Lawrence, Bruce A.
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP
(403) 232-9597
blawrence@blg.com
Mr. Lawrence's practice
focuses on the oil & gas sec-
tor, both on and offshore. His
experience includes seismic
acquisition through explora-
tion and on to development,
production and transporta-
tion, JVs and operating
agreements, M&A and
take-over bids.
Lenz, QC, Kenneth T.
Bennett Jones LLP
(403) 298-3317
lenzk@bennettjones.com
Mr. Lenz assists clients in
managing issues related to
corporate insolvency. He also
has significant experience in
special situations involving
corporate and shareholder
disputes, class proceedings
and claims against directors
and officers.
Lewis, Gregory D.
Bull, Housser & Tupper LLP
(604) 641-4923
gdl@bht.com
Mr. Lewis, who Chairs the
firm's Business Department,
focuses on commercial
transactions and financings
in energy, infrastructure and
other sectors. His experience
includes hydro, co-genera-
tion and LNG projects and
public-private partnerships.
Lefebvre, David R.J.
Gowling Lafleur
Henderson LLP
(403) 298-1978
david.lefebvre@gowlings.com
Mr. Lefebvre's practice fo-
cuses on Canadian and cross-
border M&A, private-equity
transactions, capital markets,
large project and corporate
governance matters. He sits
on the Securities Advisory
Committee of the Alberta
Securities Commission.
Levin, Jon
Fasken Martineau
DuMoulin LLP
(416) 865-4401
jlevin@fasken.com
Mr. Levin, one of
Canada's leading busi-
ness lawyers, is highly
rated by Chambers, Inter-
national Financial Law
Review,Euromoney, Who's
Who Legal, Lexpert®
and Best Lawyers, and is
named as one of Canada's top
30 dealmakers and leading
500 lawyers.
Lieff, Norman B.
Norton Rose Fulbright
Canada LLP
(613) 780-8661
norman.lieff@nortonroseful-
bright.com
Mr. Lieff 's corporate, com-
mercial and real estate practice
embraces infrastructure,
financing, advice to financial
institutions, securitization,
acquisition and sales, liens,
mortgages, franchising
and personal property
security matters.
ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATION
|
29
"While the attempt at an omnibus ap-
proval was appreciated by developers, the
appeal rights on such an approval are so
broad, and the applicable tribunal so will-
ing to hear and re-hear arguments about
the environment and human health, the
end result has been disappointing. Oppo-
nents have been forced to fit their objec-
tions to a project within the environmental
framework, and developers have been faced
with no choice but to pay for expensive ex-
perts to explain how their projects will not
cause serious impacts to human health or
the environment."
In another trend, Atcheson says "it ap-
pears that First Nations and environmen-
tal law has never been more closely inter-
twined." e process to obtain an approval
under environmental laws, he says, "gener-
ally includes assuming the obligations of the
I think, by the United Nations Climate
Change Conference in Paris later this year."
In assessing the impact of environmental
law on energy, Aaron Atcheson, Co-Chair
of Miller omson LLP's Projects Group,
which focuses on energy and infrastructure
projects across Canada, highlights a pair of
developments in the sector that can result,
he says, in a significant increase in time and
money necessary for energy projects to
meet environmental law burdens.
Both of these developments focus on
"process," he says, with the first involving a
"flip" from decades past. "Years ago, those
having environmental concerns about a
project would have to fit their objections
within a framework intended to address
issues like the health of fisheries or naviga-
tion of waterways. Now that there's mature
environmental legislation across the coun-
try, the problem seems that, in many cir-
cumstances, only environmental concerns
are addressed under permitting and other
approval/assessment processes."
For example, Atcheson, who is in Miller
omson's London, Ontario, office, says
under the changes to various legislation
enacted under Ontario's Green Energy Act,
once an environmental permit is secured a
municipality no longer has the right to re-
strict the use of a property for the project
through zoning by-law restrictions.
