Dionysios is the Regional Group Manager for Specialized Disputes in the Vancouver office of BLG, and practices primarily in the areas of transportation & shipping law, environmental law, and energy law. He is widely recognized as a leading advocate in these fields.
Dionysios has acted as counsel before the Federal Court and the Federal Court of Appeal, all levels of court in British Columbia and before a number of administrative tribunals.
After graduating from the Faculty of Law at the University of British Columbia, he served as a judicial law clerk to several justices of the British Columbia Supreme Court.
Dionysios frequently speaks and publishes on a wide variety of legal subjects. He has been interviewed by national media outlets such as Global News, and his work has appeared in general interest publications (including the Vancouver Sun and Business in Vancouver), trade publications, and legal publications (including the Irwin Law Canadian Maritime Law reference work, The Transportation Lawyer, The Lawyers Weekly, The Verdict, and various Continuing Legal Education Society of BC works).
Dionysios fournit des services juridiques par l’intermédiaire d’une société professionnelle.
Overview
- Counsel to shipping and transportation clients in dispute-related matters (vessel arrest and sale, cargo arrest, casualty incidents, spill response, regulatory investigations, insolvency proceedings, blockade injunctions and judicial reviews); transactional matters (the negotiation of charterparty agreements, contracts of affreightment, terminal services agreements, tug service agreements, confidential railway contracts, and trucking contracts); and regulatory matters (permits, licenses, authorizations).
- Counsel to major project proponents (including TransLink, Woodfibre LNG, Ridley Terminals, B.C. Hydro, Petronas, and Apache Corporation) on matters involving environmental assessments, regulatory approvals, and the allocation of environmental risks and liabilities in infrastructure projects.
- Counsel on a wide range of environmental law matters, including: the environmental assessment process (federal and provincial), civil cost-recovery proceedings, the contractual allocation of environmental risks and liabilities, pollution-related matters (air, water and soil), spills, and regulatory compliance and enforcement (including criminal prosecutions).
- Counsel to energy industry clients in proceedings before the National Energy Board (now the Canada Energy Regulator), the British Columbia Oil and Gas Commission, the British Columbia Oil and Gas Appeal Tribunal, the British Columbia Utilities Commission, and the British Columbia Surface Rights Board.
- Counsel to shipping and transportation clients in dispute-related matters (vessel arrest and sale, cargo arrest, casualty incidents, spill response, regulatory investigations, insolvency proceedings, blockade injunctions and judicial reviews); transactional matters (the negotiation of charterparty agreements, contracts of affreightment, terminal services agreements, tug service agreements, confidential railway contracts, and trucking contracts); and regulatory matters (permits, licenses, authorizations).
- Counsel to major project proponents (including TransLink, Woodfibre LNG, Ridley Terminals, B.C. Hydro, Petronas, and Apache Corporation) on matters involving environmental assessments, regulatory approvals, and the allocation of environmental risks and liabilities in infrastructure projects.
- Counsel on a wide range of environmental law matters, including: the environmental assessment process (federal and provincial), civil cost-recovery proceedings, the contractual allocation of environmental risks and liabilities, pollution-related matters (air, water and soil), spills, and regulatory compliance and enforcement (including criminal prosecutions).
- Counsel to energy industry clients in proceedings before the National Energy Board (now the Canada Energy Regulator), the British Columbia Oil and Gas Commission, the British Columbia Oil and Gas Appeal Tribunal, the British Columbia Utilities Commission, and the British Columbia Surface Rights Board.
Recent Matters
- Counsel to Zim Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. in over 100 ongoing Canadian Federal Court civil actions and all regulatory investigations arising out of the M/V Zim Kingston container loss and vessel fire casualty.
- Counsel to Richardson Terminals in British Columbia Environmental Appeal Board proceedings challenging the constitutionality of certain provincial environmental legislation and its application to a federally regulated grain elevator and marine terminal in the Port of Vancouver.
- Counsel to Kirby Corporation in ongoing Canadian Federal Court and British Columbia Supreme Court civil proceedings and British Columbia Provincial Court regulatory proceedings arising from the grounding of the M/T Nathan E. Stewart and subsequent bunker fuel spill.
- Counsel to Bel Excavating and Shoring Limited Partnership in British Columbia Provincial Court regulatory proceedings arising from the $200 million expansion of Fairview Terminals.
- Counsel to Parkland Fuels in the negotiation of a tug services agreement for its Burnaby Refinery, and other vessel charterparty issues.
- Counsel to Filld Inc. on all aspects of the commencement and operation of its mobile fuel delivery service in Canada.
- Counsel to Hanjin Shipping Co. Ltd. in all Canadian Federal Court and British Columbia Supreme Court proceedings arising out of its US$10.5 billion foreign insolvency.
- Counsel to the City of Vancouver in Federal Court proceedings arising out of the M/V Marathassa oil spill in Burrard Inlet.
- Counsel to the two largest container terminals in Port Metro Vancouver in Federal Court judicial review proceedings arising from the 2014 Joint Action Plan imposed to end a commercial trucking strike.
- Counsel to a member of the Jordanian royal family in Federal Court, Federal Court of Appeal, and British Columbia Supreme Court proceedings to enforce a US$28.8-million foreign judgment in a matter involving the arrest of a 144-foot tri-deck luxury yacht and subsequent insolvency of a local shipyard.
- Counsel to a shipowner in Federal Court proceedings seeking combined damages of C$33 million arising out of a collapsed stow of containerized uranium cargo during a voyage from Vancouver, Canada to Zhangjiang, China.
- Counsel to a shipowner in successful Federal Court trial and appeal proceedings holding that the Hague Visby Rules do not compulsorily apply to sea waybills under Canadian law, and enforcing a C$50,000 contractual limitation of liability, in a C$1.5-million action for damage to cargo, following a derailment.
- Counsel to Zim Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. in over 100 ongoing Canadian Federal Court civil actions and all regulatory investigations arising out of the M/V Zim Kingston container loss and vessel fire casualty.
- Counsel to Richardson Terminals in British Columbia Environmental Appeal Board proceedings challenging the constitutionality of certain provincial environmental legislation and its application to a federally regulated grain elevator and marine terminal in the Port of Vancouver.
- Counsel to Kirby Corporation in ongoing Canadian Federal Court and British Columbia Supreme Court civil proceedings and British Columbia Provincial Court regulatory proceedings arising from the grounding of the M/T Nathan E. Stewart and subsequent bunker fuel spill.
- Counsel to Bel Excavating and Shoring Limited Partnership in British Columbia Provincial Court regulatory proceedings arising from the $200 million expansion of Fairview Terminals.
- Counsel to Parkland Fuels in the negotiation of a tug services agreement for its Burnaby Refinery, and other vessel charterparty issues.
- Counsel to Filld Inc. on all aspects of the commencement and operation of its mobile fuel delivery service in Canada.
- Counsel to Hanjin Shipping Co. Ltd. in all Canadian Federal Court and British Columbia Supreme Court proceedings arising out of its US$10.5 billion foreign insolvency.
- Counsel to the City of Vancouver in Federal Court proceedings arising out of the M/V Marathassa oil spill in Burrard Inlet.
- Counsel to the two largest container terminals in Port Metro Vancouver in Federal Court judicial review proceedings arising from the 2014 Joint Action Plan imposed to end a commercial trucking strike.
- Counsel to a member of the Jordanian royal family in Federal Court, Federal Court of Appeal, and British Columbia Supreme Court proceedings to enforce a US$28.8-million foreign judgment in a matter involving the arrest of a 144-foot tri-deck luxury yacht and subsequent insolvency of a local shipyard.
- Counsel to a shipowner in Federal Court proceedings seeking combined damages of C$33 million arising out of a collapsed stow of containerized uranium cargo during a voyage from Vancouver, Canada to Zhangjiang, China.
- Counsel to a shipowner in successful Federal Court trial and appeal proceedings holding that the Hague Visby Rules do not compulsorily apply to sea waybills under Canadian law, and enforcing a C$50,000 contractual limitation of liability, in a C$1.5-million action for damage to cargo, following a derailment.
