Bruce is a litigator with specific expertise in helping clients with regulatory, investigations, inspections, prosecutions, and other forms of enforcement proceedings. He also provides advice and assists organizations and their officers and directors with corporate criminal law issues.
His experience includes: defending prosecutions under the environmental, workplace safety and other regulatory statutes; providing advice on corporate compliance and management issues; appealing FINTRAC AMPs; providing advice on the forensic issues raised by instances of employee dishonesty; counselling on the completion of regulatory compliance audits; and, providing advice on regulatory issues arising in commercial transactions.
He was co-counsel to the Municipality of Brockton at The Walkerton Inquiry.
Bruce has also appeared before the Environmental Review Tribunal and the Ontario Municipal Board.
He has defended prosecutions under all of Ontario's environmental statutes, in addition to the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, both the provincial and federal Dangerous Goods statutes, the Fisheries Act, the Criminal Code, the Competition Act, the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act, the Occupational Health and Safety Act, the Income Tax Act, the Planning Act, the Health Promotion and Protection Act, and the Food and Drug Act. He has prosecuted offences contrary to the Fire Marshall's Act and the Securities Act.
Bruce also has extensive experience in Ontario's Coroner's Court, having appeared for both public and private sector clients.
Professional Achievements
· Certified Specialist, Environmental Law, The Law Society of Upper Canada
· Research Associate, Canadian Institute for Environmental Law and Policy
· BV Rated, Martindale-Hubbell
· Member, Editorial Committee, Corporate Liability (Federated Press)
Representative Work
· Counsel, R.v. Castonguay Blasting, (Ont. C.A. 2011)
· Counsel, R.v. Crown Cork & Seal, (Ont. C.A. 2008)
· Co-Counsel representing the Hon. Greg Sorbara in the investigation of allegations of fraud (2005-2006)
· Counsel, R.v. Material Resources Recovery, (Ont. Crt. of Justice, 2005)
· Co-Counsel representing the Municipality of Brockton (Walkerton) in the Walkerton Inquiry (2000-2001)
· Co-Counsel to the York Regional Police in the Faraz Suleman Inquest (1999)
Community Involvement
· Past President and Paul Harris Fellow, Rotary Club of Markham Sunrise
· Chair, Government Affairs Committee, Markham Board of Trade
Memberships
· Former Member, Legal Expert Assistance Program, Canadian Environmental Defence Fund
· Chair, Government Affairs Committee
· Royal Canadian Military Institute
· York Downs Golf Club
Publications
· "Public Disclosure: The Ontario Securities Commission Acts to Provide Guidance to Reporting Issuers on Environmental Matters", EnviroNotes! (April 2010)
· "News From the Ontario Ministry of Environment: Recent Prosecutions and Fines", EnviroNotes! (April 2010)
· "Workplace Safety: Another Criminal Code Prosecution", Criminal Law, Regulation & Enforcement Newsletter (March 2010)
· "Foreign Corruption: The U.S. Department of Justice Commences its Largest Prosecution to Date", Criminal Law, Regulation & Enforcement Newsletter (February 2010)
· "R.v. Dofasco: Whither the Defence of All Reasonable Care", Corporate Liability (Federated Press) (November 2009)
· "R.v. Bruce Power: Breach of Solicitor-Client Privilege Results in the Dismissal of Workplace Safety Charge", Criminal Law, Regulation & Enforcement Newsletter (November 2009)
· "New Federal Environmental Enforcement Legislation Tabled", EnviroNotes! (Spring 2009)
· Business Laws of Canada, (West (a Thomson Reuters business), 2009)
· "First Environmental Penalty issued in Ontario", EnviroNotes! (March 2008)
· "Foreign Anti-Corruption Enforcement Becomes an RCMP Priority", Criminal Law, Regulation & Enforcement Newsletter (May 2008)
· "The Difficulty With Insider Trading Offences", Corporate Liability (Federated Press) (December 2007)
· "Bill-C-35 is Smart Law", Globe and Mail, (Toronto: January 24, 2007)
· "Phased Implementation of Ontario Environmental Penalties to Begin August 1, 2007", EnviroNotes! (Summer 2007)
· "Regulatory Investigations and Prosecutions: Recent Noteworthy Court Cases", Criminal Law, Regulation & Enforcement Newsletter (December 2007)
· "Using Criminal Convictions to Recover Defrauded Assets", Criminal Law, Regulation & Enforcement Newsletter (Spring 2007)
Presentations
· Speaker/Author, Canadian Institute and CBAO Continuing Legal Education programs on Environmental and Corporate Liability Issues
News
March 12, 2010, Toronto, Miller Thomson has authored "Business Laws of Canada" (2010 edition), published by West.
January 24, 2007, Toronto, A web-exclusive comment on Bill-C-35 written by Bruce McMeekin, was featured in the Globe and Mail.
June 16, 2005, Toronto, Controversial Bill 133 Passed By Legislature
Events
March 28, 2012, London, Miller Thomson hosts the Environmental Law Update, "Responding to Inspections and Incident Investigation," on March 28th at Cambridge City Hall.
February 9, 2012, Edmonton, The Environmental Law Group hosts a Breakfast Seminar "Regulatory Inspections & Investigations"
February 8, 2012, Vancouver, Environmental Breakfast Seminar: "Responding to Inspections and Incident Investigations"
March 22, 2011 - March 23, 2011, Toronto, Bruce McMeekin speaks on Directors' and Officers' Regulatory and Criminal Liability at the 6th Directors' & Officers' Liability Workshop.
January 28, 2011, Guelph, Carol VandenHoek and Bruce McMeekin speak on occupational health and safety issues at the Canadian Farm Builders Association Annual Conference in Guelph.
March 2, 2010 - March 3, 2010, Toronto, Bruce McMeekin will be speaking on the topic of "Directors' & Officers' Criminal & Environmental Liability" at the 5th Directors' & Officers' Liability Course in Toronto on March 2-3
April 6, 2009, Toronto, Bruce McMeekin will participate on the panel "Managing Regulatory Investigations" at the CCCA's National Spring Conference in Montreal on April 6, 2009
March 10, 2009, Toronto, Bruce McMeekin will be speaking at the Federated Press' Directors' and Officers' Liability program on March 10, 2009
March 26, 2008 - March 28, 2008, Toronto, Bruce McMeekin and William Kenny will present at the Federated Press conference - Directors' & Officers' Liability.
Publications
March 2012, The Drummond Report and Environmental Protection, EnviroNotes!
February 8, 2012, Vancouver, Dealing with Regulatory Inspections and Investigations, Miller Thomson seminar
September 2011, Workplace Safety: The Workplace May Be Larger Than You Think, Municipal Services Newsletter
June 20, 2011, Workplace Safety: The Workplace May Be Larger Than You Think, Labour and Employment Communiqué
Your organization owns and operates a number of malls. Employees ensure that the mall parking lots are well lit and the lighting regularly maintained. In the winter months, they diligently plough and salt the lots to provide safe and...
May 2011, New Federal Consumer Protection Legislation in Force Soon, Criminal Law, Regulation & Enforcement Newsletter
Developments in Foreign Anti-Corruption Enforcement, Criminal Law, Regulation & Enforcement Newsletter
November 24, 2010, Markham, Bruce McMeekin publishes "Bill C-45 - Corporate and Executive Liability: Recent Criminal Code Prosecution Illustrates New and Substantial Exposure for Workplace Safety", The Voice (Markham Board of Trade), Winter 2010
October 26, 2010, Markham, Bruce McMeekin publishes "Developments in Foreign Anti-corruption Enforcement", Corporate Liability
September 2010, Vancouver v. Ward: The Supreme Court Upholds Damages as a Charter Remedy, Criminal Law, Regulation & Enforcement Newsletter
April 2010, Public Disclosure: The Ontario Securities Commission Acts to Provide Guidance to Reporting Issuers on Environmental Matters, EnviroNotes!
News From the Ontario Ministry of Environment: Recent Prosecutions and Fines, EnviroNotes!
March 2010, Workplace Safety: Another Criminal Code Prosecution, Criminal Law, Regulation & Enforcement Newsletter
February 2010, Foreign Corruption: The U.S. Department of Justice Commences its Largest Prosecution to Date, Criminal Law, Regulation & Enforcement Newsletter
November 1, 2009, Markham, R.v. Dofasco: Whither the Defence of All Reasonable Care, Corporate Liability (Federated Press)
November 2009, R. v. Bruce Power: Breach of Solicitor-Client Privilege Results in the Dismissal of Workplace Safety Charge, Criminal Law, Regulation & Enforcement Newsletter
Spring 2009, New Federal Envionrmental Enforcement Legislation Tabled, EnviroNotes!
May 2008, Foreign Anti-Corruption Enforcement Becomes an RCMP Priority, Criminal Law, Regulation & Enforcement Newsletter
March 2008, First Environmental Penalty issued in Ontario, EnviroNotes!
January 15, 2008, Toronto, Business Laws of Canada, West (a Thomson Reuters business), 2009
January 4, 2008, Markham, The Difficulty With Insider Trading Offences, 13 Corporate Liability (2007), 762-767
December 2007, Regulatory Investigations and Prosecutions: Recent Noteworthy Court Cases, Criminal Law, Regulation & Enforcement Newsletter
Summer 2007, Phased Implementation of Ontario Environmental Penalties to Begin August 1, 2007, EnviroNotes!
Spring 2007, Using Criminal Convictions to Recover Defrauded Assets, Criminal Law, Regulation & Enforcement Newsletter
January 24, 2007, Toronto, Bill-C-35 is smart law, Globe and Mail
January 24, 2007, Markham, Bill-C-35 is Smart Law, Globe and Mail (Toronto)
November 2006, Ontario: Draft Environmental Penalty Regulations Released for Public Comment, EnviroNotes!
July 2006, Drinking Water Source Protection: Peacock v. Norfolk County Sets the Stage for Future Regulatory Confusion, EnviroNotes!
March 1, 2006, Toronto, Preparing for Environmental Penalties, Corporate Liability
March 2006, Asking the Right Questions on Criminal Pasts Gets the Right Answers, Charities and Not-for-Profit Newsletter
February 2006, Bill 43 - The Clean Water Act, EnviroNotes!
January 24, 2006, Toronto, Bill 43: The Next Steps in Drinking Water Source Protection
November 2005, Ontario Sentencing Update, EnviroNotes!
October 2005, Update on Ontario's Air Quality, EnviroNotes!
June 1, 2005, Toronto, Enforcement Agenda for the Environment, Government of Ontario Proposes a New Regulatory Enforcement Agenda for the Environment
June 2005, Controversial Bill 133 Passed By Legislature, EnviroNotes!
May 2005, Bill 133 Likely To Be Amended, EnviroNotes!
Ontario Ministry of the Environment Releases For Public Comment Its Proposed Draft General Air Pollution Regulation, EnviroNotes!
March 1, 2005, Toronto, Criminal Charges, Clients and their Consultants are Affected by Bill C-45
February 1, 2005, Toronto, Destroyed or Missing Evidence, Establishing a Charter Violation and Selecting an Appropriate Remedy
November 13, 2004, Toronto, Environmental bill reeks of politics, National Post
November 2004, New Enforcement Legislation in Ontario, EnviroNotes!
April 2004, New Criminal Code Legislation Potentially Compounds Environmental Liability, EnviroNotes!
Spring 2004, New Criminal Code Legislation Creates Employer's Liability for Workplace Injuries and Death, Construction and Infrastructure Law Newsletter
January 1, 2004, Toronto, Establishing due diligence when the cause of the wrongful act is unknown or unforeseeable, Corporate Liability, 530
January 1, 2004, Toronto, Establishing Due Diligence When the Cause of the Wrongful Act is Unknown or Unforeseeable, Corporate Liability, 530
January 1, 2004, Toronto, Increasing Enforcement of Ontario's Safe Drinking Water Act and How to Prepare
April 21, 2003, New Drinking Water Legislation for Ontario, EnviroNotes!
April 1, 2003, Toronto, Don't expand corporate criminal liability, Corporate Liability
January 1, 2003, Toronto, Safe Drinking Water Act and Regulation
July 10, 2002, Regulatory Investigations Following the Inco Decision, EnviroNotes!
February 13, 2002, Draft Administrative Monetary Penalty Regulations Released in Ontario, EnviroNotes!
February 1, 2002, The Walkerton Inquiry: The Responsibilities of Public Utilities Commissioners (and Municipal Councillors), EnviroNotes!