Sabdeep Sidhu

OVERVIEW

Sabdeep joined Richards Buell Sutton in 2021 after honing his litigation skills at a leading Vancouver boutique. His primary practice focus is construction law, commercial leasing, real estate, and insurance defence matters.

Sab helps clients navigate complex legal issues to achieve the best outcomes by combining a strong command of the underlying legal principles with a flexible, people-centered, and practical approach. He has represented clients in the British Columbia Provincial Court, Supreme Court, and Court of Appeal.

He approaches every matter with careful consideration to develop a tailored plan of action, prioritizing solutions that cut to the heart of the issue and remain cost‑effective. Whether that requires court procedures or alternative dispute resolution, he will work to secure the most favourable and cost-effective result.

Born and raised in the Lower Mainland, Sab earned his undergraduate degree from the University of British Columbia, where he played varsity football for the Thunderbirds. He completed his law degree at the University of Victoria (UVic), volunteering with Access Pro Bono, serving as President of the Sports and Entertainment Law Club, and was a member of the Law Students’ Society. In his first year at Uvic he won the Denton’s Negotiation Competition, and in his final year he spent a semester abroad at the University of Hong Kong.

REPRESENTATIVE CLIENT WORK

CONSTRUCTION

Sab represents developers and contractors with respect to construction disputes.  His experience involves:

• Filing and advancing claims for builders’ liens and contesting such claims
• Advancing and contesting claims for construction defects, delays, and scope changes
• Advancing claims for insurance coverage

COMMERCIAL LEASING

Sab regularly advises and represents both landlords and tenants on commercial leasing matters, including:

• Terminating leases for unpaid rent and challenging the validity of lease terminations
• Recovering unpaid rent by way of distress
• Obtaining or defending judgments for unpaid rent
• Securing orders for possession and injunctions to prevent wrongful eviction
• Interpreting leases on allocation of common‑area expenses
• Handling procedures for abandoned goods
• Pursuing or defending claims against personal guarantors of leases

REAL ESTATE

Sab advises developers, property owners, buyers, and sellers in real estate disputes, including:

• Collapsed sales and breach-of-contract claims, including obtaining judgments for damages arising from collapsed transactions
• Nuisance-related matters
• Recovery of misappropriated business funds in a family-run real estate venture

INSURANCE

Sab has acted for numerous insurers on complex personal injury and property-damage claims, including matters involving motor vehicles, construction, occupier’s liability, and product liability. Recent experience includes:

• Defending catastrophic personal-injury claims, including cases involving severe traumatic brain injuries requiring 24-hour care and claims involving quadriplegia
• Defending builders in large, multi-party “leaky condo” actions
• Defending professionals, including architects and engineers, in construction-defect claims
• Defending property owners against slip-and-fall claims

Outside the office, Sab attempts to maintain a regular workout routine, enjoys travel, has a love-hate relationship with fantasy football, and keeps his dog Timber out of trouble.

NOTABLE CASES

Li v. 1083195 B.C. Ltd. 2022 BCSC 2063

• Counsel for a real estate developer in relation to the sale of a pre-sale condominium where the buyer sought to cancel the contract prior to an occupancy permit being issued for the development. The Court found the buyer continued to be bound by the contract.

Ambroziewicz v Zhang 2022 BCSC 2109

• Counsel for the seller in a residential real estate sale where the buyer refused to release the deposit to the seller after failing to complete the purchase due to the purchaser being subject to the Foreign Buyer’s Tax.

NEWSLETTERS & PUBLICATIONS

• Author, “Ontario Court of Appeal Clarifies Appraisal/Dispute Resolution Process” – RBS Insurance Newsletter, June, 2022; Canadian Journal of Insurance Law, LexisNexis, January, 2023