John C. MacPherson, KC

About John

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With 40 years of experience, John is a partner in our Halifax office whose principal areas of practice include administrative, energy, environmental, labour and employment, and education law.

In his practice within the energy sector, John is lead counsel for the local natural gas distributor in Nova Scotia, having represented the company before the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board (“NSUARB”) when it was granted its franchise. He regularly appears before the NSUARB in respect of regulatory matters for the company, as well as other utilities. He has also represented a major international energy company in a commercial arbitration relating to the pricing of natural gas.

He also represents employers in all aspects of labour relations, including the negotiation of collective agreements. He has been involved in over 200 labour-related arbitrations and an estimated 100 hearings before various provincial and federal administrative tribunals, including the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission and Boards of Inquiry; the Labour Relations Board of Nova Scotia; the Labour Standards Tribunal; and the Workers’ Compensation Appeal Tribunal, among others. These areas of dispute range from the termination of employment and human rights issues to multi-million dollar pension disputes.

John also has experience participating as a third party adjudicator both as an arbitrator under the Trade Union Act and a Board of Appeal under the Education Act, and an adjudicator under the Canada Labour Code. He is lead counsel for several School Boards in Atlantic Canada and makes regular appearances before various boards and all levels of court in Nova Scotia.

Since 2006, John has been recognized by Best Lawyers® Canada for his practice in Energy Law, Environmental Law, Labour and Employment law; and Education Law. He was named 2014 Halifax Environmental “Lawyer of the Year” by the same publication and is also ranked in Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory. He was also named “Lawyer of the Year” by Best Lawyers® Canada 2023 for Labour & Employment.

John is a member of the Canadian Bar Association, the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society, the Canadian Energy Law Foundation, and the Canadian Association for the Practical Study of the Law and Education (CAPSLE). He is also Chair of the Board of Directors of the Nova Scotia Dragonboat Society and a former Chair of Sport Nova Scotia. John is a past member of the Environmental Control Council, the Arbitration and Mediation Institute of Nova Scotia, and the Law Foundation of Nova Scotia.