Gowling WLG
Gowling WLG is an international law firm with over 1,500 legal professional worldwide and a Canadian team of more than 700 legal professionals in seven cities across the country. The firm provides clients with in-depth knowledge in key global sectors including energy, financial services, life sciences, natural resources, infrastructure, real estate, and tech.
Gowling WLG provides a broad array of legal services from corporate and litigation to environmental and intellectual property (IP), with a knowledgeable team focused on the energy sector. Alison Gray and Alex Sadvari are co-heads of a dedicated BioEnergy Group that was formed in 2021 when Gowling WLG began to create different subsectors of their larger Energy Group.
Alison is a litigator who has been practicing in Calgary since 2004. Her primary area of interest was energy disputes in oil and gas and regulatory work. She joined the BioEnergy Group because a lot of the same regulatory processes and structures around transactions are similar to oil and gas. Alison shares that “The evolution of the Energy Group to look at different energy sources such as nuclear, hydro, and bioenergy, developed as our clients, who were traditionally focused on oil and gas, were shifting attention to different renewable energy sources. We are helping them to be at the forefront by providing services with transactional work, and the regulatory side, dealing with government, and permitting. Within our Energy Group and BioEnergy Group we are able to provide solid A to Z legal services for whatever issues arise.”
Alex is a lawyer and partner in Gowling WLG’s Toronto-based Environmental Law Group, with expertise in the areas of environmental law, renewable energy, land use planning, and development law. Alex shares that “I began my career when there was a big push in Ontario for renewable energy with the FIT programs. After a year-long secondment with Ontario Power Generation Inc. as their in-house environmental counsel, I returned to Gowling WLG where I work with many waste management and agricultural clients who are currently producing or looking to produce biogas.” Alex was elected to the Canadian Biogas Association’s Board of Directors in March 2022 and has a personal and professional passion for Canadian biogas and RNG.
The BioEnergy Group at Gowling WLG provides a full suite of legal services to their biogas clients. With their depth of talent and knowledge they are able to provide timely assistance to a variety of client needs. They have advised biogas clients on forming joint ventures, complying with and maximizing credits under federal regulations, negotiating contracts and more. Since its formation, the BioEnergy Group has seen increased interest from a broader section of the energy industry in how they can be involved amid a greater push to reduce emissions.
Gowling WLG has been member of the Canadian Biogas Association (CBA) since 2021. They are happy to be associated with the CBA because they feel the CBA really adds value to the industry and are at the forefront of communicating and furthering opportunities in the sector.
