Matthew D. Keen
Partner
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP
Related services and key industries
Biography
Matt Keen is an energy regulatory lawyer who practises in the inter-related areas of energy law, environmental assessment and permitting, tolls and tariffs, and issues concerning Indigenous peoples. He appears before the courts and tribunals such as the British Columbia Utilities Commission, Environmental Appeal Board, Alberta Utilities Commission, and the Canada Energy Regulator.
Matt has extensive experience with major industrial facilities. He assists clients with environmental assessment and permitting processes, permit compliance, and disputes. These have included pipeline and powerline transmission facilities, upstream hydrocarbon developments, and downstream LNG infrastructure. He has participated in environmental assessment, joint review panel, and Royal Commission processes on behalf of major pipeline, energy and large industrial proponents. He assists clients facing environmental and regulatory investigations, and has defended environmental prosecutions in court.
He has also represented clients in a broad spectrum of toll and tariff proceedings concerning electricity, natural gas and crude oil pipelines, in BC, Alberta and Ontario. He has acted for pipeline shippers and major industrial electricity customers, as well as utilities and energy trading companies.
Before joining us in 2011, Matt practised at a prominent national law firm in Calgary for five years, and clerked at the Alberta Court of Appeal and the Alberta Court of Queen's Bench. He also briefly worked for a large oil and gas producer before law school and holds an undergraduate chemical engineering degree.
Professional experience
Collapse allLL.B. / BCL, McGill University, 2005
B.A.Sc., University of Ottawa, 2002
- Alberta 2006
- British Columbia 2011
Matters in which Matt has acted include:
- Representing a major industrial operator defend water rights necessary for power generation against a novel tort claim based on asserted Indigenous rights in a landmark 187-day trial before the BC Supreme Court
- Representing Alberta's transmission system planner and operator before the Alberta Utilities Commission and Alberta Court of Appeal with respect to multiple electricity tariff issues
- Advising an electric distribution utility, district energy provider, electric vehicle charging network developer, and several government agencies concerning a variety of energy regulation issues
- Environmental assessment and natural gas export licence proceedings for a major LNG proponent in BC
- Advising a variety of energy customers and service providers concerning LNG developments and associated transactions
- Advising an industry consortium in its application for federal and provincial environmental assessment authorizations for a greenfield liquid hydrocarbon pipeline and marine terminal
- Appearances before environmental and energy regulators concerning emissions permits, contaminated sites and water rights issues
- Participation and appearances in natural gas pipeline facility applications before the NEB (now CER) on behalf of a major pipeline company proponent
- Appearances in revenue requirement and rate design proceedings for natural gas and electricity utilities on behalf of customer groups in BC and Alberta
- Participation and appearances in crude oil pipeline toll and tariff proceedings before the NEB (now CER) and BCUC on behalf of shippers
- Best Lawyers in Canada: Energy Law, Energy Regulatory Law, 2016-2025; Environmental Law, Natural Resources Law, Oil and Gas Law, 2025
- Chambers Canada, Nationwide: Energy - Power (Regulatory), Chambers and Partners, 2019-2025
- Chambers Global, Canada: Energy - Power (Regulatory), Chambers and Partners, 2021-2024
- Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, 2021-2024: recommended in Aboriginal Law; 2017-2024: recommended in Energy (Electricity); 2016-2024: recommended in Energy (Oil & Gas); 2022-2024: recommended in Environmental Law
- Legal 500 Canada: Energy and natural resources: Power (Leading Partners), 2024-2025; (Next Generation Partners), 2019-2023
- Chambers Canada, British Columbia: Energy - Provincial Regulatory and Litigation, Chambers and Partners, 2017-2021
- Canadian Bar Association
- Administrative, Environmental, Natural Resources, Aboriginal law sections
- Vancouver Bar Association
Insights
Yatar: Supreme Court of Canada allows judicial review
Publication | April 3, 2024
Winds of change: Alberta provides policy guidance for renewable generation projects
Publication | March 1, 2024
Global offshore wind: Canada
Publication | March 01, 2024