Alan is one of Atlantic Canada’s most senior solicitors.
His practice is concentrated in corporate, commercial, real
property transactions and estate matters.
For many years, Alan has acted for and has provided general
counsel advice to Nova Scotia's largest construction conglomerate.
He has been engaged in construction law matters ranging from
superhighways constructed through public-private partnerships
to significant public infrastructure projects on record.
He has an extensive practice in dealing with administrative
bodies in the licensing and permitting of projects in the extractive
industry.
Alan's real property practice has often involved large-scale
expropriations resulting from highway construction, gas pipelines
and other public installations. Recently, he successfully represented
a large number of land owners seeking compensation relative
to the sub-surface installation of the Sable Natural Gas Lateral
Pipeline and the liquid gas pipeline. When some sections of
the installed natural gas pipeline proved to be defective and
incapable of safely conveying intended pressure natural gas
transmissions, Alan successfully argued to the National Energy
Board that pipeline operators be required to reduce gas flow
pressures and install pressure relief valves.
Alan was the lead counsel in a successful court application
against the federal government relating to the ownership of
water lots in federal harbours in Canada. Prior to this case,
the federal Crown claimed ownership of most all harbours in
Nova Scotia pursuant to the Confederation Act of 1867. Many
landowners in Nova Scotia hold title to water lots through an
original grant of land from the Province of Nova Scotia. The
federal government did not recognize any such grant issued after
1867. The case resulted in a landmark decision establishing
for the first time that a landowner, under certain circumstances,
can acquire title to a water lot without a federal Crown Grant.
This is the first case in which the Nova Scotia Courts have
confirmed ownership of a water lot in a Federal harbour through
possessory title (see Nickerson v. The Attorney General of Canada
1999 S.H. 150869 (N.S.S.C.).
He is well known in government circles and has had a long and
close association with government representatives through his
30 years of active support of the Progressive Conservative Party.
He has also had extensive community involvement, serving on
church boards, university boards, and many community and charitable
organizations.
Born and raised in Halifax and educated at Dalhousie University
and Dalhousie Law School, Alan was admitted to the Nova Scotia
Bar in 1967 and appointed a Queen's Counsel in 1982. He continues
to reside in Halifax with his wife Joanne. The couple has three
grown daughters, Alison, Candice and Rosalyn.
