Energy: Oil & Gas

Operating out of Calgary, Shawn Denstedt KC is vice-chair of the firm's Western Canada practice. He is an accomplished environmental lawyer who is well versed in regulatory issues arising in the energy and natural resources industries, and regularly advises on permitting issues.

Premier PPP and infrastructure practitioner Chris Bennett offers a wealth of experience out of the firm's Toronto office, representing an enviable client list consisting of lenders, proponents and sponsors active across an array of industry sectors.

"Chris is one of my favourite lawyers. He's commercial, smart, and he knows how to manage the process."

"Chris has excellent attention to detail and a good balance between the business and the legal. He's always great to work with."

"His strength is being able to cut to the chase very quickly. He deals with noise without bringing noise into a deal."

Premier oil and gas lawyer Janice Buckingham acts on an impressive range of domestic and international M&A and project financing matters, providing further counsel on commercial mandates. She chairs the firm's oil and gas practice from its Calgary office.

"Janice is just top drawer. She responsive, smart and knows us very well - you don’t have to have a conversation with her, she just gets into it. I’ve got all the trust in the world in her."

"I guess the most important thing is that Janice is always there for us. She marshals all the resources and expertise for us, she's a great leader."

Based in Toronto, Rocco Sebastiano is an expert in transactional matters across the power sector, with particular strength in nuclear energy projects. He has broad and deep experience across project financing and development matters.

"Rocco is one of the most top-notch lawyers in the entire country, he's a 'bet the firm' kind of lawyer. His level of expertise in the energy sector has few parallels."

Craig Spurn acts out of the firm's Calgary office and has wide-ranging expertise in oil and gas M&A and commercial matters arising from the energy sector. He is noted for his skill in representing natural gas and oil clients in procurement and joint ventures.

"I would say his strengths are his leadership, expertise in energy and commercial law generally and responsiveness."

"He is able to take complex problems and distil them into issues that we are able to focus on. He is also well liked; he knows how to stand his ground without being confrontational."

Toronto-based Jacob Sadikman's practice includes financing and project development in the electricity industry, with further recognition for his work on renewable energy. He acts on behalf of clients including investors and utilities companies.

"Jacob is fantastic. He is great at explaining complex things and is a very good communicator as well."

"Jake has been a great resource for our commercial and legal team."

Toronto-based Jennifer Fairfax is active on environmental assessments as well as remediation and contamination matters. She acts on behalf of a range of national and international clients including Honeywell and Imperial Oil.

"I think the world of Jennifer; she is the ultimate trusted adviser and she always finds time for me."

"Jennifer understands the regulatory space in which we operate and seems to assess the risks and legal framework quickly and accurately."

"Jennifer has been excellent, she is always available and strikes me as someone very good at client management."

Richard King offers expertise in energy regulation and advises clients on environmental and Aboriginal law issues relating to project development, regularly appearing before the Ontario Energy Board. He is based in Toronto.

"Richard is a very strategic lawyer."

"He has great skill in this area."

Calgary-based Sander Duncanson is noted for his robust oil and gas regulation practice, representing oil and gas clients before national and provincial regulators in facilities applications and environmental assessments.

"He has a broad understanding of many areas of the law and provides practical advice. He is excellent all around."

Simon Baines is esteemed for the breadth of his experience across transactional mandates in the oil and gas sector, as well as advising on the commercial aspects of projects and facilities development. He is based out of the firm's Calgary office.

"Simon is excellent. In terms of legal drafting, you’re going to have a very hard time finding anyone better than him. His ability to adapt to different commercial environments, and his depth in being able to pull in what he understands from other clients, has been excellent."

Toronto-based Tobor Emakpor represents a roster of public and private bodies active on PPP and AFP projects across North America, the UK and West Africa, offering particular experience across the healthcare, education and transportation sectors.

"Tobor is calm and collected. His demeanour allows for a smooth conversation and his way of dealing with disputes is especially helpful."

Calgary-based Vivek Warrier is a widely respected oil and gas lawyer sought after for his handling of project development and M&A within the petroleum and natural gas industry, including on LNG matters.

"He's always very responsive, with concise and relevant information provided."

"He has a depth of knowledge, understanding and expertise in our industry."

Based in Toronto, Danna Donald is proficient in the handling of both lender and borrower mandates, holding particular expertise in the renewable energy space.

Deirdre Sheehan's regulatory expertise spans both the power and renewable sectors, frequently representing her clients before the Alberta Utilities Commission.

"Deirdre never ceases to impress me. She knows all the minutiae of the dozens of documents that she works with, and quickly sees when issues are conflated."

Toronto-based partner Elliot Smith leverages his background as a professional engineer in his legal practice, advising clients including power producers and project developers engaged in the development, financing and construction of projects. He is particularly active in the renewable energy space.

"Elliot has a very pragmatic approach when trying to resolve issues and tends to be an extension of team rather than a legal consultant."

Maureen Killoran KC is a highly regarded litigator who currently acts as Osler's national co-chair. Practising out of the firm's Calgary and Vancouver offices, she is especially skilled at representing clients from the energy sector as well as governmental entities on cases relating to Indigenous land title infringements.