Donna Purcell
With over 30 years of experience, Donna Purcell, Q.C. provides practical and timely legal representation for all types of civil disputes. Motivated by a desire to help and support others, she decided to become a civil litigator. Using her diverse skill set, Donna has successfully resolved disputes for numerous clients in varying situations and with various issues including catastrophic and serious personal injury and employment law matters as well as other civil litigation cases. Today as president and founder of Donna C. Purcell Professional Corporation, operating as Donna Purcell QC Law, her goal is to provide expedient and cost-effective solutions to clients, including via alternative dispute resolution processes through her hybrid bricks-and-mortar/virtual law firm.
After studying psychology at the University of Calgary, Donna went on to pursue her Juris Doctorate and began practicing law in 1988. She has had a remote practice for 20 years and a fully digital practice for the past 10. This has allowed her the freedom to travel, spend time with family, and pursue myriad volunteer community and legal profession initiatives. In fact, Donna designed a virtual litigation series early after the declaration of the global pandemic and continues to advocate for the future of digital legal services in the legal industry to share with other professionals how to maintain successful careers while still being able to enjoy life outside of work, spend valuable time with family and contribute to the community.
Running a virtual office has not only allowed Donna to be efficient in her practice, but it has also allowed her to become a leader in her profession. She has served as president of the Alberta Civil Trial Lawyers Association and is on the Leader Development Committee for the Canadian Bar Association, Alberta Branch. Donna has also been a member of the Legal Archives Society of Alberta as well as with many other organizations and is involved with various groups to support access to justice issues during the Pandemic and beyond.
In addition to her various leadership roles, Donna is frequently asked to present at seminars and arranges presentations for professionals including other members of the bar. Most recently, as noted, she led a group of lawyers in developing a webinar series on virtual litigation from the beginning stages of meeting the client to attending trial. The series also includes a component of virtual resiliency to deal with court suspensions due to Covid-19.
Whether she is in the bricks-and-mortar offices of Donna Purcell QC Law or elsewhere in the world, Donna’s practices focus in two main areas. She primarily handles catastrophic and serious personal injury matters resulting from various civil law breaches including motor vehicle accidents, product liability and occupiers’ liability. As well, she also regularly advises on employment law issues for both employers and employees, from human rights breaches, to termination, to injunctions. Trained in the mediation of disputes, Donna strives for alternative dispute resolution processes apart from the court system which has become too expensive, slow and complicated for most Canadians involved in civil disputes. Nevertheless, she is always prepared to litigate a case when necessary.
As a result of the exemplary client and community service she provides, Donna has received numerous honours and awards. These include the Women in Law Leadership Award, the Central Alberta Pro Bono Prism Award, and the Gary J. Bigg Champion of Justice Award.
Donna C. Purcell Professional Corp.
Alberta, Canada
LinkedIn: /donnapurcell
Download the Top 100 Canadian Professionals magazine and check out Donna's feature on page 98.
Download the Top 100 Attorneys magazine
and check out Donna's feature on page 48.
Download the Top 50 Women of 2021 magazine
and check out Donna's feature on page 18.