Construction, Infrastructure & Engineering

The last decade has seen a substantial expansion of major project development in Western Canada and the North, with significant changes in the structure and allocation of risk among the participants in those projects.

Lawson Lundell’s Construction, Infrastructure & Engineering Group has extensive experience in all aspects of project development, construction and engineering. We have prepared, reviewed and negotiated documentation for public infrastructure, oil and gas, co-generation, hydro-electric, mining and forestry projects located through Western Canada and the North, as well as internationally in South America and South East Asia. In many of these projects, our lawyers have worked closely with project engineers in the preparation of tender packages and have settled joint venture, consulting, financing, insurance and bonding arrangements for the participants.

We have acted for private consortia, prime contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, third party lenders and governmental entities in various infrastructure projects. We understand the critical issues surrounding the balancing of risk between the public and private sector entities, and are familiar with the broad range of other issues affecting infrastructure projects. Our experience ranges from the commencement of the procurement process through contract award, financial close and project construction. We have also been involved in the purchase and sale of project entities.

As many of these assignments have extended over a number of years, members of the group have been engaged on an ongoing basis to provide advice on a variety of construction-related issues, including claims. Members of the group have been involved in complex RFP and similar procurement processes for public infrastructure projects, including public-private partnerships.

The Group also includes dispute resolution lawyers experienced in a wide variety of construction matters that have been resolved by negotiation, mediation, arbitration or litigation. These have involved complex claims disputes as well as the more common issues arising from the tendering and procurement process, change orders and claims for extras, changed conditions, liens, bonds, inadequate design or specifications and other related matters. Our litigation lawyers have appeared before all levels of courts and various alternative dispute resolution forums.

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Experience

Examples of the group’s experience include:

Project Development

• Project counsel to major hydro-electric generation projects, as well as various independent power projects
• Counsel to various mining companies in the development and construction of major mining projects, including:
• The Diavik Diamond Mine in the NWT
• The Hope Bay gold project in Nunavut
• The Blackwater gold and silver project in BC
• The Cliffs Chromite project in the “Ring of Fire” region of Ontario
• The Mary River iron ore project on Baffin Island, Nunavut
• The Wolverine coal mine in BC
• The Carmacks and Casino copper projects in the Yukon
• The Onca Puma ferronickel project in Brazil
• Project counsel to major forest products companies for various mill development and expansion projects
• Special counsel to an international oil corporation for its oil sands development
• Advisors to owners developing co-generation, smelter, port terminals and other facilities
• Counsel in the construction and procurement of various components of the automated rapid transit commuter rail system serving the lower mainland of British Columbia
• External counsel to various public/private projects to develop community-based assisted living, complex care and other non-market housing and care facilities
• Counsel to the Yukon Government providing fairness opinions on various procurement processes
• External counsel to Translink on various vehicle procurement projects

Dispute Resolution

• Counsel for contractors and owners involved in numerous tendering disputes. In particular, we acted as counsel for an aluminum company in a multi-million dollar claim brought against an engineering firm, among others, in connection with the tendering of a tunnel boring contract
• Counsel to various developers and contractors in numerous leaky condominium and leaky school actions across British Columbia
• Counsel for a manufacturer of steam turbines who was named as a defendant in an action after the turbines, which were installed in a newsprint mill constructed in British Columbia, catastrophically failed. The case against the manufacturer was dismissed after a lengthy trial
• Counsel to various parties prosecuting and defending builders’ lien and miners’ lien claims
• Counsel to numerous contractors, sub-contractors, architects and material suppliers in enforcing claims under performance and labour and material bonds
• Counsel to several different project owners and contractors in prosecuting and defending delay and other significant damage claims. In particular, we acted as counsel to the general contractor in prosecuting a claim for cost overruns arising from the construction of road, bridges and a mine haul road into a coal mine located in southeast British Columbia
• Counsel to a major mining company in the prosecution of its miners’ lien and other rights as against a defaulting party who filed for creditor protection pursuant to the Companies Creditors Arrangement Act
• Counsel to a developer of a real estate project in the Lower Mainland in the prosecution of a claim against an engineering firm for delay and other damages
• Counsel to a general contractor in prosecuting a claim against another contractor who was involved in a multi-million dollar renovation project in respect of a hospital in Victoria
• Counsel to a lender to a large real estate development project in its defence of claims brought against it by subcontractors in respect of the project which is located in the Lower Mainland
• Counsel to an owner of a hotel in Williams Lake in the defence of claims brought against it by a general contractor regarding significant renovations to the hotel
• Counsel to a home warranty provider in claims brought against it by an owner of property in Kamloops
• Counsel to an independent power producer who built a run of the river hydro project in defending claims brought by a road builder for the project
• Counsel to numerous property owners in respect of deficiency claims against warranty providers and general contractors
• Counsel to a Trustee in Bankruptcy regarding a unique builders’ lien claim adjudication program which was approved by the Supreme Court of British Columbia regarding an insolvent general contractor and advised the Trustee with respect to claims advanced as part of that program

Team