PAUL V. STOCCO partner, litigation practice area leader
GET IN TOUCH
780.497.4884
pstocco@brownleelaw.com
Download vcard
CONNECT WITH ME
Partner Paul Stocco, practice group leader of Brownlee’s Construction Group, focuses on construction litigation and procurement, representing owners, general contractors and sub-contractors at all levels of Court in Alberta and Ontario. Paul assists clients in drafting procurement documents, including tendering and requests for proposals (RFP) documents, construction management, consulting, design build, integrated project delivery, building information modelling, lump sum, and public-private partnership (P3) agreements. He also assists clients with builders’ liens, performance bonds, and labour and material payment bond claims.
Paul is a board member of various construction industry organizations. He writes and lectures widely on all aspects of construction and procurement law.
Experienced, practical and efficient, Paul is caring towards his clients. Beyond that: “I really love my area of the law,” he says. “I’m fascinated by how things are built and by the people who build them. I love seeing someone’s idea transformed into something tangible. I can say I helped contribute to that. To me, that’s what makes construction law so fascinating, so rewarding and so motivating.”
Paul studied arts and science at the University of Toronto, and graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1989. Called to the bar in Ontario (1991) and Alberta (2000), he joined the Edmonton office of Brownlee LLP in 2003.
Born and raised in Toronto, Paul’s interest in construction grew out of his childhood experiences. He has vivid memories of helping his dad, a small businessman in the construction industry – “a tile man” – over the course of many summers and weekends when he was growing up.
“It was natural for me to gravitate to this area, and even though I didn’t have the same craftsman skill that my father had, I think I’m contributing to the construction industry in a different way,” Paul says. “That makes me incredibly proud, to be able to use and rely on what I learned as a kid.”
He believes that a good lawyer cares about his or her clients. “We have to treat the client that hires us as if it’s the only thing we have on the go, and we have to give everything we have. That caring, that passion and that compassion are elements that make a great person and a great lawyer.
“The practice of law is not an easy one. It requires a lot of dedication, as well as a certain amount of humility.” For law students or first year associates, Paul’s advice is to “embrace the challenges of learning. There is a huge learning curve when you start.”
The strength of Brownlee’s team approach, with different levels of experience, means there is always a professional team member who can help solve a client’s problem, whether it’s straightforward or highly complex. “We match up the right person to the right problem to the right task.”
On a personal note, Paul is fluent in Italian, and he would love to learn Spanish and French. “And if I had to reinvent myself or pick a different career path I would either be a chef or a stand-up comedian – or a really funny person who cooks well.”
Paul is married with one daughter.
REPRESENTATIVE WORK
- Construction and Procurement
MEMBERSHIPS
- Canadian Bar Association
- Edmonton Construction Association
- Board Member of Canadian Design Build Institute
- Board member of CanBIM
WHY LAW?
It chose me…