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About Jonathan

Jonathan is Chair of the Blakes national Environmental group and widely regarded as one of Canada's leading environmental lawyers. For more than 30 years, he has provided representation and advice on a broad range of environmental and natural resources law issues.

He routinely represents clients on environmental disputes; the purchase, sale, and remediation of contaminated land; mining regulation and permitting; ESG and sustainability issues; management of natural resources; the transportation, handling and disposal of hazardous substances; environmental permitting; municipal and planning law; air, water and waste regulation; lender liability; and other environmental matters.

Jonathan's wide-ranging expertise also includes representing accused corporations in some of Canada's most significant environmental prosecutions, acting for proponents in major mining, renewable energy and infrastructure projects, and providing environmental law advice on some of Canada's biggest deals. Jonathan's clients span a wide spectrum of industries, including chemical, mining, construction, oil and gas, transportation, general manufacturing, automotive, food and beverage and agribusiness.

Awards & Recognition

Jonathan is recognized as a leading Canadian environmental lawyer in industry publications including:

  • Lexpert's Leading 500 Cross-Border Lawyers: A Guide to Doing Business in Canada 2022 

  • Chambers Canada Legal Guide 2022 (Band 1)

  • The Legal 500 Canada 2022

  • The Best Lawyers in Canada – 2006–2022

  • Lexology Index: Environment 2021

  • Lexology Index: Canada 2021 (Climate Change and Environment)

  • Chambers Global Legal Index 2021 (Band 1)

  • Lexpert's Leading 500 Cross-Border Lawyers: A Guide to Doing Business in Canada 2021 

  • Lexpert Special Edition on Energy 2021

  • Lexpert Special Edition Mining 2021

  • The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory 2021 (Most Frequently Recommended)

  • Lexology Index Thought Leaders: Global Elite – 2018–2020

  • Lexology Index: Environment (one of 15 "Most Highly Regarded Individuals" globally in multiple editions)

  • Who's Who Legal Awards 2018 (Global Environmental Lawyer of the Year)

  • Euromoney LMG's Guide to the World's Leading Environment Lawyers 2018

Professional Activities

Jonathan is chair of the American Bar Association's Section of Environment, Energy and Resources Law, the first non-American to serve on that organization's Executive Committee. He became a member of that section's Governing Council in 2012 after serving as chair of several substantive committees. In 2011, he was the first non-American to chair the ABA's Annual Conference on Environmental Law.

Jonathan served as chair of the National Environment, Energy and Resources Law Section of the Canadian Bar Association in 2012–2013. He is also a former chair of the Environmental Law Section of the Ontario Bar Association.

Publications
Education

Admitted to the Ontario Bar – 1988
LLB, University of Toronto – 1986
BA, Tufts University – 1982

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