Jennifer Danahy
Automatically compiled listing. Details may contain errors.Partner at Gowling WLG
- Called to the bar
- 2002
- Languages
- English
Certified Specialist
Administrative & Regulatory LawCertified SpecialistAdministrative & Regulatory LawAbout Jennifer Danahy
Environmental law is the whole of Jennifer Danahy's practice. As a partner in Gowling WLG's Toronto office and a Certified Specialist in Environmental Law, Jennifer handles both the preventive side of the field and the contested one. Day to day, that can mean working alongside general counsel and environmental health and safety managers on their options for staying compliant, briefing boards of directors once an audit wraps up, or helping a client get ready for changes in the law before they take effect. Jennifer also runs regular training sessions on environmental due diligence.
The interest predates law school. Jennifer spent the years before it as an environmental consultant and policy analyst in the federal public service, with stints at Foreign Affairs and International Trade, the Canadian International Development Agency and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency. A BES from York University, earned summa cum laude in 1996, came first, then a law degree from the University of Toronto, and Jennifer was called to the Ontario bar in 2002.
On the litigation side, Jennifer defends environmental prosecutions brought by every level of government. Those files range from municipal by-law charges to counts under the federal Fisheries Act or the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999, and offences under Ontario statutes like the Environmental Protection Act. That work takes Jennifer to the Ontario Court of Justice, the Superior Court and Divisional Court, and over the years Jennifer has also appeared before the Environmental Review Tribunal and the Ontario Municipal Board. Jennifer and Gowling colleague Adam Heckman are also counsel for the Responsible Plastic Use Coalition on its application for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada, which follows the January 2026 Federal Court of Appeal ruling (2026 FCA 17) that allowed the appeal and dismissed the application for judicial review.
Contaminated land comes up again and again, and Jennifer brings and defends civil claims over polluted sites. When contamination has moved off a property, part of the work is addressing what neighbours, municipalities and Ministry of the Environment regulators are worried about. In every litigation file, Jennifer aims for a good result at a sensible cost, whether it's reached in court or at mediation, while keeping the strain of a lawsuit on the client as low as possible.
Practice areas
Environmental issues in corporate deals
Lenders, borrowers, vendors and purchasers turn to Jennifer for advice on the environmental side of corporate transactions. Jennifer also helps organizations design and roll out Environmental Management Systems and Best Management Practices, and carries out or reviews compliance audits.
Ministry orders and citizen challenges
Jennifer's tribunal work covers appeals of Ministry of the Environment orders and instruments, plus responses when neighbours or citizens' groups challenge a client under the Environmental Bill of Rights, the Environmental Protection Act or the Ontario Water Resources Act. Administrative law proceedings in court are part of the practice too.
Contaminated site claims
Jennifer acts on civil claims over contaminated sites, on either side of the case. For clients with a site problem, the work can include site access agreements with neighbouring owners and a close read of Phase I and Phase II Environmental Site Assessments, Designated Substances Surveys and Risk Assessments.
Environmental assessment for infrastructure
Jennifer has handled environmental assessment questions under both the federal Canadian Environmental Assessment Act and Ontario's Environmental Assessment Act, for public and private sector clients. Municipal councils regularly retain Jennifer on EA issues tied to proposed highways, international border crossings and utility projects, and the advice has reached related questions like endangered species compliance and wetland protection.
Education & credentials
Certified Specialist(Environmental Law)- LLB, University of Toronto Law School (2001)
- BES (summa cum laude), York University (1996)
- Called to the bar of Ontario (2002)
- Certified Specialist (Environmental Law)
Awards & recognition
Memberships & affiliations
- Canadian Bar Association: Jennifer is an Executive Member at Large of the CBA's National Environmental, Energy and Resources Law Sections, and sat on the organizing committee of a CBA environmental law conference held at the Fairmont Winnipeg.
- RIELA (InterAmerican Network of Environmental Law Specialists): Jennifer serves as Secretary of RIELA, a network of environmental law specialists across the Americas.
- American Bar Association: Jennifer belongs to the ABA's Business Law Section and its Environment, Energy and Natural Resources Section.
- Ontario Bar Association: Jennifer is a member of the OBA's Environmental Law Section.
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This listing was generated by AI from public sources in October 2026. It may contain errors, and we can’t guarantee it’s accurate or complete. Before you rely on anything here, verify it on their firm’s website. Confirm Jennifer Danahy’s licence and standing in the Law Society of Ontario directory ↗
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