Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2015 
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 prosecutions, regulatory proceedings and alternative dispute resolution. She has represented clients in complex multi-party contaminated site matters and environmental disputes across Western Canada.
Her experience includes acting as advisor and counsel in significant contaminated sites matters in British Columbia and Alberta. Andrea appeared before the Environmental Appeal Board for the successful party in Seaspan ULC v. Director, Environmental Management Act and Domtar Inc. et al. She also acted for Domtar Inc. in the Alberta Environmental Appeals Board matter Cherokee Canada Inc. et al v. Director, Red Deer North Saskatchewan Region, Alberta Environment and Parks, which involved brownfield redevelopment, human health risk assessment and contaminated sites issues.
Andrea advises clients on air quality, odour management, recycling and waste management matters, including composting and related regulatory issues. She acted as co-counsel in West Coast Reduction Ltd. v. District Director of the Greater Vancouver Regional District before the British Columbia Environmental Appeal Board, a significant Canadian decision involving air quality and odour management.
Her environmental law practice also includes advising corporations, Indigenous groups and other organizations on environmental assessment processes, contaminated sites and related litigation matters. Andrea has acted for the Nisga’a Nation in litigation involving Aboriginal law and environmental law issues, including project environmental assessments and First Nations contaminated sites matters. She has also worked on foreign tort matters involving environmental claims.
In addition to her environmental law practice, Andrea has substantial experience in commercial litigation matters, including cases involving economic force majeure, directors’ and officers’ liability, product liability and aviation disputes.
Andrea frequently contributes to legal education programs and industry conferences on environmental and regulatory issues. She has co-chaired the Pacific Business & Law Institute course on contaminated sites and has presented papers and seminars on provincial environmental law, groundwater regulation, contaminated sites risk allocation and expert evidence. She is a past appointee to the Board of Directors of the Contaminated Sites Approved Professional Society (CSAP) by the British Columbia Ministry of Environment and Parks, where she served two terms.
