Robert (Bob) Ackerman

Robert (Bob) Ackerman is counsel serving Gowling WLG’s Waterloo Region office and other Ontario offices. Bob is a member of the firm’s national Real Estate Group, working collaboratively with the firm’s Municipal Law Group to support clients across Ontario.

Drawing on more than 30 years of experience, Bob advises property owners, stakeholders and municipalities on expropriations, land use planning and real estate litigation. He has acted in proceedings under the Expropriations Act and Planning Act, and has conducted complex hearings before the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) (and its predecessors, the OMB and LPAT), Tax Court of Canada, Superior Court of Justice, and on appeals to the Divisional Court, Ontario Court of Appeal, Federal Court of Appeal and Supreme Court of Canada.

In addition to his private practice, Bob served as a member of the OLT, where he adjudicated numerous expropriation and land use cases. His decisions during this time helped shape the legal framework in these areas and elevated his profile as a trusted voice in the field. He also established, organized and moderated a series of CPD seminars for Tribunal members on expropriation law and evidentiary considerations, and has been a presenter at the Ontario Expropriation Association fall conference—both during his time in private practice and at the OLT. During his tenure at the OLT, Bob also led the update and revision of its Rules of Practice & Procedure as they relate to proceedings under the Expropriations Act.