Willms & Shier Environmental Lawyers LLP
16 lawyers · City of Toronto, City of Ottawa, Calgary Region, Yellowknife and area
One of 2,345 law firms listed in Toronto, and one of 369 handling Administrative & Regulatory Law.
About Willms & Shier Environmental Lawyers LLP
Willms & Shier Environmental Lawyers LLP is a Toronto based firm with about 16 lawyers who practise environmental, Indigenous and energy law and little else. John Willms started the practice, and Donna Shier began working with Willms part time in 1977, doing research and writing, before being called to the bar in 1978. Their environmental focus grew out of legal work the firm did for rural municipalities, mainly on landfill sites. By 2007 the firm had grown to 12 lawyers, and by 2019 it had about 20 lawyers dedicated to environmental work. That May, it opened an office in Yellowknife, adding the Northwest Territories to its Toronto, Ottawa and Calgary locations.
The firm's lawyers are called to the bar in Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories and Yukon, which lets its Indigenous law group work on consultation, impact benefit agreements and land claims matters in each of those jurisdictions. Several lawyers at the firm hold the Law Society of Ontario's Certified Specialist designation in Environmental Law. Since 2011, the firm has sponsored the Willms & Shier Environmental Law Moot, a national competition open to any Canadian law school in which students argue environmental law problems, with the playoff and final matches judged by senior appellate judges.
Milestones & recognition
- John Willms started the practice, and Donna Shier joined Willms part time in 1977 before being called to the bar in 1978.
- The firm grew from a small practice to 12 lawyers by 2007 and to about 20 lawyers by 2019.
- It opened an office in Yellowknife in May 2019, adding the Northwest Territories to its Toronto, Ottawa and Calgary locations.
- Chambers & Partners named the firm among the 'Best of Canada' in Environmental Law in 2013 (Chambers Global).
- Canadian Lawyer Magazine profiled the firm in January 2013, noting it 'has spent over 30 years helping companies and municipalities manage environmental law issues.'
- Several lawyers at the firm hold the Law Society of Ontario's Certified Specialist designation in Environmental Law.
In the community
- The firm has sponsored the Willms & Shier Environmental Law Moot since 2011, a national competition open to any Canadian law school in which students argue environmental law problems, with the playoff and final matches judged by senior appellate judges.
- It belongs to a range of environmental and industry associations, among them the Air & Waste Management Association, the Ontario Waterpower Association, the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada and the Indigenous Bar Association.
- It also belongs to local and cultural business groups, including the Oakville Chamber of Commerce and the Hellenic Canadian Board of Trade.
Good to know
Wheelchair accessibleLawyers 16
Alessia Petricone-Westwood
Partner
Administrative & Regulatory LawCivil Litigation & Dispute Resolution
Ali Naraghi
Associate
Administrative & Regulatory LawCivil Litigation & Dispute Resolution
Amanda Spitzig
Associate
Administrative & Regulatory LawIndigenous Law
Anand Srivastava
Partner
Administrative & Regulatory LawCivil Litigation & Dispute Resolution
Candice Gomes
Associate
Administrative & Regulatory Law
Connor Duprey
Associate
Administrative & Regulatory LawInsurance Law
Jacquelyn Stevens
Partner
Administrative & Regulatory LawCivil Litigation & Dispute Resolution
Jennifer Sweitzer
Associate
Administrative & Regulatory LawCivil Litigation & Dispute Resolution
Joanna Vince
Partner
Administrative & Regulatory LawIndigenous Law
John Georgakopoulos
Partner
Administrative & Regulatory Law
Kyle Morton
Associate
Administrative & Regulatory LawIndigenous Law
Marc McAree
Partner
Administrative & Regulatory LawCivil Litigation & Dispute Resolution
Matthew Gardner
Partner
Administrative & Regulatory Law
Richard Butler
Partner
Administrative & Regulatory Law
Sydney Smith
Associate
Administrative & Regulatory LawIndigenous Law
William Totzke
Associate
Civil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionAdministrative & Regulatory Law
Certified Specialists
A designation granted by the Law Society of Ontario, not a self-declared area of focus.
This firm’s lawyers at a glance
- Called to the bar
- 1995–2025 · median 10 years in practice 16 of 16 lawyers
- Law schools
- University of Ottawa (5), Osgoode Hall Law School (4), Lakehead University, Queen's University, University of British Columbia, University of Calgary and 3 more 16 of 16 lawyers
Who handles what
Offices 4
Bankers Hall West Tower, 888 - 3rd Street SW, Suite 1000, Calgary, AB, Canada, T2P 5C5
Avier Building, 5103 - 48th Street, Suite 203, Yellowknife, NT, Canada, X1A 1N5
The neighbourhood
Willms & Shier's Toronto office sits at 1 Toronto Street, also addressed as 70 King Street East, a highrise completed in 1989 in the Downtown Yonge East part of Toronto's old commercial core. A short walk away, at 10 Toronto Street, stands the Toronto Street Post Office, an 1853 Greek Revival building that served as a post office and later a bank and corporate head office before it was designated a National Historic Site of Canada. The firm also keeps offices in Ottawa, Calgary and Yellowknife, which put it closer to clients, regulators and Indigenous communities in those regions.
Frequently asked questions
- What kind of law does Willms & Shier practise?
- The firm practises exclusively in environmental, Indigenous and energy law, including defence of prosecutions, regulatory compliance, contaminated site remediation, environmental assessments and approvals, and municipal land use planning.
- Can Willms & Shier help with a contaminated land or brownfield issue?
- Yes. The firm's practice includes brownfields strategy, contaminated site remediation and environmental due diligence for property and business transactions.
- Does the firm handle Indigenous consultation for a resource or energy project?
- Yes. Its Indigenous law group advises on the duty to consult and accommodate, impact benefit agreements and land claims, and its lawyers are called to the bar in Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories and Yukon.
- Where does Willms & Shier have offices?
- The firm is based in Toronto and also has offices in Ottawa, Calgary and Yellowknife.
- How big is the firm?
- Willms & Shier has about 16 lawyers, all working in environmental, Indigenous and energy law.
- Are any of the firm's lawyers Certified Specialists in Environmental Law?
- Yes, several lawyers at the firm hold the Law Society of Ontario's Certified Specialist designation in Environmental Law.
Similar firms in City of Toronto
DD West LLP is a law firm established in 2017 with offices in Airdrie, Calgary, Regina, and Winnipeg. It serves individuals, businesses, and institutions across Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, with a practice spa…
Administrative & Regulatory Law
Business & Corporate Law
Wills, Estates & Trusts
Indigenous Law
Carscallen LLP is a full-service, independent law firm based in Calgary that advises individuals and businesses across a broad range of practice areas, including banking and financial services, commercial litigation, …
Civil Litigation & Dispute Resolution
Real Estate Law
Construction LawBusiness & Corporate Law
Ecojustice is Canada's largest environmental law charity, providing free legal representation to citizens, environmental organizations, First Nations, and other groups on environmental cases. Founded in 1990 as the Si…
Administrative & Regulatory LawCivil Litigation & Dispute Resolution
Class ActionsIndigenous LawListing compiled from the firm’s public website in September 2026. Verify licence status in the Law Society of Ontario directory ↗