Ryan McNamara, Toronto

About Ryan

Ryan assists clients with a range of civil and commercial matters, with a specific focus on environmental law and electricity regulation. He has experience addressing potential liability for environmental or regulatory offences, resolving ‎property contamination disputes and obtaining environmental regulatory approvals for energy projects, industrial facilities and linear infrastructure projects.

Ryan's environmental practice extends to providing pragmatic advice to organizations and ‎individuals on how to effectively comply with a variety of environmental statutes and regulations. These include the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999, Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act, provincial environmental protection statutes and resource recovery legislation.

As part of his electricity regulatory practice, Ryan advises clients on Ontario Energy Board matters, including licensing and regulatory compliance, as well as generation and storage project permitting.

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Select Experience

Ryan has recent experience in the following areas:

Transactions and Brownfields Redevelopment

Conducting environmental due diligence for purchasers and vendors of industrial, commercial and residential properties
Advising clients on the expropriation of industrial and commercial properties
Advising leading representation and warranty insurance providers as to the sufficiency of environmental due diligence performed by policy applicants to address regulatory and litigation risks
Advising owners on the remediation of contaminated sites

Compliance and Approval Issues

Providing guidance to clients on their reporting obligations in relation to environmental releases, including discovery of historical contamination, contaminant migration from neighbouring properties, and discharges into the air, water and land
Assisting clients with applications for new or amended environmental compliance approvals, renewable energy approvals and Aggregate Resources Act approvals
Advising clients on compliance with Ontario's waste regulations, including Regulation 347, as well as with resource recovery legislation
Advising clients on how to effectively respond to regulatory investigations

Litigation

Representing cement, chemical, and pulp and paper manufacturers charged with offences under the Environmental Protection Act and Ontario Water Resources Act in connection with alleged contaminant discharges and non-compliance with environmental compliance approvals
Representing clients charged with violating municipal sewer and noise bylaws, as well as building and fire codes
Acting for plaintiffs and defendants in contaminated lands litigation
Representing plaintiffs in general commercial litigation involving breach of contract, unjust enrichment and breaches of fiduciary duty