Patrick Harrington
-
Toronto
- Bio
- Awards & Recognition
- Professional Involvement
- Representative Matters
- Selected Speaking Engagements
- Selected Publications
- Insights
- Education
Patrick has a patient and engaging approach to municipal and land use planning matters. He excels at narrowing issues through research and consensus and devising comprehensive solutions acceptable to all parties within the legal and political framework. A strong written and oral advocate with a background in Theatre Arts, Patrick is outstanding at crafting his clients’ positions into compelling and persuasive cases.
Patrick is a member of the firm's Municipal & Land Use Planning Group. He frequently appears before the Ontario Land Tribunal (formerly the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal), seeking or opposing development approvals for a broad range of clients. Patrick regularly advises municipalities, private businesses, landowners, property managers and ratepayer groups on a broad range of regulatory matters, including zoning and Building Code infractions, by-law interpretation, sign regulation, property standards, development charges and minor variances. Patrick also represents private/public housing landlords and tenants on a variety of matters before the Landlord and Tenant Board.
Patrick advocates for both public and private sector clients on motions, actions, applications and appeals before the Superior Court of Justice, the Divisional Court, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada.
Awards & Recognition
- Recognized in The Best Lawyers in Canada in the field of Municipal Law
- Recognized in The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory as a leading lawyer in the area of Property Development
- Recipient of the Bereskin & Parr Award in Industrial and Intellectual Property as well as the Law Society of Upper Canada Prize
- Graduated from the University of Western Ontario with distinction, placing on the Dean's Honour List his last two years
Professional Involvement
Professional Activities
- Patrick regularly assists with editing the firm’s Municipal and Land Use Planning Newsletter.
- Patrick is a frequent contributor and speaker at professional, industry and continuing legal education seminars, has authored a number of published articles and contributed to various texts.
Memberships
- Canadian/Ontario Bar Association (Municipal Law, Administrative Law, and Civil Litigation Sections)
- Urban Land Institute
- BILD GTA
Representative Matters
Represented Lakeview Community Partners Limited throughout the Lakeview Village project, a development on Mississauga’s former industrial waterfront, including site acquisition, development applications, advocacy, approvals and implementation.
Represented Urbancore Developments in the development of Roxboro, a $400 million master-planned community in Hamilton.
Selected Speaking Engagements
"Condo 201 Workshop," BILD Toronto, February 6, 2025.
"Condo 101 Workshop: The Foundations," August 20, 2024.
"Update on the Planning Landscape and What Does It Look Like Now," LandPRO Conference, April 3, 2024.
"Update on Bill 23," LandPRO Conference, March 1, 2023.
Selected Publications
"Bill 17 and the Push to Build: How Ontario Plans to Speed Up Development," Aird & Berlis LLP, Municipal & Planning Law Bulletin, May 16, 2025.
"Ontario Seeks Feedback on Pay-on-Demand Surety Bonds to Secure Land Use Planning Obligations," Aird & Berlis LLP, Municipal & Planning Law Bulletin, September 27, 2024.
"Bill 185, Cutting Red Tape to Build More Homes Act, 2024 Receives Royal Assent," Co-Author, Aird & Berlis LLP, Municipal & Planning Law Bulletin, June 7, 2024.
"First Reading of Bill 185 and the Draft 2024 Provincial Planning Statement," Co-Author, Aird & Berlis LLP, Municipal & Planning Law Bulletin, April 12, 2024.
"Ontario Introduces Bill 162: The Get It Done Act, 2024," co-author with Laura Dean, Aird & Berlis LLP, Municipal & Planning Law Bulletin, February 29, 2024.
"Analyzing Bill 97, the Helping Homebuyers, Protecting Tenants Act, 2023," co-author with Jasmine Fraser and Matthew Helfand, Aird & Berlis LLP, Municipal & Planning Law Bulletin, April 2023.
Ontario Planning Legislation & Commentary, 2023 Edition (and previous editions), co-author with Andrea Skinner, LexisNexis Canada.
"Ontario's New Land Use Planning Appeals Regime: An Overview of What Has Changed," Public Sector Digest, Summer 2018.
"Bill 73 Amendments to the Planning Act," Aird & Berlis LLP, Municipal & Planning Law Bulletin, December 2015.
"Smoke in the Air," CondoBusiness, August 2007.
"Complete Planning Applications: How the Rules Have Changed," Aird & Berlis LLP, Municipal & Planning Law Newsletter, June 2007.
"Conflict in the Air," Canadian Property Management, May/June 2007.
"Neighbourhood Gadabouts - The Problem of Short Term Rentals and How to Solve It," 2 Digest of Municipal & Planning Law (2d), July 2006.
"Annotation: Rexlington Heights Ltd. v. R., (2006)," 15 M.P.L.R. (4th) 117, co-author with John Mascarin.
Contributor, Annotated Ontario Building Code Act, 2006, Markham: LexisNexis Canada Inc., 2005.
“Signs – Regulation, Taxation and Enforcement,” presentation by Christopher J. Williams and Patrick J. Harrington, presented at the 2011 OBA Institute, Municipal Law Section.
The Lawyer’s Weekly, “Toronto Growth Plan Conformity Amendment Refused,” September 2010.
“Employment Land Conversions - A Review of Ontario Municipal Board Decisions Dealing with the Conversion of Employment Lands,” by Steven A. Zakem and Patrick J. Harrington, presented at The Six-Minute Municipal Lawyer 2010, May 12, 2010.
FRPO, “It’s Good Enough - Relying on the Discretionary Power of the Property Standard Committee,” November 9, 2009.
“Pandemic Planning for Landlords,” Federation of Rental Housing Providers, September 18, 2009.
“Growth Plan Conversion Conundrum - Knowledge is Power – Essential Information for Municipalities,” September 18, 2009.
“Dealing with the Past – Issues of Grandfathering and Legal Non-Confirmity under Section 45 of the Planning Act," presentation by Patricia A. Foran and Patrick J. Harrington, OACA, September 25, 2009.
“Standard of Review and the Test for Leave to Appeal - Is It Time To Modify The Latter To Include The Former?” By Robert G. Doumani & Patrick J. Harrington, May 2009.
“Conversion Clarity - OMB Answers a Threshold Question under the Growth Plan," March 2009.
Insights
Education
- LLB (with Distinction), University of Western Ontario, 2004
- BA (Hons), Theatre, Dalhousie University, 2001