Edward L. Wilson

Ed practices in the real estate and municipal law fields with a specialty in real estate development.

Ed has assisted clients in such projects as: redevelopment of industrial sites to permit multi-family residential uses; heritage designation and density bonusing arrangements; rezoning and redevelopment of shopping centres; development of office and industrial parks; development of numerous condominium projects; development and marketing of strata title hotels; restructuring of strata corporation bylaws; purchase of abandoned mining towns; development of mine sites; subdivision of pulp mills and saw mills; assisting municipalities on the redevelopment of downtown urban centres; and commercial lease negotiations for a wide variety of tenants and landlords.

Ed has been involved in large land assemblies, subdivisions, bare land strata plans, real estate acquisitions, financings, sales, and structuring forms of ownership and transactions.

Ed has provided advice to private proponents on public-private partnership matters particularly relating to medical infrastructure and transportation projects.

Working closely with vendors, purchasers and developers, Ed is a trusted advisor in connection with property and development projects spanning a wide variety of commercial, residential, industrial, resort and financing matters. Ed also provides advice on environmental matters in connection with real property.

Ed’s expertise also includes advising clients on the development of standard form documentation in the real estate, strata management and mortgage broker fields and advising professional practicing in those fields.

Ed has been retained by the B.C. Law Society to provide advice on complaints against members and insurance claims in the real estate field. Ed has acted for the Provincial Government and the Land Title and Survey Authority in the development of amendments to the Land Title Act to facilitate the Electronic Filings System and the Digital Plan System. Ed assisted the BC Real Estate Association in drafting sample legislation, much of which found it way into the Real Estate Services Act.

Recognition and Ranking

• Martindale-Hubbell International Law Directory: BV Peer Review rated
• Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory: repeatedly recommended as a Leading Practitioner for property development
• Best Lawyers in Canada: recognized for real estate law
• The Continuing Legal Education Society of BC: 2007 BC Leaders in Learning Award

Professional Activities

• Canadian Council for Public & Private Partnerships, Member
• Mortgage Brokers Association of B.C., Member
• National Association of Industrial & Office Properties, Member
• SPA – Strata Property Agents of British Columbia, Associate Member
• Urban Development Institute, Member

Canadian Bar Association

• Municipal Law and Environmental Subsections Member
• Vancouver Real Property Subsection (“VRPS”), Chair; Executive Committee Member; Strata Property Act Committee Member; Standard Form Undertaking Letter Committee Chair; Real Estate Act Amendment Committee Member; Personal Property Security Act Committee Member
• Presentations on a variety of topics including: Standard Form Contract of Purchase and Sale, Property Law Act, Standard Form Undertaking Letter, Title Insurance, and Electronic Filing
• VRPS Title Insurance Committee, Chair
• CBA Representative on BC Real Estate Association’s Standard Form Committee
• Land Title and Survey Authority Electronic Filing Committee, CBA Representative

Law Society of BC

• Retained by the Law Society to advise on real estate fraud prevention measures
• Retained by the Law Society and Lawyer’s Insurance Fund to advise on complaints against members and insurance claims in the real estate field
• Law Society of B.C. Task Force on Lawyers Selling Real Estate – 2003 – 2004, Member
• Law Society of B.C. Conveyancing Practices Task Force – 2002, Member

Community Activities

• Take a Hike Youth at Risk Society, Board Member
• Medallion Housing Society, Board Member
• Vancouver Curling Club, Former Board Member

Bar Admissions

• British Columbia (1983)

Education

• Simon Fraser University (B.A., 1979)
• University of British Columbia (LL.B., 1982)

Ed has assisted clients in such projects as:

• Redevelopment of industrial sites to permit multi-family residential uses
• Heritage designation and density bonusing arrangements
• Rezoning and redevelopment of shopping centres
• Development of office and industrial parks
• Development of numerous condominium projects
• Development and marketing of strata title hotels
• Marketing of real estate projects located outside of BC in BC
• Restructuring of strata corporation bylaws
• Development of mine sites
• Subdivision of pulp mills and saw mills
• Assisting municipalities on the redevelopment of downtown urban centres
• Lease negotiations for a wide variety of tenants and landlords
• Drafting standard form documents to be used by members of professional associations in the real estate field
• Advising owners of industrial properties to market their properties for higher and better uses
• Negotiating long term ground leases for industrial users