Emma Blanchard

Partner

Ottawa
[email protected]
613.369.4755
Emma's practice focuses on municipal and land-use planning issues and related litigation. She regularly acts for municipalities, as well as land owners, to resolve significant issues relating to infrastructure projects and real estate acquisition, expropriation, land use planning and development approvals.
Emma appears regularly before municipal councils, Committees of Adjustment and the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT, formerly the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal). She is actively involved in using mediation and negotiation to resolve disputes between parties.

Experience

  • Representing municipalities and landowners before OLT in land-use planning disputes.
  • Conducting expropriations on behalf of municipalities.
  • Advising municipalities with respect to the development and adoption of rate structures for water, wastewater and stormwater services and development charges.
  • Drafting development agreements, including cost sharing agreements, subdivision agreements and site plan agreements.
  • Negotiating complex agreements with crown corporations, federal ministries and other major public institutions.

Beyond Our Walls

Professional Involvement

  • Member, Canadian Bar Association and the Law Society of Upper Canada
  • Member, County of Carleton Law Association (CCLA)
  • Member, Greater Ottawa Home Builders Association (Builder Developer Committee)
  • Member, Women in Land Development
  • Member, Ontario Expropriation Association

Awards & Recognitions

  • Recognized in the 2025 edition (and since 2022) of The Best Lawyers in Canada (Expropriation Law and Municipal Law), and in the 2022 edition (Real Estate Law).
  • Recognized in the 2024 edition (and since 2017) of The Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory (Energy (Oil & Gas), Infrastructure Law, Property Development).
  • Recognized in the 2024 (and since 2017) edition of Lexpert®/ROB Special Edition on Canada’s Leading Infrastructure Lawyers.
  • Recognized in the 2023 edition of Lexpert® Special Edition: Energy.
  • Recognized as a 2020 Lexpert® Rising Star.

Bar Admission & Education

  • Ontario, 2007
  • LLB, McGill University, 2006
  • BCL, McGill University, 2006
  • BA, Queen's University, 2002