An experienced team
Frank Metcalf, K.C.
Frank Metcalf, Q.C. is a senior member of the Nova Scotia Bar having practised law in Halifax for over 40 years mainly in the areas of maritime law, insurance, financing and corporate law. His client base is P&I and Hull & Machinery Underwriters and businesses involved in the marine and fishing industries.
For 5 years he managed an offshore supply ship company that provided support services to Mobil, PetroCanada, and Shell Oil amongst others in the East Coast offshore. Frank is a long-standing member of the Canadian Maritime Law Association and the Eastern Admiralty Law Association. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1986. Frank served as Honorary Consul for Finland from 1992 to 2016 and is a past Chairman of The Association of Average Adjusters of Canada.
In 2002 and 2003 he served on a four-member panel appointed by the federal Minister of Transport to review the Canada Marine Act. Frank is named in the maritime law section of the publication "The Best Lawyers in Canada" (2009) as well as Who's Who Legal, Canada.
Email: frankmetcalf@metcalf.ns.ca
Eric Machum
Eric Machum has practiced law since 2005. Prior to joining Metcalf & Company he practised with Clyde & Co. in Venezuela. His practice is directed to marine, transportation, insurance and corporate-commercial law. Eric regularly advises ship owners, freight forwarders, marine service providers, exporters and their insurers on technical, regulatory and commercial/contractual matters including charter and sales documents. He holds a Master’s degree (LLM) in Marine Law and Juris Doctor (JD) degree from Dalhousie University Law School.
Eric has supplemented his legal experience by serving with Atlantic Towing Limited as a cadet on its coastal and harbour tugs in Canada and working as a certified scuba diving instructor. He also teaches part-time at the Dalhousie University Marine Affairs Program and has given intensive training courses on maritime law in Latin America.
While at Dalhousie University Law School Eric was recognised with the CCH Canadian Limited award for highest mark in Legal Research and Writing. Since then he has authored several articles on maritime law matters and continues to be published on a regular basis.
Eric is a director of the Canadian Maritime Law Association (CMLA), the Canadian Transport Lawyers Association (CTLA) and the Mission to Seafarers Halifax. He is chair of the General Average Committee of the CMLA and Vice-Chair of the Eastern Admiralty Law Association. Eric is named in the maritime law section of Who's Who Legal, Chambers & Partners, and Best Lawyers, Canada. As of December 2016 Eric was appointed Honorary Consul for Finland.
Eric is fluent in English, Spanish and German.
Email: ericmachum@metcalf.ns.ca
Norm Letalik
Norm Letalik was a partner in the Toronto office of Canada’s largest law firm, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP. For over 25 years Norm practiced at BLG as a litigator in the marine, aviation, automotive and insurance sectors defending domestic and global clients. He formed and headed BLG’s Automotive Practice Group and at times was the national head of BLG’s Product Liability, Arbitration and ADR, International and IT Practice Groups. He was the Toronto Head of the Marine Practice Group and was a member of the Aviation Practice Group. His practice consisted of defending shipowners and ship repairers, airlines, air frame and component manufacturers and airports. He defended auto manufacturers, distributors and dealers and other manufacturers and distributors in product litigation and class actions. He has been recognized by Best Lawyers in Canada for product liability defence, Lexpert for Shipping and Maritime Law and Who’s Who Legal: Shipping.
Following his retirement from BLG, Norm was General Counsel, Corporate Secretary and a Corporate Director of Volkswagen Group Canada Inc., where he was responsible for all legal and regulatory matters and was the Chief Privacy and Compliance Officer. He also served as: Vice President, General Counsel and acted as Chief Privacy and Compliance Officer for Audi Canada Inc.; General Counsel to Automobili Lamborghini Canada; and Vice President and Corporate Secretary to Bentley Motors Canada, Ltd. Norm was also a Director of the Global Automakers of Canada industry group.
Prior to entering the practice of law, Norm was a professor at Dalhousie Law School and a Research Associate and Assistant Director of the Dalhousie Ocean Studies Programme, and a Visiting Fellow at the National University of Singapore Law School where he focused on Marine and Shipping Law. He has also lectured as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Toronto’s Global Professional LL.M. Program and lectured at Queen’s University Law School. He is the author of more than 50 legal publications and has been a speaker at countless legal forums and conferences over his career.
Norm has been a Barrister, Solicitor and Notary in Ontario since 1989 and was called to the Rolls as a Solicitor in England and Wales in 1998. Norm was the managing partner of the London, UK office of Borden DuMoulin Howard Gervais from 1996-98.
Email: normletalik@metcalf.ns.ca
Seamus Ryder
Seamus Ryder assists clients in the marine, transportation, and related industries with all aspects of maritime, corporate, commercial, administrative and environmental matters. He holds a Bachelor of Management (B. Mgmt.) degree from Dalhousie University (Nova Scotia), a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from Bond University (Australia), a Masters of Law (LL.M.) in the Law of the Sea from UiT – The Arctic University of Norway (Norway) and a diploma in ocean law and policy from the Rhodes Academy of Ocean Law and Policy (Greece).
Prior to joining Metcalf & Company, Seamus interned with the Division of Ocean Affairs and Law of the Sea, Office of Legal Affairs, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. Later he was Research Fellow at the K. G. Jebsen Centre for Law of the Sea in Tromsø, Norway, responsible for teaching and research on various topics related to maritime law, international law of the sea, and fisheries law. Seamus continues to teach law and policy at Dalhousie University’s School for Resource and Environmental Studies (SRES) where he is a lecturer in the Masters of Resource & Environmental Management (MREM) program.
In addition to his legal practice, Seamus is also an experienced yachtsman and sailing professional. He has sailed, coached, and managed sailing programs throughout Canada, the Caribbean, and beyond.
Seamus is a member of the Canadian Maritime Law Association (CMLA), the Law Society of Ontario, and the Nova Scotia Barrister’s Society. He is licensed to practice law in both Ontario and Nova Scotia. Seamus offers legal services in English and French.
Email: seamusryder@metcalf.ns.ca
Luke Hunter
Luke joined Metcalf & Company in 2019 as an articling clerk after receiving his law degree from Dalhousie University’s Schulich School of Law. Luke advises on all areas of the firm’s expertise, including marine, transportation, insurance and corporate/commercial law, as well as complex contract negotiation for offshore, tug and tow, and related activities.
During law school, Luke was a member and treasurer of the Environmental Law Students’ Society. Prior to that, Luke studied history and received his B.A. (First Class) from University College London in the UK. He is a current member of the Canadian Maritime Law Association (CMLA) and the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society.
Outside the law, Luke enjoys spending time outdoors fly-fishing and exploring Nova Scotia
Email: lukehunter@metcalf.ns.ca
Nathan Stanley
Nathan joined Metcalf and Company in 2020. He received his Juris Doctor (JD) degree from Dalhousie University’s Schulich School of Law, and was called to the bar in June 2021. Before embarking on his legal career, he received a Bachelor of Music (BMus) from Memorial University of Newfoundland. Nathan has also served as a navigation cadet with Marine Atlantic and Coastal Shipping Ltd., and worked as a deckhand with the Canadian Coast Guard. He has further experience onboard marine tourism vessels. Nathan is an active scuba diver and has offshore and bluewater sailing experience.
While at the Schulich School of Law, Nathan received a Certificate in Marine Law through the school’s Marine and Environmental Law Program. He also directed Media and Communications for the Environmental Law Students’ Society (ELSS). Research completed during his time in the program led him to present at the Integrated Marine Biosphere Research Project’s Open Oceans 2 conference on behalf of the Ocean Frontier Institute.
Email: nathanstanley@metcalf.ns.ca
Sandra Attersley, Marine Consultant
Sandra Attersley is a distinguished maritime lawyer and also holds a Canadian 2nd Class Engineer Motorship Certificate. She graduated from the Canadian Coast Guard College in 1981, the Marine Institute in St. John's, NL in 1986 and Dalhousie Law School in 1996 with a Marine Law Certificate.
Sandra's practice focused on marine law, insurance law and corporate/commercial law. Since 2007, Sandra is a part-time lecturer at Dalhousie University in the Marine Affairs Program.
Prior to joining Metcalf & Company she went to sea for 5 years as an engineering officer with the Canadian Coast Guard and was employed in the shipbuilding industry as a design technologist for 4 years primarily on the Canadian Patrol Frigate Program (CPFP) and the Tribal Class Refit Update and Modernization Program (TRUMP) both in Ottawa and Saint John, NB.
Since 2007, Sandra has been teaching part-time at Dalhousie University in the Marine Affairs Program. Sandra is a member of the Canadian Institute of Marine Engineering, Eastern Admiralty Law Association and the Canadian Maritime Law Association, and is a member of the board of directors of the Mission to Seafarers Halifax.
J. Laurie Brean, K.C.
Laurie Brean, Q.C., is counsel to the firm. He was Senior Legal Counsel to CN Marine and its successor company, Marine Atlantic Inc., and latterly Acting President and Executive Vice-President of that company. He has a wealth of experience with respect to ferry services, P&I work, and complex shipping litigation. He is a former Chairman and Director of the Steamship Mutual P&I Club.