Best Lawyers in British Columbia, Canada for Environmental Law
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Mark Youden is a partner at Gowling WLG with a practice focused on environmental, regulatory, construction and Indigenous law matters in both an advocacy and advisory capacity. Mark is called to the bar in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Yukon, and services clients from industry, government and Indigenous groups. As an advocate, Mark regularly appears at the Federal Court and superior and appellant levels of court in British Columbia, Alberta and Yukon. Mark also frequently advocates o...
Rob Lonergan is a recognized environmental law lawyer practicing in Fasken’s Vancouver office. Environmental assessment and environmental, energy and transportation regulation and litigation are Rob’s specialties. He also has experience in Indigenous litigation. He acts principally for energy companies, public utilities and resource oil and gas companies, marine terminal operators, commercial carriers (rail, truck and marine), and mining companies.
Cliff is the Managing Partner of Lawson Lundell and a leading practitioner in environmental and Indigenous litigation. He advises clients across a range of industries, including forestry, manufacturing, mining, real estate development, and hydro-electric power generation. Cliff has represented his clients in environmental prosecutions, administrative actions, permit appeals, environmental assessments and has helped clients respond to a wide variety of environmental investigations and prosecut...
Christine practices environmental and Indigenous law, providing advice in respect of major project development, environmental assessment, permitting, operational matters and acquisition and sale of industrial projects. She provides mining industry advice, representing clients with respect to permitting and regulatory aspects of exploration, development, operation and closure of mining projects. A significant amount of Christine's practice is focused on advising clients with projects in Canada...
Ron is a trusted advisor to leading mining, infrastructure, and energy companies. With deep industry knowledge, he helps clients navigate regulatory processes and secure approvals, assess compliance risks and mitigation options, execute on M&A transactions, and negotiate complex, non‑standard agreements—including Indigenous partnership and equity arrangements—across all stages of project development and operations. Ron is experienced at leading collaborative, cross‑disciplinar...
Kevin O'Callaghan is a respected litigator in British Columbia and Leader of the firm’s Indigenous Legal Matters group. He is also the regional Lead for the Corporate Social Responsibility Law group and actively involved in our Environment, Social, Governance (ESG) initiative. Providing strategic advice on indigenous, regulatory, environmental and other CSR and ESG issues, Kevin advises clients throughout Western and Northern Canada, and around the world. Kevin provides strategic advice...
Mark Oulton is senior litigation counsel practicing general commercial and administrative litigation with a focus on forestry related matters. For over 20 years, Mark has appeared regularly as counsel before the Forest Appeals Commission, all levels of the British Columbia Courts and the Supreme Court of Canada. He also has an active commercial arbitration and mediation practice, representing clients in all manner of disputes. Mark’s focus is on solving his clients’ problems, whet...
Andrea Akelaitis advises and represents clients on a broad range of environmental law, regulatory and commercial litigation matters in Vancouver, British Columbia. She is a partner at Farris LLP and was a founding partner of Letcher Akelaitis LLP. Andrea has appeared before all levels of court in British Columbia and is also called to the bar in Alberta. Her practice includes contaminated sites litigation, environmental compliance, permitting, environmental assessments, environmental prosecut...
Paul C. Wilson is Chair of the firm’s Energy, Environmental and Natural Resources group. His practice focuses on energy, infrastructure, transportation and natural resources projects, with an emphasis on environmental and Indigenous matters. Paul negotiates project contracts, concession agreements and deals with environmental assessments and permitting for major infrastructure, port infrastructure, energy and mining projects. Paul is also recognized for his experience related to project...
Michelle’s practice is focused on regulatory, administrative and public law litigation, with an emphasis on environmental, Indigenous, public utility, and health and safety matters. Michelle regularly assists clients in both judicial and tribunal proceedings. Michelle has experience in all levels of court in British Columbia, both levels of the Federal Court, various administrative tribunal, and arbitrations. Michelle also advise clients on provincial and federal regulatory regimes, ass...
Mary Wallace is a natural resources and infrastructure lawyer in Fasken’s Vancouver office. Mary works on a variety of commercial and regulatory matters, with a practice focused on infrastructure, mining, energy, transportation, and natural resources. Mary’s practice includes advising owners with respect to procurement processes and contracts for infrastructure and other construction projects, including marine transportation infrastructure and pipelines, as well as operational com...
Emma Hobbs is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Aboriginal Law / Indigenous Practice and Environmental Law. Emma practices law in Vancouver, British Columbia Best Lawyers has recognized Emma Hobbs since 2026. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Emma Hobbs is held by other lawyers.
As part of Miller Thomson’s Advocacy Group, Christie advises Indigenous communities and businesses on environmental, Indigenous, administrative, regulatory, and ESG issues. She has appeared before the Federal Court, the BC Court of Appeal, the BC Supreme Court, the BC Provincial Court, the Manitoba Court of King’s Bench, the Territorial Court of Yukon, and the Nunavut Court of Justice. Always involved in climate advocacy, Christie brings a compassionate, multifaceted approach to h...
Courtney brings practical experience and deep industry knowledge to her practice as an associate in Fasken’s Specialty Litigation Group. With a focus on environmental law, commercial arbitration and energy regulatory matters, Courtney takes pride in representing clients across Canada, advocating for their interests both in the courtroom and before various government, arbitral and administrative decision-makers. Courtney’s core focus is advising clients advancing projects through p...
Niall Rand is a senior associate in Fasken’s Vancouver office and a member of the firm’s Global Mining, Indigenous Legal Matters, and Global Energy and Climate groups. He advises clients in the energy, mining, natural resources and transportation sectors on complex regulatory matters, project approvals and Indigenous legal issues. Niall helps clients make decisions and move projects forward in fast‑evolving regulatory environments. He brings a strategic, practical approach that al...
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.