Partner

Direct 416.947.5007
Fax 416.365.1876
jcowan@weirfoulds.com

He acts as counsel before administrative tribunals and the trial and appellate courts in many aspects of public law, including professional self-regulation and discipline, judicial review of government decision-making, freedom of information and privacy matters, municipal and provincial planning and environmental approvals, municipal assessment and taxation, health, education, alcohol and gaming, legislative drafting and government relations, and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. In addition, Jeff regularly litigates in matters relating to real property, including purchase and sale disputes, lease and contract interpretation, expropriation, valuation, taxation, boundary and ownership issues, Aboriginal land claims, and arbitration proceedings, including acting as an arbitrator.

Jeff has argued many of the leading cases--including in the Supreme Court of Canada--in the areas of tribunal jurisdiction and independence, Ministerial discretion, standard of judicial review, equality rights, constitutionality and interpretation of taxation and valuation legislation and remedies, freedom of information, aboriginal land claims and remedies, ownership of waterfront property, and the interpretation of commercial leases.

Practice Areas

Litigation

Government

Property

Called to the Bar
Ontario (1978)
Education
Osgoode Hall Law School
LL.M. 1983

University of Oxford
Dip.L. 1977

Osgoode Hall Law School
LL.B. 1975

University of Toronto
B.A. 1972

Awards & Recognition

Recipient of Society of Ontario Adjudicators and Regulators Medal for outstanding service to the administrative justice system of Ontario

Dedicated Service Award, Canadian Bar Association – Ontario

Jeff is recognized as a leading practitioner in his area of expertise in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory and in Best Lawyers in Canada

Rated by Martindale Hubbell Ratings as "pre-eminent" (AV)

Managing partner of WeirFoulds from 1999-2003

Professional Activities

Member of the Secretariat of the Civil Rules Committee

Law Society of Upper Canada (Barristers' Advisory Group – Bar Admission Course)

Ontario Divisional Court Bench and Bar Committee

Member of Administrative Tribunals Committee of the Canadian Institute for the Administration of Justice

Head of Section for Public Law in the Law Society of Upper Canada's Bar Admission Course from 1986 to 2005, prior to the Course changing to licensing examinations in 2006

Past Chair and Executive Member of the Administrative Law Section of the Ontario Bar Association

Affiliations

The Advocates' Society (past Director)

Ontario Bar Association (Executive member and past Chair of Administrative Law section and past Council member)

ADR Institute of Ontario, Inc.

Lambda Alpha International (Honorary Land Economics Society)

Corporate Directorship
Canadian Property Tax Association, Inc. (Past President)

Called to the Bar

Ontario (1978)

Education

Osgoode Hall Law School
LL.M. 1983

University of Oxford
Dip.L. 1977

Osgoode Hall Law School
LL.B. 1975

University of Toronto
B.A. 1972