Allison Sears is a regulatory litigator and a member of Fasken’s Global Energy and Climate Group in Calgary. Her practice focuses primarily on energy and environmental matters. With experience before all levels of court in Alberta, Allison also represents clients in arbitrations, mediations, and regulatory proceedings before various federal and provincial regulators including the Canada Energy Regulator, the Alberta Energy Regulator, the Alberta Utilities Commission, the Environmental Appeals Board, and the Land and Property Rights Tribunal.
Allison represents clients in relation to all regulatory and environmental aspects of oil and gas and electricity developments, including facility approval proceedings for wells, pipelines, waste management facilities, power plants, hydroelectric generation facilities, and transmission lines. She also represents electric and gas utilities in rate regulation proceedings, and advises shippers on toll and tariff matters. Having acted for both market participants and the Independent System Operator in numerous regulatory proceedings, Allison has considerable expertise in Alberta’s power market.
With respect to environmental matters, in addition to advising clients on licensing requirements and enforcement issues, Allison has expertise in the remediation and reclamation of contaminated sites, and assists clients with all matters arising from spills, releases, and other emergencies. Seeing a growing trend of increased focus by regulators on compliance and enforcement matters, in 2017 Allison returned to school to pursue a Master of Laws focusing on criminal and regulatory prosecutions and other enforcement mechanisms. She enjoys assisting clients facing challenging investigation and enforcement issues.
