David Estrin
David Estrin's Credentials
David Estrin is recognized as the dean of Canadian environmental lawyers. He practices from the Toronto office of the national law firm Gowling Lafleur Henderson where he is senior environmental law specialist in the firm�s Environmental Law Group. He can bring to bear the enormous resources of Gowlings on any issue you may have.
Senior Advisor to all sectors: For more than 30 years he has advised municipalities, corporations and financial institutions, Aboriginal people and ratepayers, as well as law firms in Canada and the U.S., in all facets of environmental matters.
Environmental Counsel: Mr. Estrin has appeared as counsel before virtually every level of court in Ontario, Alberta and at the Federal level. He is also recognized as a leading environmental counsel before Ontario's Environmental Assessment Board, the Ontario Municipal Board, the Environmental Review Tribunal and Joint Boards. His cases before the courts and tribunals have established leading precedents in the environmental, Aboriginal and resources law areas.
Policy Advice & Legislative Drafting: During his career he has assisted in the conception and drafting of key environmental legislation, including the Ontario Environmental Assessment Act and the Ontario Environmental Bill of Rights. In the area of policy development, Mr. Estrin has extensive experience working with various governments and their agencies, including the Ontario Ministry of Environment, Alberta Environment, Government of Alberta Attorney General's Department, Environment Canada, the Federal Department of Energy, Mines and Resources and the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
Teaching & Professional Training: Mr. Estrin has long been recognized for his expertise in training planners, engineers and environmental managers about environmental and planning law, as well as in preparing and presenting evidence before Environmental Tribunals. His environmental law teaching has included:
- Banff Centre School of Management five-day program: How to Prepare and Present Environmental Evidence, attended by environmental managers and consultants from across Canada.
- Associate Professor, University of Waterloo: For over 12 years, Mr. Estrin was an associate professor, part-time, in the Faculty of Environmental Studies at the University of Waterloo, where he taught hundreds of today's planners, engineers and environmental managers about environmental and planning law.
- Assistant Professor, University of Western Ontario: He has also been assistant professor at the University of Western Ontario's Faculty of Engineering Sciences.
- Assistant Professor, Univertisy of Ottawa: He has also been assistant professor at the University of Ottawa's Faculty of Law.
- Lecturer at York University Faculty of Environmental Studies
Environmental Law Texts: Mr. Estrin is the author of numerous authoritative books and articles on environmental law. His most recent book is Business Guide to Environmental Law. Other books include Handle with Caution -- Liability in the Production, Transportation and Disposal of Dangerous Substances, and Environment on Trial A Handbook of Ontario Environmental Law.
Public Service: He was a founding director of the Canadian Environmental Law Association, the founding editor of Canadian Environmental Law Reports, and has played an active role with various environmental committees and organizations in Canada and the U.S.
Memberships: Mr. Estrin is a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Law Society of Alberta and the Canadian Bar Association. He received his law degree from the University of Alberta and was called to the Ontario Bar in 1971 and to the Alberta Bar in 1980.