Called to the Bar

Ontario (1981)

Education

LL.B, University of Windsor, 1979
B.A.Sc., University of Waterloo, 1976
Certificate of Achievement, Applied ADR Workshop, University of Windsor, 2013
Certificate of Achievement, Advanced ADR Workshop & Certificate of Achievement, ADR Workshop, University of Windsor, 1998

Affiliations

Toronto Lawyers' Association
Past Executive Member of the Ontario Bar Association, Environmental Law Section
Canadian Bar Association
Ontario Bar Association
The Advocates' Society
Canadian Corporate Counsel Association
Toronto Commercial Arbitration Society
Air & Waste Management Association

John Buhlman

Partner*

Practice Areas

Administrative & Public Law

Aggregate Resources

Arbitration & Mediation

Commercial Litigation

Environmental

Litigation & Dispute Resolution

Municipal

* Partner through a professional corporation

John Buhlman is an experienced litigator who acts on complex environmental and commercial litigation. A key part of his practice involves advising clients on regulatory compliance with environmental laws.

John is the former head of the firm’s litigation practice. With degrees in both engineering and law, he practises in the areas of environmental law, litigation, and administrative law, and has appeared as counsel on matters in all levels of the courts in Ontario, and before several administrative tribunals, including the Environmental Review Tribunal, the Board of Directors of the College of Chiropractors of Ontario, the Commercial Registration Appeal Tribunal, the Law Society of Upper Canada, and the Royal College of Dental Surgeons. John also acts as a mediator and arbitrator and is a Mediation and Arbitration Member of the Arbitration and Mediation Institute of Ontario.

John assists clients in resolving disputes through negotiation, mediation, arbitration and litigation. He acts regularly in complex cases involving commercial disputes, injunctions, real estate issues, shareholder disputes, environmental claims, environmental law issues, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, insurance coverage, class actions, and torts.

Experience

John acts for Pit and Quarry owners with respect to approvals under the Aggregate Resources Act.

John acted for a multi-national chemical company in defending against Orders issued by the Ministry of the Environment relating to contamination of groundwater. After the longest environmental hearings in Ontario, the case was settled advantageously for his client. John also acted for the same client defending lawsuits arising out of the contamination. The claims were all settled.

John successfully defended a retailer in a multi-billion dollar class action relating to PVC mini-blinds containing a lead stabilizer. The action was dismissed early on a motion for summary judgment.

John successfully acted for a landlord seeking to recover substantial damages for breach of a lease from a tenant which held the lease through a shell company. The action was settled advantageously for his client.

John acted in the leading case on the inspection powers of a Provincial Officer working for the Ministry of the Environment.

St. Mary’s Cement Inc. (Canada) v. Ontario (Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing) (2013), 2 M.P.L.R. (5th) 46 (Ont. Div. Ct.)

St. Mary’s Cement Inc. (Canada) v. Ontario (Director, Ministry of the Environment) (2012), 70 C.E.L.R. (3d) 266 (Ont. Div. Ct.)

St. Mary’s Cement Inc. (Canada) v. Ontario (Ministry of the Environment) (2012), 65 C.E.L.R. (3d) 302 (ERT)

St. Mary’s Cement Inc. (Canada) v. Ontario (Ministry of the Environment) (2011), 58 C.E.L.R. (3d) 125 (ERT)

McCutcheon v. Westhill Redevelopment Company Limited, (2010), 48 C.E.L.R. (3d) 259 (Ont. Div. t.)

James Dick Construction Ltd. v. Caledon (Town), (2010), 66 O.M.B.R. No. 263

Westhill Redevelopment (2009), 67 M.P.L.R (4^th) 73 (OMB)

James Dick Construction Ltd. v. Caledon (Town), [2006] O.M.B.D. No. 1116

Hill and Hill Farms Ltd. v. Bluewater (Municipality) (2006), 82 O.R. (3d) 505 (C.A.)

Peacock et al v. Corporation of Norfolk County; Ontario Pork Producers’ Marketing Board, Intervenor (2006), 81 O.R. (3d) 530 (C.A.)

v. Crompton Co./ Cie (2005), 78 O.R. (3d) 135 (C.A.)

Hill and Hill Farms Ltd. v. Bluewater (Municipality) (2005), 26 M.P.L.R. (4th) 20 (C.A.)

Peacock v. Norfolk (County) (2004), 73 O.R. (3d) 200 (S.C.J.)

R v. Crompton Co./ Cie (2004), 76 O.R. (3d) 758

Millgate Financial Corp. v. BCED Holdings Ltd. (2003), 47 C.B.R. (4th) 278 (S.C.J.)

Canadian Broadcasting Corp. Pension Plan v. BF Realty Holdings Ltd. (2002), 38 C.B.R. (4th) 13(Ont. C.A.)

920935 Ontario Inc. v. Sudbury (Regional Municipality) (2001), 22 M.P.L.R. (3d) 65 (Ont. C.A.)

Uniroyal Chemical Co. v. Ontario (Ministry of the Environment), [2000] O.E.A.B. No. 37

Philip Services Corp., Re (1999), 15 C.B.R. (4th) 107 (Ont. S.C.J.)

Ewaskiw v. Zellers Inc. (1998), 40 O.R. (3d) 795 (Gen. Div.)

Canadian Union of Public Employees (C.U.P.E.), Locals 1144 & 1590 v. Ontario (Superintendent of Pensions) (1998), 19 C.C.P.B. 54

Wellesley Central Hospital v. Ontario (Health Services Restructuring Commission H.S.R.C.) (1997), 151 D.L.R. (4th) 706 (Ont. Gen. Div.)

Pembroke Civic Hospital v. Ontario (Health Services Restructuring Commission H.S.R.C.) (1997), 102 O.A.C. 207 (Ont. C.A.)

Olympia & York Developments Ltd., Re (1997), 143 D.L.R. (4th) 536 (Ont. Gen. Div.)

Olympia & York Developments Ltd., Re (1997), 45 C.B.R. (3d) 100 (Ont. Gen. Div.)

Alldrew Holdings Ltd. v. Nibro Holdings Ltd. (1996), 91 O.A.C. 241 (Ont. C.A.)

Fidelity Bankers Life Insurance Co. (Deputy Receiver of) v. Dowsley (1996), 2 C.P.C. (4th) 45 (Ont. Gen. Div.)

Uniroyal Chemical Ltd. v. Kansa General Insurance Co. (1996), 89 O.A.C. 311

Central Capital Corporation, Re (1996), 27 O.R. (3d) 494 (Ont. C.A.)

APT Environment, Re (1995), 18 C.E.L.R. (N.S.) 180

Central Capital Corporation, Re (1995), 22 B.L.R. (2d) 210 (Ont. Gen. Div.)

Uniroyal Chemical Ltd., Re (1994), 15 C.E.L.R. (N.S.) 83 (Ont. Gen. Div.)

Tyre King Tyre Recycling Ltd. and Straza v. Director, West Central Region, Ontario Ministry of the Environment (1992), 9 C.E.L.R. (N.S.) 314

Uniroyal Chemical Ltd., Re (1992), 9 C.E.L.R. (N.S.) 151

Uniroyal Chemical Ltd., Re (1992), 9 C.E.L.R. (N.S.) 85

Dale v. Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. (1991), 5 C.C.L.I. (2d) 220 (Ont. C.A.)

Uniroyal Chemical Ltd. v. Ontario (Ministry of Environment), [1991] O.E.A.B. No. 3

Uniroyal Chemical Ltd., Re (1991), 6 C.E.L.R. (N.S.) 68

Uniroyal Chemical Ltd. v. Ontario (Ministry of Environment), [1990] O.E.A.B. No. 31

Dale v. Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. (1990), 47 C.C.L.I. (2d) 253 (Ont. H.C.J.)

Rigg v. Toronto (City) (1989), 46 M.P.L.R. 113 (Ont. H.C.J.)

Mar-Flite Ltd. v. Guardall Warranty Corp. (Trustee of) (1989), 75 C.B.R. (N.S.) 203

Metropolitan Toronto School Board v. Metropolitan Separate School Board (1987), 20 O.A.C. 400 (Ont. Div. Ct.)

Levita v. Board of Directors of Chiropractic, [1987] O.J. No. 21 (Div. Ct.)

Metropolitan Toronto School Board v. Foodcorp Ltd. (1986), 18 O.M.B.R. 395

Tien Kue Inn Ltd. v. Ontario (Minister of Transportation & Communications) (1984), 32 L.C.R. 224

Muskoka & Parry Sound Telephone Co. v. Ontario Telephone Development Corp. (1984), 32 L.C.R. 154

Essex (County) Roman Catholic Separate School Board v. Tremblay-Webster (1984), 45 O.R. (2d) 83 (C.A.)

392980 Ontario Ltd. v. Welland (City) (1984), 45 O.R. (2d) 165 (H.C.J.)

Essex (County) Roman Catholic Separate School Board v. Tremblay-Webster (1983), 142 D.L.R. (4th) 479 (Ont. Div. Ct.)

Black, Re (1982), 37 O.R. (2d) 219 (H.C.J.)

Repeatedly recognized by Best Lawyers in Canada as a leading lawyer in Administrative and Public Law, Corporate and Commercial Litigation and Environmental Law
Recognized as a leading practitioner in the 2016 Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory
National Research Council scholarship (declined)
The Advocates’ Society Award for Excellence in Teaching, June 2009

The Sopinka Cup Society, Secretary & Treasurer, Past President
The Advocates’ Society, Instructor and Past Director, Member of the Education Committee
Chair of the Arnup Cup Committee, The Advocates’ Society, since 1990
Ontario Centre for Advocacy Training, Instructor, since 1989
Arbitration and Mediation Institute of Ontario, Mediation and Arbitration Panel Member

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Notable Mandates

John acts for Pit and Quarry owners with respect to approvals under the Aggregate Resources Act.

John successfully defended a retailer in a multi-billion dollar class action relating to PVC mini-blinds containing a lead stabilizer. The action was dismissed early on a motion for summary judgment.

John acted in the leading case on the inspection powers of a Provincial Officer working for the Ministry of the Environment.

Reported Cases