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R. Max Collett

Partner
About

R. Max Collett is a leading real property, planning and environmental lawyer with a keen interest in the development of sustainable cities. 

Max advises public and private sector clients on a diverse range of projects, including the remediation and re-development of industrial brownfield sites, development of healthcare-related facilities, master planned communities, complex mixed-use strata developments and commercial joint ventures on First Nations lands. He regularly assists on property and environmental due diligence and consultation and accommodation-related matters with Indigenous Peoples for public infrastructure and institutional projects, including those undertaken pursuant to public-private partnerships. Max advises municipal, commercial and industrial clients on all aspects of regulatory compliance with environmental laws.

Max is an active member of the legal community, and currently is a Governor on the Board of Governors of the Law Foundation of British Columbia. He is contributing editor to numerous property and environmental law publications. 

Bar admissionsBritish Columbia, 1998

EXPERIENCE

  • Counsel on multiple joint ventures with Indigenous groups, including Townline Ventures and Musqueam for phase 2 of leləm̓, which means "home" in Musqueam's Halkomelem language, a 21.4 acre master-planned community in the University Endowment Lands adjacent to the University of British Columbia on land returned to the Musqueam First Nation by the provincial government as part of a reconciliation package.leləm̓ will house 2,500 residents within four 18-storey high-rises, several rows of townhouses and mid-rise apartment buildings, and will include rental housing, a community centre, day care, neighbourhood retail, a park and wetland area
  • Counsel to multiple regional districts, port authorities, health authorities and municipalities in British Columbia on the procurement, finance, design and construction of infrastructure development, transport and marine shipping terminals, community care and other health care facilities and master planned, mixed use communities
  • Counsel to Providence Health Care Society on the procurement of a development partner for the design and construction of a multi-building Clinical Support and Research Centre, part of phase one of construction at the new St Paul's Hospital, located in Vancouver, British Columbia, a 600,000 square feet medical and research complex with a multi-party ownership structure
  • Counsel on environmental, social and governance (ESG) matters, including indigenous relations to Royal Bank of Canada as the joint lead arranger in the C$6.6b financing of TC Energy's Coastal GasLink Pipeline project, whose route is between Dawson Creek, BC, and LNG Canada's LNG plant in Kitimat, BC
  • Counsel to numerous shipyard, tug boat and marine terminal operators in respect of leases with the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority and Transport Canada, environmental permitting associated with expansion of operations, spill response planning and regulatory compliance
  • Counsel (real property and environmental law) on legal team advising the province of British Columbia on the Broadway Subway Project, Vancouver, BC, and on the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain Extension Project
  • Counsel to the Porte group of companies in connection with establishing and advising real estate investment limited partnerships and managing the acquisition and development of commercial real estate portfolios, as well as counsel on numerous residential developments, including the "Origin" and "Lift" on long-term leased lands at Simon Fraser University's innovative UniverCity master planned community, Burnaby, BC
  • Counsel to Tsawwassen Development Power Centre Limited Partnership in connection with a 99-year land lease from Tsawwassen Nation on treaty lands, the joint venture greenfield development of municipal and infrastructure services, and the construction, finance and lease of Tsawwassen Commons, a landmark 550,000-sq.-ft. retail development in Tsawwassen, BC, together with the related leasing program
  • Counsel to BC Pavilion Corporation in the development of the Vancouver Convention Centre West, together with an integrated development by way of ground leases for a seaplane terminal, commercial retail podiums, and construction of a marina
  • Counsel to Canada Lands Company CLC Limited in the phased development of Glenlyon Business Parkand the phased re-development of Canadian Forces Base Chilliwack into the mixed-use 153-acre Garrison Crossing development and the 43-acre River's Edge residential community, Chilliwack, BC
Languages
  • English

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

Chambers Canada

  • Band 4, British Columbia Real Estate, (2023 – 2026)
  • Band 4, Nationwide - Canada Environment, (2024 – 2026)

Chambers Global

  • Band 4, Environment, (2024 – 2025)

The Legal 500 Canada

  • Leading Partner, Environment, (2025)
  • Recommended, Environment, (2014 – 2015, 2024)

Lexpert Special Edition

  • Leading Lawyer, Energy, (2025)
  • Listed, Energy and Mining, (2024)

Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory

  • Environmental Law, (2018 – 2025)
  • Leading Lawyer, Infrastructure Law, (2022 – 2023)
  • Property Development, (2022, 2024)
  • Aboriginal Law, (2023 – 2024)
  • Property Leasing, (2023)

Lexology Index Canada

  • Environment, (2025)

Best Lawyers in Canada

  • Municipal Law, (2024 – 2026)
  • Real Estate Law, (2013 – 2026)
  • Environmental Law, (2014 – 2026)
  • Commercial Leasing Law, (2015 – 2026)
  • Indigenous and First Nations Practice, (2016 – 2026)
  • Lawyer of the Year, Commercial Leasing Law, (2022)
Education
  • LL.B., Dalhousie University, 1996
  • Judicial Law Clerk, British Columbia Supreme Court, 1996 – 1997
  • B.A., University of British Columbia, 1992

Insight Overview

  • ‎ Contributing Editor, "Commercial Leasing Annotated Precedents," The Continuing Legal Education Society of BC, 2016 – present
  • "Project Development Partnerships with Indigenous Groups," Lexpert Insights, November 2022
  • "British Columbia intends to improve waste soil relocation regulations," Hazmat Magazine, March 24, 2019

Seminars

  • "Buying and Selling Contaminated Lands," Pacific Business & Law Institute, Vancouver, BC, October 2019 and November 2020
  • "Drafting the Deal: Words Matter," CLE BC Contaminated Land Clean Up Costs, Vancouver, BC, February 2018

Community Involvement

  • Law Foundation of British Columbia, Board of Governors
  • The Continuing Legal Education Society of British Columbia, "Advising British Columbia Businesses," Editorial Board Member
  • The Continuing Legal Education Society of British Columbia, "Commercial Leasing Annotated Precedents," Contributing Editor
  • Access Pro Bono, Volunteer
  • BC Environment Managers Association of British Columbia, Member
  • BC Business Council, Environmental Policy Advisory Group, Member

Memberships and Affiliations

  • Solicitors' Legal Opinions Committee of British Columbia, Member
  • Canadian Bar Association, Environmental, Energy and Resources Law Section, Executive Committee  
  • Canadian Bar Association, Real Property Subsection, BC Branch, Member
  • Canadian Bar Association, Environmental Law Subsection, BC Branch, Past Chair and Member
  • Law Society of British Columbia, Member
  • Canadian Environmental Law Forum, Participant