Graham Walker  

Graham Walker is the Regional Leader of both our Maritime Group and our Insurance and Tort Law Group in Vancouver. Graham practises transportation law (with a focus on Maritime law, rail and trucking), environmental law, insurance and tort law, and general commercial litigation.

• Counsel on myriad marine and transportation matters, including marine pollution, casualties, commercial disputes, cargo claims, bills of lading and contracts of affreightment disputes, collision, allision/grounding claims, derailments, ship arrest and sale, cargo arrest, Mareva injunctions, dangerous goods, immigration, coasting permits and cabotage, purchase/sale of vessels, financings, terminal services agreements, warehouse leases, charterparties.
• Lead counsel in the CN v. ABC Recycling case (April 2005; Court of Appeal, October 2006), the first decision in BC to consider what are reasonably incurred costs of remediation under BC's Environmental Management Act.
• Counsel on many insurance claims, environmental prosecutions and civil disputes involving environmental issues, including land development impacts, migrating pollution, fisheries issues, transport of dangerous goods, agricultural issues, heritage issues, Aboriginal issues, mining issues, forestry issues and administrative matters.
• Vast experience drafting and negotiating terminal service agreements (for both terminals and shippers).
• Broad experience drafting and negotiating environmental management and remediation cost agreements and access agreements.
• Insurance and Tort practice focuses on issues of particular import to the transportation, environmental, and construction industries, and includes advice on coverage issues, product liability and warranty issues.
• General practice has included appearances before municipal councils, administrative tribunals, and provincial, superior, appellate and federal courts and educational seminars for the bar, clients and businesses.
• Also active in mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution.

• Author, various articles, Western Mariner.
• Author, "Bankruptcy Proceedings May Trump Maritime Liens," Western Mariner, March 2012 (with David Claassen).
• Contributing Author, "Products Liability," Business Disputes Textbook, The Continuing Legal Education Society of British Columbia (CLE BC).
• Contributing Author, "Transportation of Dangerous Goods," Due Diligence Deskbook, CLE BC.
• Contributing Author, "Maritime Law," Annual Review of Law and Practice, CLE BC, 2011 and 2012.
• Speaker, "International Carriage of Goods - A Canadian Perspective," International Bar Association Conference, October 2010.
• Speaker, "Environmental Case Law Update," BLG Client Environmental Law Seminar, June 2009.
• Speaker, "Cami v. Westwood et al 2009 FC 664," Grunt Club Seminar, December 2009.
• Author, "Recent Decisions in Canadian Maritime Law," Lexpert®, May 2008.
• Speaker, "Environmental Case Law Update / What Are Reasonable Costs of Remediation?," CLE BC Environmental Law Conference, October 2007.
• Speaker, "Contaminated Sites Legal Update - Recovery and Allocation of Remediation Costs," Pacific Business & Law Institute Seminar, May 2007.
• Author, "Canada's Right to Detain Foreign Vessels," The Lawyers Weekly, October 2006.

• Recognized in the 2012 edition of The Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory (Shipping & Maritime Law).