Background

Bill McNaughton is a partner at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP in our Vancouver office, National Leader of the Firm's Environmental Focus Group, National Leader of the Firm's Environmental, Municipal, Expropriation and Regulatory Practice Group, and Regional Leader in Vancouver for Team North. Bill was admitted to the British Columbia Bar in 1985, the Alberta Bar in 1989 and the Yukon Bar in 2009. He is a graduate of the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor of Science in 1976 and a Bachelor of Laws in 1984.

Areas of Practice

Bill practises in the areas of environmental law and civil and commercial litigation.

Rankings and Recognitions

• Selected by peers for inclusion in the 2012 edition (and since 2006) of The Best Lawyers in Canada (Environmental Law)
• Recognized since 2006 in PLC Which lawyer? (Environment)
• Martindale-Hubbell BV Peer Review Rating
• Recognized in the 2011 (and since 2001) Canadian Legal Lexpert© Directory (Environmental Law)
• Recognized by Euromoney since 2000 in the Guide to the World's Leading Environment Lawyers
• Recognized in Who's Who Legal: Canada 2011 (Environment)

Professional Experience

• Practice focused on environmental (civil and commercial) litigation and criminal defence of environmental charges, as well as general and aboriginal litigation.
• Acts as counsel and advises on environmental matters including all types of contaminated site issues, land development impacts, forestry issues, pesticides, dioxins, pulp and lumber mill impacts, migrating pollution, deleterious deposits and permit appeals. Includes practice before the Environmental Appeal Board and all provincial and superior courts.
• Special expertise in injunction matters in dealing with environmental and aboriginal protests.

Professional and Community Activities

• Has written and spoken extensively on the subject of environmental law, including presentations and publications for the Canadian Bar Association, American Bar Association, Institute of Charted Accountants of British Columbia, Continuing Legal Education Society of British Columbia, Law Seminars International, The Canadian Institute, inSIGHT and The Lawyers Weekly and educational seminars for clients and business.
• Active in the Canadian Bar Association: Environmental Subsection executive since 1994 and Treasurer 1996 to 2002 and 2003 - 2008.
• Member of American Bar Association Environmental Litigation Subsection, Environmental Managers Association, and Air and Waste Management Association.
• Leadership Vancouver, Class of 1993, graduate.
• Director 2001 to 2006, Vice Chair 2002 and Chair 2003 to 2004 of the Board of Directors of Continuing Legal Education Society of B.C.
• Past Director 1998 to 2003 and President 2001 to 2003, Opera Breve.
• BC Soccer Association, active referee
  • Vancouver Area Soccer Referees Association
  • Member 2004 to date
  • Board of Directors: Secretary 2006 to date.