Areas of Practice

Clients involved in real estate transactions and development must deal with municipalities on a daily basis. Accordingly, they need legal counsel who understand the extent and limits of municipal authority. Developers, lenders, utility providers, and property owners and purchasers throughout the Lower Mainland retain the lawyers of Owen Bird to help them navigate complex municipal processes and achieve the outcomes they need.

Owen Bird’s municipal law department has acted successfully both for and against local governments on a wide range of issues, including land use, zoning, subdivision, building and development permits, expropriation, water rights, agri-tourism, business licenses, and First Nations issues. Our lawyers literally “wrote the book” on Municipal Law in British Columbia and have taught post-secondary courses on municipal law.

We have also assisted municipalities in forming private/public partnerships that have worked to benefit both private companies and municipal taxpayers. Our lawyers keep up to date on the latest developments in municipal law, including those involving the Community Charter, the Local Government Act, the Land Act, and the Land Title Act. Although we always seek the best way to settle potential disputes to advance our clients’ interests, we have successfully litigated several cases involving municipal issues.