Lawyers

Jason Hicks Partner

Jason is a senior business lawyer and co-managing partner of Bernard LLP.  He advises a broad spectrum of local, national and international clients on various contract, transaction and strategic business matters, with a particular emphasis on the marine industry and on the development and construction of major infrastructure projects.

In the marine sector, Jason drafts and negotiates sector-specific contracts such as vessel construction, marine engineering, charterparties, ocean technology, cargo terminal services, marine service, moorage, cargo transport, tug and tow, and waterlot licenses and leases.  He also advises on sector-specific matters such as Coasting Trade Act licences, vessel importation, and marine infrastructure development and construction. His work spans the British Columbia Pacific coast as well as the Great Lakes basin and the Canadian Arctic.

Jason also actively supports growth in the British Columbia marine sector as a longtime board member and the current Chair and President of the Association of British Columbia Marine Industries.

In the infrastructure sector, Jason has advised clients on the development, engineering, procurement and construction of more than twenty major infrastructure projects across Canada, in the USA, and elsewhere, for transportation, transit, hospital, LNG, residential and other infrastructure. These projects have been procured under various models including P3, design-build, EPC, and construction management.

More generally, Jason represents and advises business clients on a broad range of legal matters, including business purchase and sale transactions, business structuring, shareholder agreements, negotiation of strategic partnerships and joint ventures, corporate and organizational governance, and Indigenous business arrangements.

Jason joined Bernard LLP in 2017.  Prior to that, he was an in-house lawyer for more than a decade, first at the Vancouver International Airport Authority, then at the Infrastructure Construction division of SNC-Lavalin, and most recently as senior local counsel at Pacific NorthWest LNG.   Jason’s advice and guidance typically encompassed legal as well as strategic, commercial, risk, and corporate governance considerations.

Jason began his legal career as an articling student and associate in the Vancouver office of a national law firm, practising business law with a particular emphasis on contracts and real estate development. Prior to entering law school, Jason enjoyed a successful career in business.

Representative Cases

• Represented a large regional construction contractor in the successful pursuit and closing of a hospital design-build-finance project.
• Advised a local marine services company on the shipbuilding contract for a battery-electric tugboat.
• Advised a major marine export terminal developer on an infrastructure design defect dispute.
• Advised a multinational industrial company on the drafting and negotiation of the contract for the design, construction and long-term charter of a purpose-built Great Lakes cargo vessel.
• Advised a local ocean technology company on a development contract for autonomous underwater vessels.

Professional and Other Affiliations

• British Columbia Bar, 2005
• Law Society of B.C.
• Canadian Bar Association
• Business, Construction, and Maritime Law sections of the CBA
• Association of British Columbia Marine Industries: Board member and Chair of the Governance Committee since 2019, Chair of the Board and President since 2025

Other Interests

Outside of work, Jason enjoys sea-kayaking, cross-country skiing, running, hiking, camping, enjoying BC wines, making cocktails, and travel.  Jason has travelled to more than 30 countries across 5 continents, lived in 3 countries, and is proficient in Japanese.

Areas of Practice

• Admiralty and Maritime
• Business Law
• Infrastructure Development and Construction