Austin practices corporate and regulatory law with experience in both renewable energy projects and conventional oil and gas and resource development. His experience includes advising on regulatory requirements, environmental liability, and real property conveyancing related to financing and M&A transactions in the energy and electricity sectors. He has also advised several early-stage corporations and non-profits on governance matters and commercial agreements.

In addition, Austin has advised electric utilities in various matters before the Alberta Utilities Commission including compliance and enforcement, facilities and tariff proceedings.

REPRESENTATIVE WORK

Oil and Gas

• Counsel to a major international energy company in the spin-off of its Alberta oil sands assets.
• Canadian counsel to purchaser in its acquisition of a Canadian compressed natural gas operator worth approximately $1 billion.
• Counsel to a major midstream oil and gas operator in a corporate restructuring and related matters.
• Counsel to vendor in its divestiture of Canadian retail gas stations to multiple purchasers worth $420 million.
• Counsel to a private equity fund in its $11.4 billion business combination with a major Canadian midstream operator.
• Counsel to an international investor in its investment into a carbon capture, utilization and storage hub joint venture in Alberta.

Solar and Wind

• Counsel to a solar project developer, in its project financing and related regulatory matters for two 25 MW solar power plants in southern Alberta.
• Counsel to a syndicate of lenders in their project financing of a 400 MW wind power plant in southern Alberta.
• Counsel to a syndicate of lenders in their project financing of a 100 MW wind power plant in southern Alberta.
• Counsel to a renewable project developer in its proposed purchase of a 216 MW solar power plant in southern Alberta.
• Counsel to a Canadian pension fund in its $4.5 million direct investment into a US-based renewable project development joint-venture.

Electric Utilities

• Counsel to an electric utility in submissions to the Alberta Utilities Commission in various proceedings including performance based regulation, cost of capital, and various tariff and rate applications.
• Counsel to an electric utility in compliance and enforcement matters before the Alberta Utilities Commission.
• Counsel to various Alberta electricity generators in market surveillance investigations.

Litigation

• Counsel to a manufacturer in its settlement of a multi-million-dollar product liability action before the Alberta Court of King’s Bench.
• In-house counsel for a major energy company in wrongful dismissal actions at the Alberta Court of King’s Bench and Alberta Court of Appeal.

Cannabis

• Counsel to purchaser in its acquisition of 70% ownership in privately held, Quebec-based, cannabis company worth approximately $46.7 million.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT and Volunteer Experience

• Director and Vice President – Calgary Lawyers’ Hockey League
• Advisory Committee – I Got Mind for Sports and Education
• President – University of Calgary Business Law Association (2020-2021)
• Caseworker – University of Calgary Business Venture Clinic (2020-2021)

Professional Memberships

• Member – Canadian Bar Association
• Member – Calgary Bar Association

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

• Researcher, “Recent Legislative and Regulatory Developments of Interest to Energy Lawyers”, Alberta Law Review (2022) 60:2
• Presenter, “Legal 101: Venture creation”, University of Calgary Business Venture Clinic and Innovate Calgary (2021)

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS & AWARDS

• Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation, Joe Rudd Scholarship (2020)
• University of Calgary Faculty of Law Undergraduate Merit Award (2018)
• WCHA Post-Graduate Scholarship (2016)
• NCAA Hockey Humanitarian Nomination (2016)
• WCHA Scholar-Athlete (2014 – 2016)

BAR ADMISSIONS & EDUCATION

• Alberta Bar (2022)
• J.D., University of Calgary (2021)
• B.B.A., Finance and Accounting, University of Alaska Anchorage (Honours) (2016)