Find Lawyers in Canada for Transportation Law
Practice Area Overview
Goods and passengers are carried by various modes of transport that may be regulated by international treaty, federal, provincial, and/or municipal law. The provision of regulatory compliance and due diligence advice to providers and users of carriage services often raises nuanced issues, such as which regulatory body might have legislative jurisdiction over a particular carriage undertaking, or in the case of a dispute arising from the loss, damage or delay to cargo in domestic or international transit what law governs and the appropriate forum for the adjudication of the dispute.
The Transportation Law field involves various industry sectors of specialization: trucking, bus lines, aviation, maritime, railway, and pipelines. The range of specialized sector advice has in fact grown with the increase in regional and global trade, and with it, the desire for the more efficient transit of goods and passengers. In the carriage of goods we have seen the evolution of intermediaries engaged in facilitating the delivery of cargo such as freight forwarders, load brokers, freight consolidators, “3PLs” / “distribution network” service providers, warehousemen, and customs brokers who offer transit related services beyond the conventional clearance of goods.
In addition to having acumen in the substantive law associated with the above areas, Transportation Lawyers offer services tailored to different stages of the supply and distribution chain and carriage of passengers. Transportation Lawyers provide advice in the formation, sale, and acquisition of companies, having specific regard to the transportation and corporate regulatory framework in which they operate. Contracts of carriage are drafted and vetted with the competing interests in mind from the point of view of shippers of goods, passengers, intermediaries and carriers. As alluded to above, those involved in cargo claims require representation in arbitration or court proceedings, and supply chain participants are often called on to defend court actions arising from transportation accidents. Cargo claims and casualty driven litigation is conducted both in the courts of the various provinces as well as in certain cases in the Federal Court of Canada.
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Province
Louis Amato-Gauci is a recognized leader in the field of transportation law, providing strategic advice to air-, road- and rail-carriers, warehouse operators, freight forwarders and 3PLs in connection with commercial matters, licensing, safety, and regulatory compliance, freight claims for cargo loss, damage or delay, and the establishment and safe operation of public transit entities. He is frequently consulted in connection with the international sale of goods and Customs matters, including...
Rory has a diverse range of litigation experience. He has appeared before the Supreme Court of Canada, and various levels of court in Ontario, and Newfoundland and Labrador. He handles insurance coverage, defence and subrogation matters, construction deficiencies and professional liability claims, and his transportation practice has involved multimodal cargo transport, environmental claims, collisions, derailments, and groundings. His general litigation experience includes class actions, frau...
Shelley Chapelski is the leader of a team of experienced shipping lawyers within the transport team in Canada. Her practice encompasses both transactional and litigation aspects of maritime law, including maritime contracts, torts, liability claims, creditor's remedies and marine insurance matters. She has been recognized by her clients and colleagues as one of the leading maritime lawyers in Canada. Shelley drafts and advises on a wide array charter parties, contracts of carriage, moorage co...
Richard is an Associate Counsel. He practices in the area of civil litigation with an emphasis on corporate/commercial litigation and arbitration, environmental litigation and estate and trust matters. Richard has over 25 years’ experience as counsel before all levels of Canadian courts, including the Supreme and Federal Courts of Canada, provincial, superior and appellate courts and various administrative tribunals, such as the Canadian Transportation Agency and the Environmental Appea...
A unique combination of business and regulatory expertise allows Doug Evanchuk to pull together both sides of a project. He is able to give practical business law advice along with assistance navigating complex regulatory matters. Known for his skill and versatility, he is a trusted advisor to clients that include private and public corporations and businesses, as well as public institutions and agencies, and local and regional governments. His business law experience includes mergers and acq...
Mr. Fernandes practices transportation law (aviation, marine, trucking, rail, freight forwarding, logistics and warehousing). He also conducts mediations and arbitrations, holding certificates from the University of Windsor for its ADR Workshop and for its Advanced ADR Workshop and from Pepperdine University. Mr. Fernandes has appeared before the courts of Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, Nova Scotia, the Federal Court of Canada, the Federal Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada....
Michael practises as general counsel and regularly appears in court on behalf of clients in corporate, commercial, and related litigation matters; personal injury, motor vehicle and other transportation (road and rail) accidents and insurance claims; bankruptcy and insolvency (personal and commercial), debt collections, realization of personal and real property. Michael frequently appears before the Provincial Court, Supreme Court of British Columbia, BC Court of Appeal, Federal Court of Cana...
Jean Grégoire serves clients involved in the marine sector. He is frequently retained by shipowners, operators, charterers, port authorities, terminal operators, stevedores and P&I Clubs. He regularly advises shippers and consignees in the mining and oil and gas industries on marine-related matters. He advises and represents his clients not only in marine and admiralty matters but also in other fields including penal law, environmental law, administrative and regulatory law and com...
Darin Hannaford is an experienced litigator working with a wide range of industries in Western Canada. For more than two decades, Darin has provided practical legal advice to clients in a variety of contractual, construction, transportation, environmental, and regulatory matters. Darin has represented contractors across Canada in large construction claims and general contractual disputes. He has also acted for a number of corporate entities on commercial litigation and administrative law matt...
Gordon represents international and domestic interests involved in the transportation and related insurance industries in litigation, regulatory and contractual matters. Gordon advises and represents shippers, carriers, intermediaries (freight forwarders, freight brokers and customs brokers) and their insurers on matters pertaining to risk assessment and management, regulatory compliance and commercial and casualty disputes arising from the international, cross-border and domestic carriage of...
L. Michel Huart joined the firm in 2006 following a lengthy career in the railway industry, where he held the position of General Counsel for Canadian National. He was Solicitor for the Canada Labour Relations Board and for the Canadian Transport Commission before joining VIA Rail following its creation in 1978. At VIA, he was Solicitor and Deputy General Secretary until 1984, when he became VIA’s General Superintendent, Transportation, for Quebec. He later held the position of Director...
Environmental law is dynamic and as an experienced environmental and regulatory lawyer, Ron Kruhlak enjoys the challenges of handling new environmental projects with novel issues. His focus is on resource development applications and commercial disputes. He has a knowledge base that covers a broad range of environmental matters, including energy, regulatory, and construction-related projects and conflicts. On the resource side, Ron assists with current and emerging issues in sectors including...
Stéphane Lamarre Stéphane Lamarre practices primarily in transportation law, both with administrative organizations and civil and criminal courts. He counsels a range of clients in freight and passenger road transport. Mr. Lamarre also gives training sessions to various sector-based associations in the road transport industry. He is a regular guest speaker and has published articles in a number of trade publications. Mr. Lamarre has been a lecturer at Université du Qu&eac...
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.
Bill McFetridge has over 40 years of experience providing professional strategic counsel and advice to clients in a range of industries, including transportation, marine, real estate, construction, maritime, wholesale distribution and forestry. Mr. McFetridge is particularly knowledgeable on the process of buying and selling businesses. For 10 years, he chaired “Legal Strategies for Business Acquisitions" designed for senior practitioners in British Columbia. He is also very experienced...
John G. O’Connor has extensive experience in maritime and commercial law. He has handled all types of marine insurance claims including P&I liability, environmental liability and general average, as well as ship financing, maritime accidents and salvage matters. He has been especially active in the energy sector and involved in the international carriage and sale of oil, gas and other bulk commodities. He also has extensive experience in marine, errors and omissions and protection a...
A lawyer in Ontario since 1977, with an added call qualification in Saskatchewan in 2021, Kenneth (Ken) Peel has been active nationally across Canada since 1983 in the railway & transportation sector as counsel, advisor and advocate. Formerly having served as General Counsel (Ontario) for CN, a North American Class 1 railway company, he rejoined private practice in January, 1998, & since 2009 has conducted his own practice (KRPLaw.ca). Ken’s advocacy & counsel has continued ...
Jaclyne is a corporate, commercial and regulatory lawyer who works with a wide range of clients in the transportation and logistics industry, as well as those in the product regulatory, marketing and advertising space. This includes road, rail and ocean carriers, passenger vessel operators, load brokers, logistics providers, warehouse operators and other freight intermediaries. She also assists manufacturers, importers, exporters, shippers, distributors and growers. Jaclyne regularly provides...
Steven Rosenhek is one of Canada's leading litigation lawyers. A senior partner in the Litigation and Class Action Groups, he has extensive experience in complex commercial cases, major national and international class actions, commercial arbitrations, product liability, life sciences, and antitrust matters. Steven is widely recognized for his skills as a senior trial and appellate lawyer before all levels of Court in Canada, and a wide range of administrative and regulatory bodies. He is Cha...
Michael Silva joined Whitelaw Twining in June 2003 and became a Partner at the Firm in 2009. He practices in the area of general litigation, with a focus on transportation matters. Mike is one of two partners in charge of our Firm’s Marine & Transportation, Road Maintenance and Subrogation practice groups. Michael has appeared on behalf of clients in British Columbia Provincial and Supreme Courts, the British Columbia Court of Appeal, in Federal Court, and in a variety of administra...
John Singleton is a principal legal figure in the country’s construction industry, having played key roles in major developments across Western Canada. He founded the firm in Vancouver, in 1982, with a vision of creating a practice that would stand out for its expertise in construction and infrastructure law. Today, Singleton Urquhart Reynolds Vogel LLP serves clients across the country and is recognized internationally for its knowledge and insight. John has acted as Counsel in precede...
Kim has been a partner since 2007. Kim’s practice includes a specialty in transportation law focusing primarily in marine and trucking including freight forwarding and logistics, cargo issues, casualty cases, transportation-related personal injury matters and loss transfer litigation. Kim is a Past President of the Canadian Transport Lawyers Association (2012). She is presently the Vice President (Central Region) for the Women's International Shipping & Trade Association. Kim is lis...
Kim Wigmore's practice involves a broad range of insurance litigation with a focus on casualty, professional liability, and transportation-related insurance issues. He appears frequently in the Supreme Court of British Columbia, the Federal Court of Canada, and the British Columbia Court of Appeal. Kim also has extensive experience in mediations. Kim's particular areas of experience include: acting for defendants in all types of transportation-related accidents. including bodily injury and wr...
Paul C. Wilson is Chair of the firm’s Energy group. His practice focuses on energy, infrastructure, and natural resources, with an emphasis on environmental and Aboriginal matters. Paul drafts and negotiates project contracts, concession agreements, and environmental assessments. He also assists with project development and financing. Paul is recognized for exceptional expertise in facilitating joint ventures, exploration, and accommodation agreements. Having contributed to the successf...
Ms. Sarah Routhier practises mainly in the field of transport law. She joined the firm as a lawyer after completing her articling in 2016. Her practice focuses on regulatory, penal and commercial litigation, as well as on the contractual, administrative, commercial and regulatory aspects of freight and passengers transportations in Canada.In particular, she specializes in the field of regulatory compliance issues related to ownership and operation of heavy-weight vehicles. She is also involve...
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