R. Christopher Holmes

R. Christopher Holmes

Chris' practice has consisted of advising governmental and private clients in a wide range of areas including business and property acquisitions, commercial transactions, administrative tribunals, drafting bylaws, regulations and legislation, private and public governance, complex private/public partnership transactions, constitutional and inter-governmental issues, rights of way and linear utility agreements, inter-city transportation issues, policing, freedom of information and long term governmental financing. He has acted as general outside counsel to Greater Vancouver Regional District, Greater Vancouver Water District, Greater Vancouver Sewerage and Drainage District and the Provincial Agricultural Land Commission.

Chris is bond counsel to the Municipal Finance Authority of British Columbia and the City of Vancouver and has acted for them in issues sold in the European, United States and Canadian bond markets.

Chris was involved in the preparation of legislation for and the establishment of Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority (TransLink). He worked with the Organized Crime Agency of British Columbia Project Team comprised of government lawyers and private consultants to establish the OCABC as a functioning operational police agency.

Chris advised the former Forest Renewal British Columbia on a wide range of matters, including reviewing draft legislation and advising on revising and streamlining the Forest Practices Code of British Columbia procedures, the financing of forestry related endowments and various funding agreements with private and governmental entities.

Chris has been acting for Greater Vancouver Sewerage and Drainage District and Greater Vancouver Regional District in the long term implementation of solid and liquid waste disposal programmes for the Lower Mainland, including the Liquid Waste Management Plan and the Solid Waste Management Plan and acquiring and establishing the Cache Creek Landfill and the construction and operation of the Burnaby Incinerator and its Electrical Energy Co-generation Facility.

Chris is a member of the Vancouver and Canadian and International Bar Associations, the British Columbia and National Canadian Bar Associations Municipal Law Subsections and has been the Secretary-Treasurer, Vice-Chair and is presently the 2002-2004 Chair of the National Municipal Law Section. He is a member of the Province of British Columbia's Ministry of Community Aboriginal and Women's Service, Financial Liability Working Group.

Chris has also lectured and presented at various Continuing Legal Education courses and seminars for both legal and business audiences.