Doug Skinner

About Doug

Doug was appointed Chair of McInnes Cooper's Board of Directors in 2026. He is a partner in the firm's St. John's office with a practice focused on the energy, construction and insurance sectors, particularly commercial arbitration, including royalty matters for the energy industry, construction arbitration, insurance claims and investor-state disputes. Doug is a member of the Canadian Bar Association, the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, the Canadian Maritime Law Association and the Association of International Petroleum Negotiators, and formerly chaired the Maritime Law Newfoundland and Labrador subsection of the CBA. He previously served as the national admiralty bar representative on the Federal Court Rules Committee. Doug earned his LL.B. from Dalhousie University in 1999, along with a certificate in marine law, and holds a B.Ed. and B.A. from Memorial University of Newfoundland. He was called to the Nova Scotia bar in 2000 and the Newfoundland & Labrador bar in 2007.

Education & credentials

Law school

Dalhousie University

Undergraduate

Memorial University of Newfoundland, B.A. (1995)

Other degrees

B.Ed., Memorial University of Newfoundland (1996)
Cert. Marine Law, Dalhousie University (1999)
Executive Education Certificate - Leadership in Law Firms, Harvard University (2016)