Our Practice
Young, Anderson provides the full spectrum of legal services to some of the largest and smallest local governments in British Columbia. We are distinguished by our concentration on local government law and by the depth and diversity of experience of our lawyers in that field.
Our work reflects the wide variety of issues addressed by local governments. In addition to advising our clients on local government bylaws, council and board procedure, land use control, property taxation, and expropriation, our lawyers have experience in all fields in which local governments are involved including real estate, corporate and business law, employment law, tendering and construction law, First Nations law, environmental law, human rights and freedom of information and privacy protection. In short, we are a full-service law firm in local government law.
Our approach has been to bring together a group of experienced lawyers capable of providing a broad range of legal services in all endeavours of local government activity, with unparalleled depth in all areas of our practice. In providing advice on any particular matter, our goals are to protect the legal position of our client and to assist our client to carry out its governmental responsibilities effectively and efficiently and in a manner that meets the expectations of its citizens
Examples of Our Legal Services
- Appearing before the Assessment Appeal Board, Utilities Commission, National Energy Board, and Environmental Appeal Board
- Preparing and drafting tenders, and defending claims arising in the tendering process
- Defending municipal bylaws in the British Columbia Supreme Court, Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada, and prosecuting and obtaining injunctions to enforce bylaws
- Advising on the municipal implications of inter-provincial and international agreements
- Providing opinions to local governments on such diverse matters as the authority for proposed regulations and projects, conflict of interest and disqualification of councillors, land use control, validity of municipal contracts, borrowing powers, and public-private partnerships