Trent Skanes

About Trent

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Trent practices in the offshore oil and gas and energy sectors, with a particular focus on complex commercial arbitrations relating to offshore royalty disputes. Trent has assisted with numerous multi-year arbitrations involving offshore projects in Newfoundland and Labrador. Through this arbitration work, he is familiar with Newfoundland and Labrador’s legislative and regulatory regime governing the offshore industry. Trent also has experience in drafting and reviewing contracts in the energy and natural resources sector.

Beyond his offshore and energy related practice, Trent litigates commercial disputes and also advises on privacy law and access to information issues. He helps public and private sector clients comply with regulatory aspects of federal and provincial privacy and access to information laws, and assists clients when dealing with regulators. He is the past chair of the CBA-NL Privacy and Access law section.

Trent’s goal in every case is to work collaboratively with clients and other lawyers to find the most sensible legal solution, whether by settlement or formal court action. Trent brings a proven analytical mind and strong work ethic; he is a former Rhodes Scholarship finalist, was in the Top 5 of his law school, graduating with magna cum laude distinction, and was the recipient of the Memorial University Gold Medal as the top student in his undergraduate commerce program.

Trent’s representative court work includes:

• Currently involved in a lawsuit involving the operation of a cryptocurrency mining farm and contractual damages relating to the valuation of Bitcoin.
• Newfoundland and Labrador v. ExxonMobil Canada Properties, 2017 NLTD(G) 147: Part of the lawyer team that successfully upheld an arbitral award on behalf of interest holders of the Hibernia offshore project when the Province of NL sought to set aside the award.
• Eastern Regional Integrated Health Authority v Association of Registered Nurses of Newfoundland and Labrador, 2016 NLCA 18: Successfully upheld a lower court decision requiring the regional health authority to disclose quality assurance information necessary for the provincial nursing regulator to investigate member misconduct (the appeal decision was recognized by Lexpert as one of the top 10 business cases in Canada in 2016).

Outside of the office, Trent competes in various sports – especially curling. He currently sits on the board of directors for the St. John’s Curling Club Association, has represented Newfoundland and Labrador on the national stage multiple times, and still strives to compete at the Brier one day.