Brent Meckling is a partner in the firm's Litigation Practice Group and a past member of Davis' National Executive Committee. Mr. Meckling acts as counsel and advisor in commercial litigation matters with an emphasis on environmental, property, forestry and construction disputes and regulatory proceedings in a variety of business sectors. He appears regularily in the British Columbia Supreme Court and Court of Appeal and before commercial arbitrators and mediators and administrative tribunals, including the British Columbia Assessment Appeal Board and the British Columbia Environmental Appeal Board.
Professional Experience
Mr. Meckling has acted in a broad range of business disputes as both trial and appellate counsel and in multi-party mediations and arbitrations, many involving contaminated sites, real estate development, forestry issues, environmental assessments, land use, commercial and industrial leases, municipal approvals and construction design and engineering issues. He has also advised clients engaged in mergers and acquisitions concerning environmental and litigation related liabilities. Representative matters include:
· Numerous large scale environmental contamination claims and regulatory proceedings involving government agencies, property owners, developers and former operators of contaminated sites
· Proceedings involving the interpretation and enforcement of real estate contracts and commercial and industrial leases
· Professional negligence proceedings against engineers in connection with the design and construction of a terminal and port facility
· Disputes regarding the interpretation and enforcement of agreements for the supply of wood fibre and related products
· Actions seeking the removal or modification of historic land use restrictions to permit redevelopment
· Shareholder and corporate governance disputes in various development sectors
· Injunction proceedings to prevent interference with lawful uses of lands by owners, developers and forestry companies
· Advising parties involved in acquisitions and dispositions in the natural resource and real estate sectors regarding environmental liabilities and compliance issues
· Proceedings brought by a joint venture partner in connection with the development and environmental assessment of the largest tract of undeveloped land in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia
· Asbestos property damage actions brought by building owners against manufacturers, contractors and regulators
· Large scale property assessment appeals before the British Columbia Assessment Appeal Board, British Columbia Supreme Court and British Columbia Court of Appeal involving land use issues
Mr. Meckling recently completed a two year term on Davis LLP's National Executive Committee and is a member of the firm's Associate and Professional Development and Student Recruitment and Development Committees
Publications & Seminars
· Cost Recovery Actions under the Waste Management Act of British Columbia; A.B.A. Section of Environment, Energy and Resources, Environmental Crimes and Enforcement Committee Newsletter, April 2002
· Responsible Persons under the Environmental Management Act of British Columbia; Pacific Business & Law Institute, Contaminated Sites in B.C., February 2006
Volunteer Work
· Youth sport coach, North Shore Winter Club Minor Hockey and Lions Gate Soccer Association
Other Activities
· Canadian Bar Association
· Environmental and Construction Subsections, Canadian Bar Association
· Guest Speaker, Environmental Subsection, Canadian Bar Association
· Guest Speaker, Pacific Business & Law Institute, Contaminated Sites in British Columbia Conference
Education
Mr. Meckling received a bachelor of commerce degree with a major in finance in 1988 from the University of Calgary, Faculty of Management. Prior to attending university, Brent played Major Junior Hockey for the Medicine Hat Tigers of the W.H.L. as a draftee of the Detroit Red Wings. While at the University of Calgary, Mr. Meckling was a four-year member and captain of the Varsity Hockey Team.
In 1988, Mr. Meckling commenced his LL.B. degree at the University of British Columbia and graduated in 1991.