Practice Expertise

  • Energy
  • Oil & Gas
  • Public Utility and Regulatory
  • Utilities

Areas of Practice

  • Energy
  • Oil & Gas
  • Public Utility and Regulatory
  • Utilities

WSG Practice Industries

Profile

Ian advises and represents public utilities, power marketers, and oil and gas companies on regulatory requirements and proceedings, commercial transactions and energy trade matters.

In the area of regulatory requirements and proceedings, Ian acts for the largest electric utility in British Columbia in connection with all aspects of the regulation of its rates, services, system planning, and project development. He advises on the rules of access to transportation services for electricity, oil and natural gas. He has also represented clients seeking exemption from economic regulation under the Utilities Commission Act.

Ian maintains in-depth knowledge of the ever-evolving government policies and statutory regimes relating to the energy industry. In this regard, he assists clients with implementing government-mandated energy conservation and climate change initiatives, and clean power technologies. He regularly advises clients on the requirements of B.C.'s Utilities Commission Act, Clean Energy Act, BC Hydro Public Power Legacy and Heritage Contract Act, Petroleum and Natural Gas Act, Pipeline Act, Oil and Gas Activities Act and Water Act. He also has in-depth knowledge of B.C. public utility tariffs and the FERC open access transmission tariff.

He advises on commercial transactions involving the purchase and sale of energy, with an emphasis on structuring transactions to meet or minimize regulatory requirements. He has also advised clients regarding the acquisition of energy assets in B.C. Clients include electricity and natural gas market participants.

Ian also handles authorizations to trade energy between Canada and the U.S. on behalf of these clients, as well as authorizations to trade in B.C. and Alberta.

Recognition and Ranking
* Best Lawyers in Canada: recognized for energy regulatory law
* Chambers Global: recognized in the Energy: Power (Regulatory) (Canada) category
* Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory: repeatedly recommended as a Leading Practitioner for energy (electricity)

Bar Admissions
British Columbia (2000)

Education
Queen's University (B.Sc., 1992)
University of Victoria (LL.B., 1999)

Areas of Practice

  • Energy
  • Oil & Gas
  • Public Utility and Regulatory
  • Utilities

Professional Career

Significant Accomplishments
Ian has:

* Represented a large electric utility in applications before the B.C. Utilities Commission (BCUC) for approval to increase rates and of long-term resource plans
* Represented a large electric utility in proceedings before the BCUC related to potential arbitrage of the utility's low cost power by customers with their own generation capability
* Assisted an electric utility and a power marketing company in developing codes of conduct
* Represented a natural gas storage service provider in an application to the BCUC for exemption from economic regulation
* Represented an oil products shipper in proceedings before the BCUC related to a pipeline company proposal to double pipeline tolls based on diminished economic life considerations
* Assisted a B.C. power marketing company in making changes in status filings with the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission


Professional Associations
Professional Activities
* Law Society of British Columbia, Member
* Canadian Institute of Energy (B.C.), Director
* In-house Continuing Legal Education, seminar on public utility regulation, regular Instructor




Blogs

Environmental, Indigenous and Natural Resources Blog

Lawson Lundell's Environmental, Indigenous and Natural Resources Blog focuses on environmental, indigenous and natural resources law, as well as related litigation. Included are summaries of significant cases from Canadian appellate courts, changes in the legal framework governing resource development including energy and climate change policy, and key decisions from the more influential regulatory bodies in Canada.

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