G. Todd Stanley, KC

Todd is the Managing Partner in the St. John’s office of Cox & Palmer. He joined Cox & Palmer as counsel after a career in the public service of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador which culminated with his appointment and service as Deputy Minister and Deputy Attorney General with the Department of Justice and Public Safety. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel (now King’s Counsel) in 2016.

Todd’s 16-year career with the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador included roles both as solicitor and in management. As solicitor, he acted as lead counsel for the province in a broad range of government’s commercial, regulatory and administrative activities. These included serving as lead counsel on major offshore energy developments, mega-project participation and financing, the creation and governance of Crown corporations, as well as participation in the drafting of the legislative frameworks governing the development of the province’s offshore.

The scope of his government practice also included involvement in all forms of public legal practice, including administrative law, constitutional law, regulatory enforcement, and human resources and collective bargaining matters.

Prior to serving in senior management as Deputy Minister and Deputy Attorney General, Todd also served in various management roles with the Department of Justice and Public Safety including as the head of government’s internal law firm.

Prior to joining government in 2001, Todd was an associate at Cox & Palmer for 5 years, practising in corporate commercial and energy and natural resources law, having articled with the firm upon graduation from the University of Toronto. Since rejoining Cox & Palmer in 2018, Todd has continued to advise clients on commercial, energy and environment related matters. In 2019, Todd was named to the Newfoundland and Labrador Oil and Gas Industry Recovery Taskforce. In 2023, Todd was named Managing Partner of our St. John’s office.

Experience

Deputy Minister and Deputy Attorney General of the Department of Justice and Public Safety of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador:

• Led an executive team of a department of approximately 1500 employees with a budget of $243 Million and responsible for the overall justice system including Public Prosecution, the Provincial and Supreme Courts, the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary, Adult and Youth Corrections, the Human Rights Commission, and the Legal Aid Commission, and a legal department of 35 solicitors, as well as the retention, instruction and monitoring of outside counsel
• Provided legal support to the political and executive leadership of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador

General counsel for the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador for energy-related matters, including:

• Lead counsel in the negotiation and conclusion of the original commercial arrangements on major offshore petroleum development projects
• Lead counsel on the drafting of the original generic petroleum royalty regime applicable in the Newfoundland and Labrador offshore
• Lead counsel on the creation and governance of the province’s energy crown corporation
• Lead counsel on Government preparation for energy mega-project development, including legislative amendments to establish the legal framework for the project and Government’s participation in the financing and structure of the project

General counsel on commercial transactions, including:

• Counsel respecting commercial involvement in the resource industries, including advice relating to financing transactions, regulation regimes, constitutional jurisdictions and responsibilities
• Counsel on bankruptcy and insolvency issues and proceedings, including CCAA proceedings
• Lead counsel on matters relating to equalization negotiations with the Government of Canada