Simon Barker
Email me at simonbarker@bellnet.ca
Simon Barker’s law practice is purposely restricted to transportation law and insurance law involving transportation issues, with a focus on maritime law, and his practice today is a mixture of litigation and solicitor's advice. He represents varied interests in the transportation chain such as ship-owners, other carriers, cargo interests, freight forwarders, marine underwriters, marine surveyors, ship fumigation companies, oil spill response organizations, port authorities, environmental groups and a number of law firms both domestic and international.
Over the course of the last 26 years, Simon's clients have included both the private and public sector, and his work on occasion takes him out of the office conducting investigations, inspections and participating in exercises and drills.
Barry and Simon first associated their practices back in November 1999, when Simon left the Department of Justice, Canada. In 2004 Simon opened the Eastern office of Oland & Co., which today is located in Peterborough Ontario.
When he was with the Department of Justice, Canada, Simon served as counsel to Transport Canada an in particular to the Canadian Coast Guard. As well as being involved in specific Coast Guard operations, Simon assisted in a number of legislative drafting exercises. He helped draft amendments to the Canada Shipping Act in addition to a number of its regulations and technical standards. Since leaving government service, Simon has continued in this area of practice. In 2002, Simon helped the South Pacific Commission, a regional organization, draft ship safety regulations for the South Pacific region based upon the International SOLAS Convention. In the Spring of 2004 Simon worked with the United Nations Peacekeeping Forces in Cyprus as part of a team working towards the proposed re-unification of the island. Simon's role in Cyprus was to chair a technical working committee comprised of Turkish and Greek Cypriots drafting fifty (50) marine related laws needed in the event that the island is re-united.
Simon received his early academic training in the United Kingdom where he obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Law and a Master's Degree in Marine Law from the University of Wales. He obtained his Canadian law Degree from Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia.
Simon has appeared as counsel in the Federal Court of Canada, the Ontario Supreme Court, the Ontario Divisional Court, the Ontario Court of Justice, the Supreme Court of British Columbia, and before the Canadian Transportation Agency. Simon is currently the Past Chair of the Canadian Bar Association, National Maritime Law Section.
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