Denise Baker is the Co-Managing Partner at WeirFoulds. Her practice focuses on municipal and land use planning issues and related litigation.
She has acted on behalf of municipalities, private landowners and resident groups. She predominantly advises landowners and municipalities with respect to land use planning and development matters including municipal finance matters, Planning Act applications and appeals and Heritage Act matters.
Denise appears regularly before municipal councils, Committees of Adjustment, the Ontario Land Tribunal, as well as appearing before the Ontario Court of Justice and the Divisional Court. She is actively involved in using mediation and negotiation to effectively resolve disputes between parties.
Denise is a past Chair of the Municipal Law Section of the Ontario Bar Association and speaks at Law Society and Ontario Bar Association seminars. Denise has also taught Land Use Planning Law at the University of Waterloo and regularly teaches Expert Witness seminars to Members of the Ontario Professional Planners Institute.
Denise is also a member of Lambda Alpha International (Simcoe Chapter). She has repeatedly been recognized in Best Lawyers in Canada and the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory in the field of Municipal Law, and was ranked by Chambers Canada as a leading lawyer in Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use.
She has acted on:
Numerous land use planning matters on behalf of the Town of Oakville, including the resolution of numerous appeals and ultimately approval of the Town’s Livable Oakville Official Plan.
Numerous Heritage Act matters including negotiating and preparation of heritage easement agreements.
Appeals to municipal official plan “conformity exercises” in the Regions of Halton, Waterloo and Durham as well as several local municipalities in York and Halton
Reviews of Educations Development Charge By-laws and By-law amendments
Challenges to and approvals of interim control by-law matters in the City of Windsor and the Town of Oakville
Infill residential zoning and subdivision matters in Oakville, Toronto and other GTA municipalities
Employment and Commercial Development applications in Halton, Durham and Peel municipalities
Past Chair, Ontario Bar Association, Municipal Law Executive
Sessional Professor, Land Use Planning Law, University of Waterloo
Instructor, Expert Witness seminars, Ontario Professional Planners Institute
She has acted on:
Numerous land use planning matters on behalf of the Town of Oakville, including the resolution of numerous appeals and ultimately approval of the Town’s Livable Oakville Official Plan.
Numerous Heritage Act matters including negotiating and preparation of heritage easement agreements.
Appeals to municipal official plan “conformity exercises” in the Regions of Halton, Waterloo and Durham as well as several local municipalities in York and Halton
Reviews of Educations Development Charge By-laws and By-law amendments
Challenges to and approvals of interim control by-law matters in the City of Windsor and the Town of Oakville
Infill residential zoning and subdivision matters in Oakville, Toronto and other GTA municipalities
Employment and Commercial Development applications in Halton, Durham and Peel municipalities
Past Chair, Ontario Bar Association, Municipal Law Executive
Sessional Professor, Land Use Planning Law, University of Waterloo
Instructor, Expert Witness seminars, Ontario Professional Planners Institute
Oakville Hospital Foundation Board Member
Denise Baker is the Co-Managing Partner at WeirFoulds. Her practice focuses on municipal and land use planning issues and related litigation.
She has acted on behalf of municipalities, private landowners and resident groups. She predominantly advises landowners and municipalities with respect to land use planning and development matters including municipal finance matters, Planning Act applications and appeals and Heritage Act matters.
Denise appears regularly before municipal councils, Committees of Adjustment, the Ontario Land Tribunal, as well as appearing before the Ontario Court of Justice and the Divisional Court. She is actively involved in using mediation and negotiation to effectively resolve disputes between parties.
Denise is a past Chair of the Municipal Law Section of the Ontario Bar Association and speaks at Law Society and Ontario Bar Association seminars. Denise has also taught Land Use Planning Law at the University of Waterloo and regularly teaches Expert Witness seminars to Members of the Ontario Professional Planners Institute.
Denise is also a member of Lambda Alpha International (Simcoe Chapter). She has repeatedly been recognized in Best Lawyers in Canada and the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory in the field of Municipal Law, and was ranked by Chambers Canada as a leading lawyer in Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use.
She has acted on:
Numerous land use planning matters on behalf of the Town of Oakville, including the resolution of numerous appeals and ultimately approval of the Town’s Livable Oakville Official Plan.
Numerous Heritage Act matters including negotiating and preparation of heritage easement agreements.
Appeals to municipal official plan “conformity exercises” in the Regions of Halton, Waterloo and Durham as well as several local municipalities in York and Halton
Reviews of Educations Development Charge By-laws and By-law amendments
Challenges to and approvals of interim control by-law matters in the City of Windsor and the Town of Oakville
Infill residential zoning and subdivision matters in Oakville, Toronto and other GTA municipalities
Employment and Commercial Development applications in Halton, Durham and Peel municipalities
Past Chair, Ontario Bar Association, Municipal Law Executive
Sessional Professor, Land Use Planning Law, University of Waterloo
Instructor, Expert Witness seminars, Ontario Professional Planners Institute
She has acted on:
Numerous land use planning matters on behalf of the Town of Oakville, including the resolution of numerous appeals and ultimately approval of the Town’s Livable Oakville Official Plan.
Numerous Heritage Act matters including negotiating and preparation of heritage easement agreements.
Appeals to municipal official plan “conformity exercises” in the Regions of Halton, Waterloo and Durham as well as several local municipalities in York and Halton
Reviews of Educations Development Charge By-laws and By-law amendments
Challenges to and approvals of interim control by-law matters in the City of Windsor and the Town of Oakville
Infill residential zoning and subdivision matters in Oakville, Toronto and other GTA municipalities
Employment and Commercial Development applications in Halton, Durham and Peel municipalities
Past Chair, Ontario Bar Association, Municipal Law Executive
Sessional Professor, Land Use Planning Law, University of Waterloo
Instructor, Expert Witness seminars, Ontario Professional Planners Institute
Oakville Hospital Foundation Board Member
Co-Managing Partner Denise Baker will serve as a Faculty member for the Managing Partner Forum (MPF) 2024 Fall Symposium, which will be held on Tuesday, October 8 Wednesday, October 9, 2024 in Chicago.