John S. Haythorne LL.B., P.Eng, B.Sc., Partner

John is both the Vancouver and the National Team Leader of FMC’s P3 team. He practises in the areas of construction, engineering and infrastructure, with special emphasis on negotiating, drafting and advising on contracts. He is particularly experienced in public-private partnerships, advising owners on the structure and administration of procurement and legal issues relating to design and construction. He has acted for municipal, healthcare authorities and the Province of British Columbia advising on the law relating to tenders, requests for proposals and complex procurements. John began his career practising in construction litigation.  

In addition to providing advice on engineering and construction matters, John has also advised clients on a variety of other technical projects including ship building and repair, and truck transportation including waste collection. John is a Registered Professional Engineer, and prior to entering law he worked as a Professional Engineer on infrastructure projects. His unique background as an engineer allows him to focus on practical and workable solutions for clients.

From 1997-1998, John was the President of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia. He then served on the national Canadian Council of Professional Engineers from 2000 to 2002. John is a frequent lecturer on all matters relating to construction law, procurement and P3s.

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Representative Work
Counsel to BC Hydro on the "Site C Project" (a 900 megawatts hydroelectric project in British Columbia with an estimate capital cost of approximately $6 billion Cdn), acting as general counsel for finance, construction, procurement and commercial matters
South Fraser Perimeter Road (Gateway Program) - counsel to the design-build joint venture for the Fraser Transportation Group (led by Dragados) on this major highway project, achieved financial close July 14, 2010
RCMP Division E Relocation Project - counsel to the Government of Canada as senior procurement and construction counsel; Client Department of Justice on behalf of its Public Works and Government Services Canada and RCMP. This was the first major accommodation project by Canada achieved financial close in April, 2010.
Acted as counsel for the Design Build Joint Venture for a short-listed Proponent on the South Fraser Perimeter Road Project
Acted as counsel (particularly procurement and construction) to the owner on the Canada Line Richmond/Airport/Vancouver rapid transit project (approximately $2 billion)
Teaching Roles
Lecturer, P3s, Sauder School of Business and Department of Civil Engineering, University of British Columbia
Lecturer, Professional Ethics, University of British Columbia Applied Science Department
Lecturer, Evening Courses on Law Architecture and Engineering, University of British Columbia
Lecturer, Faculty of Engineering, Simon Fraser University
Lecturer, Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia, Professional Development Seminars on Engineering Law
Lecturer, Architectural Institute of British Columbia, Contract Issues
Prior Speaking Engagements
Presenter, "Green Building Litigation Update", Greenbuild International Conference and Expo, Toronto, October 6, 2011
Co-Presenter, "Good Tendering Practices After Tercon", Master Municipal Construction Documents Association, March 23, 2011
Presenter, First Annual SWANA Pacific Chapter Training and Spring Conference, Harrison Hot Springs, March 18, 2011
Presenter, "Project Management – Avoiding the Pitfalls of Delays", Pacific Business & Law Institute - Construction Law: Practical Guidelines for Doing Business in 2010, Vancouver, May 7, 2010
Co-presenter with Karen Martin, "Utilizing Project Scheduling as an Effective Management Tool" and "Advanced Guide to Drafting Tender Documents and Construction Contracts", The Canadian Institute's 2nd Annual Construction Superconference, Regina, April 21-23, 2010
Contact Information
Vancouver
+1 604 691 6456
john.haythorne@fmc-law.com
Year of Call
1981 (British Columbia)
Education
University of British Columbia, LL.B., 1980
Registered Professional Engineer, 1977
University of British Columbia, B.Sc. (Civil), 1975
Languages Spoken
English