel – September, 2021
  • Professional Association of Managing Agents – An Overview of Construction Contracts – August, 2021
  • Independent Contractors and Businesses Association – An Overview of Tendering Law – May, 2021
  • Independent Contractors and Businesses Association – An Overview of Tendering Law – August, 2020
  • Procore Technologies – Construction, COVID-19 and the Law – June, 2020
  • Independent Contractors and Businesses Association – Nuts and Bolts of Builders Liens– November, 2019
  • BC Common Ground Alliance – Legal Risks Surrounding Ground Disturbance Activities – April, 2018
  • Independent Contractors and Businesses Association, “Nuts and Bolts of Builders Liens”, April, 2018
  • Buildex Vancouver – Termination of Construction Contracts, February, 2018

News + Insights | Feb 27, 2024

Tam v. PD Plumbing & Heating Ltd.: Recent Developments in the Law Surrounding Want of Prosecution in Builders Lien Actions

News + Insights | Nov 16, 2023

Building Safety from the Ground Up: Highlighting Owners' Responsibilities and Obligations in Construction and Worker Safety