Paul Olfert

Partner

Saskatoon

Image for Paul Olfert

Education & Qualifications

  • Saskatchewan Bar (2014)
  • JD with great distinction (Saskatchewan, 2013)
  • BA with great distinction (Saskatchewan, 2010)

Paul provides practical restructuring, dispute resolution, and secured realization solutions to businesses, lenders, insolvency professionals and individuals.

  • Local counsel to BDO Canada Limited in effecting the transfer of several thousand bankruptcy estate files following BDO’s purchase of the consumer insolvency practice of Deloitte Restructuring Inc.
  • Junior counsel to a secured lender to Phenomenome Discoveries Inc. (“PDI”), a Saskatchewan biotechnology company, in obtaining an Order appointing a receiver of PDI (the “Receiver”). An application by the Receiver for an Order approving the sale of the assets of PDI was granted in September of 2016: Golden Opportunities Fund Inc v Phenomenome Discoveries Inc, 2016 SKQB 306
  • Junior counsel to Golden Band Resources Inc. (“Golden Band”), a publicly-traded Saskatchewan corporation that previously owned and operated a gold mine near La Ronge, Saskatchewan. Golden Band filed a Notice of Intention to Make a Proposal under Division I of Part III of the BIA. Obtained an Order of the Saskatchewan Court of Queen’s Bench approving the sale by Golden Band of its shares to its principal secured creditor, vesting title to its shares in the name of the principal secured creditor and cancelling the extant shares previously issued by Golden Band to its shareholders
  • Junior counsel to a secured lender, successfully obtaining a receivership order respecting a Saskatchewan drilling company, and opposing that company’s application for relief pursuant to The Companies’ Creditors Arrangements Act

Paul’s experience includes commercial insolvency proceedings under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (Canada) and the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (Canada), as well as receivership proceedings and commercial foreclosures. His focus on agricultural insolvency proceedings in Saskatchewan has given him detailed knowledge of the special realization procedures in The Saskatchewan Farm Security Act relating to Saskatchewan farm land and other agricultural assets.

Paul also has broad experience in the field of commercial litigation including contractual disputes, intracorporate and shareholder disputes, and oppression proceedings under corporations legislation. He appears regularly before the Saskatchewan Court of Queen’s Bench and has argued matters before the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal, the Saskatchewan Director of Corporations, and the Saskatchewan Registrar of Titles.

Prior to joining the firm, Paul clerked at the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal.

  • Member, Template Orders Subcommittee, Bankruptcy and Insolvency, Canadian Bar Association (Saskatchewan, 2017-present)
  • Saskatchewan Law Review (2011-2012)
  • Named a Leading Practitioner, Insolvency & Financial Restructuring, Insolvency Litigation, Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory (2024)
  • Cecil G. Schmitt Prize, Company Law (2012)
  • Harry Dahlem Scholarship, Law Foundation of Saskatchewan (Saskatchewan, 2011)
  • Donald MacLean Prize, Constitutional Law (2011)
  • William Elliott Scholarship, Law (2010)
  • Co-presenter with Jeff Lee and Graham Purse, “Ten Practical Steps to Identify & Manage Risk” (Regina, November 2018)