- Valeria del Aguila (She/her)
- Phone:902-491-5221
- Fax:902-421-3130
- Email:

John is a partner in Cox & Palmer’s commercial litigation group. He routinely assists clients with all manner of contractual and property claims, such as those involving construction, real property, leasing, shareholders, director and officers, and fraud.
Experience
John understands that his clients need efficient and strong representation to cost-effectively tackle their complex matters. That is why he focuses on providing strategic advice that is both timely and personalized. Clients also benefit from his past legal experience, which includes successfully appearing at all levels of Court in Nova Scotia. Some recent examples are:
- Overturning a residential tenancies decision on appeal.
Simmons v. Burglund - Obtaining significant security for costs.
SaltWire Network Inc. v. Groupe Des Medias Transcontinental de la Nouvelle-Ecosse Inc. - Securing over $1 million in contractual damages.
Weihai Taiwei Haiyang Aquatic Food Co. Ltd. v. Atlantic Sea Cucumber Ltd. - Bringing summary judgment for over $3 million in fraudulently converted funds.
Millbrook First Nation v Dawn Ellis-Abbott et al. - Upholding a commercial lease agreement on appeal.
Pothier v. Parkland Fuel Corporation. - Defending a national retailer in a slip and fall case.
Ricketts v. Best Buy Canada Ltd.
John has also been successful in mediations, judicial settlement conferences, and commercial arbitrations.
In addition to practicing at Cox and Palmer, he is a part-time faculty member at Dalhousie’s Schulich School of Law where he teaches the Corporate Securities Moot Team. He is also a member-at-large for the Canadian Bar Association’s National Construction and Infrastructure Law section and Vice-President of the Nova Scotia Bar Association’s Construction Law section. He has presented for the Advocates Society and is a member of the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society.
Bar Admission
- Nova Scotia (2016)
Law School
- Dalhousie University Schulich School of Law
Education
- St. Francis Xavier University (BA Distinctions, 2012)
- Dalhousie University (JD, 2015)
Community & Volunteer Activities
- Current member-at-large of CBA National Construction and Infrastructure Law Executive
- Current part-time faculty member at Dalhousie’s Schulich School of Law – Corporate Securities Moot Team
- Current member of Cox & Palmer’s Student Recruitment Committee
- Past President of Law Game Canada (2015)
- Past member of Dalhousie Law Dean Search Committee (2015)
Law Society Memberships
- Nova Scotia Barristers' Society
- Canadian Bar Association
Languages
- English
- Renovictions Done Right
- Rent-to-own Agreement: Best Practices and Key Considerations
- Construction Contracts & Why You Should Have One
- Have Your Contracts Stood Up Against the Pandemic?
- Landlord Protection Against Frequent, Short-Term Sublets
- Preparing for the Builders’ Lien and Prompt Payment Act
- Recent Changes Affect Parental and Maternity Leave in Atlantic Canada
- Employee Bonuses After Dismissal: When Are They Owed?