Thor is an associate in Fasken’s Vancouver office practising in litigation and dispute resolution. His practice focuses on complex commercial disputes, regulatory proceedings, and civil appeals, where he represents corporate clients from a range of industries, including natural resources, real estate development, technology, and banking.
Thor regularly works on procedurally demanding litigation, including multi-party disputes, regulatory enforcement matters, and insolvency proceedings. He has experience with summary judgment and hybrid proceedings, and regularly acts on civil appeals.
Prior to joining Fasken, Thor clerked for six Justices of the Supreme Court of British Columbia, where he gained insight into judicial decision-making across a broad range of civil matters.
Before becoming a lawyer, Thor spent nearly a decade working as a bartender and bar manager. That experience informs his practical, client-focused approach to communication, responsiveness, and judgment under pressure.
Thor serves as referral counsel for Access Pro Bono’s Court of Appeal program, providing legal assistance to individuals who would otherwise be unable to access representation. His published research on trauma-informed approaches to evidence law, recognized by the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation, reflects the integrative approach he brings to complex litigation problems.
Commercial and insolvency-related disputes
Thor acts as counsel on complex commercial litigation matters, with a particular focus on receivership- and insolvency-related proceedings, partnerships, and large-scale real estate developments. His representative experience includes:
- Counsel for a secured creditor in closely contested receivership and insolvency proceedings relating to the Bear Mountain development, involving a court-ordered sales process, competing creditor interests, and issues of jurisdiction, corporate law, partnership law, and civil procedure: Sanovest Holdings Ltd. v. Ecoasis Developments LLP, 2025 BCSC 1504; Ecoasis Developments LLP v. Sanovest Holdings Ltd., 2025 BCSC 991; Sanovest Holdings Ltd. v. Ecoasis Developments LLP, 2026 BCSC 141.
- Counsel in related proceedings addressing creditor rights and enforcement strategy within the same broader commercial dispute, including issues arising from the intersection of contractual rights, insolvency remedies, and parallel civil litigation: Sanovest Holdings Ltd. v. Matthews, 2026 BCSC 551.
Regulatory defence and administrative proceedings
Thor assists clients in regulatory enforcement matters and administrative proceedings involving significant financial exposure and complex statutory regimes. His experience includes:
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Counsel in an administrative penalty proceeding under B.C.’s Environmental Management Act involving seven-figure penalty exposure reduced by 90% on review. The matter raised complex questions of permit interpretation, promissory estoppel, and regulatory compliance.
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Assisting with administrative penalty proceedings under environmental and natural resource regulatory regimes, including matters arising in the mining sector.
Appellate and complex legal issues
Thor acts on civil appeals involving a range of commercial, corporate, equitable, and procedural issues. His representative experience includes:
- Counsel for the successful appellants in Brillion Homes Ltd. v. Tony Hayre Management Services Ltd., 2026 BCCA 303, obtaining the reversal of significant portions of a trial judgment in a commercial dispute involving contract interpretation, unjust enrichment, and corporate liability.
- Counsel for the successful respondent in an unreported Court of Appeal for British Columbia decision dismissing an appeal from an order striking a claim for equitable compensation arising from alleged breaches of the B.C. Business Corporations Act’s director disclosable-interest provisions.