Overview
Matthew Lakatos-Hayward is an associate in Goodmans Environmental and Municipal and Land Development Group.
Matthew’s clients include developers and contractors, industrial and extractive industry businesses, investment funds, landowners, and farmers. He has also acted for municipalities and other public entities.
His area of practice focuses on environmental law and land-use planning matters. Matthew regularly advises and advocates on behalf of clients to secure approvals to redevelop and use lands, including with respect to planning approvals, municipal and construction approvals, environmental impact assessments, and environmental permits.
Matthew also provides environmental advice on a variety of commercial transactions, project-related matters, and environmental compliance. He advises on the environmental risks associated with transactions and commercial leasing.
Matthew is developing his practice in the defence of environmental prosecutions and environmental management systems. Matthew regularly advises clients on establishing and implementing appropriate environmental policies. He regularly assesses various industrial policies to determine the risk of contravening environmental laws. He also advises clients on responding to requests for environmental regulators and defends them against any environmental prosecution.
He also has experience working on a variety of intensification, infill, and greenfield development projects throughout the Greater Toronto Area and across Ontario.
Matthew has appeared before the Federal Court of Canada, the Ontario Superior and Divisional Courts, and Provincial Offences Court. He also regularly appears before various administrative tribunals, including the Ontario Land Tribunal, the Normal Farm Practices Protection Board, and the Toronto Local Appeal Body. He has also appeared before municipal councils, the Committee of Adjustment, and multi-party arbitrations and mediations.
Matthew is recognized in the area of Environmental law by The Legal 500 Canada.
Featured Work
- Westjet Group in its acquisition of Sunwing Airlines
- Brookfield Infrastructure in its $4 billion sale of Enwave Energy Corporation to two Canadian investors and two US investors
- Core FSC Lakeshore GP Inc., in successfully receiving approvals through an appeal to the Ontario Land Tribunal to construct a 26-storey tower in the City of Burlington
- Profile Product LLC in its acquisition of Sunterra Horticulture Inc., one of the largest producers of professional-grade sphagnum peat moss in Canada
Awards & Recognition
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The Legal 500 Canada Recommended, Environment 2022
Credentials
Professional Involvement
Matthew is an executive member of the Ontario Bar Association’s Environmental Law and Municipal Law Sections. He is involved in a number of mentorship initiatives for environmental law and LGBTQ2S+ professionals.
Credentials
- University of Ottawa, J.D., 2018, cum laude
- Carleton University, B.A., 2014, Political Science and Environmental Studies, Honours, High Distinction
Professional Affiliations
- Law Society of Ontario
- Canada Bar Association
- Ontario Bar Association
- The Advocates' Society
Call to Bar
- 2019 Ontario
Insights
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Environmental
OLT Clarifies When Municipalities May Prescribe Affordable Housing Requirements in Official Plans, Ontario Bar Association
Matthew Lakatos-Hayward is a contributor to the OBA Newsletter. This article appeared in the November 2023 issue.Excerpt from "OLT Clarifies When Municipalities May Prescribe Affordable Housing… -
Environmental
Supreme Court of Canada Holds Designated Projects Scheme Under the Impact Assessment Act is Unconstitutional
On October 13, 2023, the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) released its advisory decision regarding the constitutionality of the federal government’s environmental assessment (EA) regime in Reference re… -
Environmental
Ontario Amends the Mining Act to Streamline Closure Planning and Mineral Recovery Requirements
On May 18, 2023, the Province of Ontario granted Royal Assent to various amendments to the Mining Act through Bill 71, the Building More Mines Act, 2023 (“Bill 71”). The government’s stated purpose of… -
Municipal and Land Development
Site Alteration: Digging Into Municipal Authority on Excess Soils, Ontario Bar Association
Matthew Lakatos-Hayward is a contributor to the OBA Newsletter. This article appeared in the 2023 issue.Excerpt from "Site Alteration: Digging Into Municipal Authority on Excess Soils":This paper… -
Cleantech
Province of Ontario Proposes Establishment of a Clean Energy Credit Registry
On August 2, 2022, Ontario’s Ministry of Energy released its proposal for a clean energy credit registry (the “Registry”) for public comment on the Environmental Registry of Ontario (ERO). The… -
Municipal and Land Development
More Homes For Everyone Act, 2022: A First Step to Address Housing Affordability?
On March 30, 2022, the Ontario government introduced the More Homes For Everyone Act, 2022, also known as Bill 109, intended to implement certain recommendations from the Ontario Housing…
News & Events
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Municipal and Land Development
Matthew Lakatos-Hayward at OBA’s 2024 Ontario Legal Conference: Municipal, Planning & Environmental Law
Join Matthew Lakatos-Hayward on February 9th at 9:00 am for the Plenary: Significant Environmental Issues in Land Use Planning, session at OBA's Ontario Legal Conference… -
Environmental
Matthew Lakatos-Hayward at the OBA's Mastering Environmental Management: Crafting Environmental Management Systems and Policies
In this foundational session, a panel of environmental law experts will unpack what you need to know about the development and implementation of Environmental Management Systems (EMS). Through this… -
Environmental
Matthew Lakatos-Hayward at OBA’s Ontario Legal Conference: Municipal, Planning & Environmental Law
Join Matthew Lakatos-Hayward on February 10th at 9:00 am for the Plenary: Bill 23, More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022 session at OBA's Ontario Legal Conference: Municipal, Planning &…