
Language(s) spoken: English
Bar Admission(s): Newfoundland and Labrador, 1983
Legal Assistant(s): Susan Greening
Providing legal services through a professional corporation.
Colm practices in the areas of commercial, natural resources, environmental and products liability litigation. In the natural resources space, his experience has been principally in the areas of mining, oil and gas (offshore and onshore) and hydroelectric development. His mining and hydro law experience includes transactional matters and knowledge of all facets of provincial mining legislation. Colm has also advised on and tried cases involving aboriginal rights claims.
Colm has litigated at all levels of Court in the province, and in the Supreme Court of Canada. He has also appeared before a broad range of tribunals, including the Oil & Gas Committee constituted under the Atlantic Accord legislation, the provincial Mineral Rights Adjudication Board, the provincial Public Utilities Board, and private arbitration panels.
Selected representative engagements include:
Mining:
Environmental:
Oil & Gas:
Aboriginal Title and Rights:
Products Liability:
NAFTA:
Memorial University of Newfoundland, BA, 1979
Osgoode Hall Law School, LLB, 1982
Neuchatel Junior College, 1976
Member, Stewart McKelvey Partnership Board, 2008 – 2011
Member, Canadian Bar Association
Past president, Tennis Newfoundland and Labrador
Board member, Lady Cove Women’s Choir
Board member, Riverdale Tennis Club
Board member, Canadian Advisory Council, Neuchatel Junior College
Member, Enviornmental Law Forum (group of leading Canadian environmental lawyers in private practice)
Best Lawyers 2015, 2024 Natural Resources Law “Lawyer of the Year” in St. John’s
Best Lawyers 2021, 2023 Energy Regulatory Law “Lawyer of the Year” in St. John’s
Chambers and Partners Canada 2022-2025 Litigation: General Commercial – Atlantic Canada, Band 2 lawyer
Best Lawyers 2021 Energy Regulatory Law “Lawyer of the Year” in St. John’s
Chambers and Partners, Litigation: General Commercial – Atlantic Canada, Band 2 lawyer
King’s Counsel, 2017
Best Lawyers 2018 Corporate and Commercial Litigation “Lawyer of the Year” in St. John’s
Best Lawyers: Corporate and Commercial Litigation, 2011 – 2025
Best Lawyers: Energy Regulatory Law, 2012 – 2025
Best Lawyers: Environmental Law, 2006, 2008 – 2025
Best Lawyers: Natural Resources Law, 2011 – 2025
Best Lawyers: Mining Law, 2014 – 2025
Who’s Who Legal: Canada 2012, 2014 – 2016 – 2021, 2023, 2024 (Mining)
Benchmark Canada, local litigation star (Aboriginal Law, Commercial Litigation, Energy Litigation, Environmental Law, Product Liability), 2012 – 2013
Benchmark Canada, local litigation star (Aboriginal, Energy and Natural Resources, Environmental, General Commercial, Product Liability), 2015
Benchmark Canada, local litigation star (Aboriginal, Environmental, General Commercial), 2018 – 2022
Lexpert rating: Aboriginal Law, 2019 – 2024
Lexpert rating: Energy (Electricity), 2010 – 2022
Lexpert rating: Litigation – Corporate Commercial, 2016 – 2021
Lexpert rating: Mining, 2010 – 2024
Lexpert rating: Environmental, 2024
Lexpert rating: Product Liability, 2012 – 2018