Charles W. Bois

Charles has been able to combine his business and energy experience with his legal expertise to become a trusted adviser on commercial, administrative and regulatory, Aboriginal, and environmental matters (such as permitting, climate change, GHG emissions trading, and offsets), as well as mining, energy (including oil, gas, hydro, and sustainable and renewable energy), and construction and infrastructure matters. He works with and represents clients before the BC Utilities Commission, the BC Oil and Gas Commission, the BC Labour Relations Board, the National Energy Board, the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board, and the Yukon Environmental Assessment Board.

Charles advises a diverse client base that includes Crown corporations, government departments and agencies, utilities, industrial consumers, independent power producers, contractors, and other clients. He works to help them understand and assess issues and achieve their goals.

Prior to attending law school at the University of British Columbia, Charles worked extensively in the natural gas industry and has experience in regulatory and environmental issues, construction of natural gas plants and pipelines, contract negotiations, marketing, systems, and project management.  Prior to becoming a lawyer, Charles prepared submissions to the National Energy Board, Environmental Boards, and various state and provincial utility commissions. He participated in numerous industry task forces coordinating and addressing a variety of business and regulatory issues in the natural gas industry. Charles also negotiated natural gas and natural gas by-products supply and sales agreements.

In his spare time, Charles has been deeply involved in the energy industry and community activities. He regularly volunteers at a pro bono legal clinic organized by the Access to Justice Society and is an instructor at the Law Society of British Columbia’s Professional Legal Training Course. He is an active member of many energy industry associations. Charles is currently an Executive Director of the non-profit Canadian Institute of Energy (BC). He was a director of: the non-profit Naval Officer’s Association of British Columbia; the non-profit Langley Community Music School; St. Andrews Hall, a Presbyterian College; and the College of Applied Biologists.