Eric’s practice focuses exclusively on Municipal & Planning Law.
He acts for homeowners, businesses, developers and other private sector clients. He also represents municipalities and other public bodies across Ontario, including school boards.
Eric regularly assists clients with planning- and zoning-related matters, including re-zonings, plans of subdivision, site plans, minor variances, and severances, as well as Ontario Land Tribunal Appeals.
He also regularly handles municipal conflicts of interest, prosecutions, by-law drafting, municipal tax sales, heritage matters, public procurement, and municipal elections.
He focuses on matters related to municipal governments.
Eric regularly appears before local boards, Municipal Heritage Committees, Committees of Adjustment, the Normal Farm Practices Protection Board, the Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Appeal Tribunal and the Ontario Land Tribunal.
- The Best Lawyers in Canada – Corporate and Commercial Litigation, 2021-2025
- The Best Lawyers in Canada – Lawyer of the Year, Corporate and Commercial Litigation (Hamilton & Area), 2025
- Award for Community Impact, Wilfrid Laurier University Alumni Association, 2024
- Recipient, Waterloo Award – the City of Waterloo’s Highest Civic Honour, 2019
- Recipient, Paul Harris Fellowship, 2017
- Recipient, Outstanding Leadership Award, Rotary Waterloo, 2016 & 2020
- Recipient, Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, 2012
- Recipient, International Municipal Lawyers Association Canadian Scholarship, 2012
- Selected one of Waterloo Region’s Top 40 Under 40 by the Record, 2011
Representative Work and Notable Transactions
- Buurma v Adelaide Metcalfe (Township), 2024 CanLII 81261 (ON LT)
- Red Maple Land Company Inc. v. Wellington North (Township), 2024 CanLII 54711 (ON LT)
- MFL Properties Ltd. v Lambton Shores (Municipality), 2023 CanLII 53999 (ON LT)
- Jacob van Den Akker and Kristen Bartman v Fort Erie, 2023 CanLII 50950 (ON LT)
- GSP Group Inc. v Cambridge (City), 2023 CanLII 50955 (ON LT)
- AOCP v. Ontario Broiler Hatching Egg & Chick Commission and Chicken Farmers of Ontario, 2022 ONAFRAAT 20 (AFRAAT)
- Tracey Adams v South Bruce Peninsula (Town), 2021 CanLII 134583 (ON LT)
- Southbridge Health Care GP V. Shelburne (Township), 2021 CanLII 102665 (ON LT)
- David Buurma and 1838107 Ontario Ltd. vs The Municipality of Brooke-Alvinston, 2021 ONNFPPB 9 (NFPPB)
- Yorke et al v Harris, 2020 ONSC 7361 (S.C.J.)
- Hallman Construction Ltd. v Cambridge (City), 2018 CanLII 70303 (ON LPAT)
- Cooper et al. v. Wiancko et al., 2018 ONSC 342 (S.C.J.)
- Rivett v. Braid et al., 2018 ONSC 352 (S.C.J.)
- Stirling v. North Perth (Town), 2015 CanLII 65030 (ON LPAT)
- Horne & Jeffrey v. Perth (County), 2015 CanLII 68534 (ON LPAT)
- Hill v. Di Lullo et al., 2014 ONSC 6416 (S.C.J.)
- Gammie v Turner, 2013 ONSC 4563
- Geil v North Dumfries (Township), (2009) 62 MPLR (4th) 294 (OCJ)
- Schell Re, (2007) 56 OMBR 257 (OMB)
Articles and Publications
- "Gaming a Municipal Election: The Challenges with Registered Third Party Corporations”, Municipal Monitor (Q3 2024)
- “Section 440 of the Municipal Act, 2001 and the Modified Statutory Injunction Test”, Ontario Bar Association Municipal Law Section Newsletter (26 Jun 2024)
- “He’s Just Not That Interested: A Review of Yorke et al. v. Harris under the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act” (2022) Municipal World (132:9) (September 2022) 16
- “The Application (Or Lack Thereof) of Municipal By-laws to Normal Farm Practices: An Overview of the Powers of the Normal Farm Practices Protection Board” (2022) 10 D.M.P.L. (2d), January 2022, Issue 13
- “Failing to File Financial Statements Under the Municipal Elections Act, 1996: A Post-Karygiannis World” (2020) 9 D.M.P.L. (2d) July 2020, Issue 19
- “Bill 68’s Recent Changes to Municipal Investment Powers Part II: The Regulation Cometh”, Ontario Bar Association Municipal Law Section Newsletter (7 Jun 2018)
- “Bill 68’s Recent Changes to Municipal Investment Powers”, Ontario Bar Association Municipal Law Section Newsletter (13 Jun 2017)
- “Failing to File Financial Statements Under the Municipal Elections Act, 1996“, Ontario Bar Association Municipal Law Section Newsletter (28 June 2016)
- “Security of the Property of the Municipality: Interpreting Section 239(2)(a) of the Municipal Act, 2001” Ontario Bar Association Municipal Law Section Newsletter (16 June 2015)
- “It’s An Honour Just to be Nominated: Hill v. Di Lullo & Nomination Requirements of Municipal Elections” (2015) 7 D.M.P.L. (2d) February 2015, Issue 2
- “Magder v. Ford: A Call to Reform the Ontario Municipal Conflict of Interest Act” Municipal Lawyer 54:1 (January/February 2013) 17
- “All Aboard the Conflict Train: Ontario’s Municipal Conflict of Interest Act and Light Rail Transit in Waterloo Region” Municipal World 122:4 (April 2012) 13
- “Landslide Victory: How One Vote Made the Difference” (2011) 5 D.M.P.L. (2d), March 2011, Issue 3
- “Fun with Fluoride: Three Plebiscites for the City of Waterloo” Municipal World 121:3 (March 2011) 13
- “Vagueness & Uncertainty in Noise By-Laws: Objective vs. Subjective Tests” (2009) 4 D.M.P.L. (2d), November 2009, Issue 11
- Member, Law Society of Ontario
- Member, Ontario Bar Association
- Member, Wellington County Law Association
- Trustee and Member, Waterloo Region Law Association
- Past Member, Ontario Expropriation Association
- Past Member, International Municipal Lawyers Association
- Past Member, Waterloo Region Home Builders’ Association
- Director of the Board, KidsAbility Centre for Child Development
- Past-President, Rotary Club of Waterloo
- Former Vice-Chair, United Way of Kitchener-Waterloo and Area
- Past President and Chair of the Board, Grand River Branch, Canadian Mental Health Association
- Past Member, City of Waterloo Municipal Heritage Committee
- Former Member of the Federal and Provincial Affairs Committee, Greater Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber of Commerce
- Former Ambassador and Volunteer, Sustainable Waterloo Region
- Past Member of the Speakers Bureau, Canadian Diabetes Association
- Past Member, Community Editorial Board, The Record
- Former Senator, Wilfrid Laurier University