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CCCA62_052-055.qxd:CCCA_V1No1_Profile-FIN.qxd 09/14/2007 04:21 PM Page 53 Profiles Cominco Ltd. (now Teck Cominco Limited). The publicly traded company’s in-house legal department ranged,depending on need, up to 14 lawyers. From there, he chose to be a sole practitioner for a year.“It was the right progression,” he says of his move from Cominco, where the demands of a large mineral resources producer real- ly allowed his legal skills to develop. Still, when the much smaller, publicly traded Ashton Mining, which focused on diamond exploration, came calling with an OLO position, Hardin saw it as a chance to expand his business advisory skills.It also gave him a chance to work in the French language. Hardin is a devotee of Radio-Canada and has amassed a large collection of French-language publications and DVDs, so he can improve his vocabulary and comprehension. French is both a personal and business interest:Ashton’s major project was in Quebec. as general counsel and corporate secretary at Ashton. It wasn’t As to his role during the somewhat tumultuous and chal- an easy decision to make. With nine years service, he is the lenging year-long Stornoway takeover of Ashton, Hardin company’s sole surviving officer. wouldn’t trade it for a moment. Still,he’s decided to turn his talents to a new role as an inde- “Takeovers are highly emotional events. Executives, as they pendent consultant and sole practitioner, focusing intensively should, have a very strong sense of ownership.As a result, dur- on specific areas of the law that entice him: natural resources, ing a takeover process, they typically, and quite properly, revert environmental law, and aboriginal relations issues. He intends to a ‘circle the wagon’ stance.As counsel, you are there to help to concentrate on British Columbia, the Northwest them protect the company and the shareholders’ interests. But Territories, and Nunavut. your contribution is also to keep your eye out as to where In some ways,he’s going back to his roots.A trained biologist, events will ultimately unfold and temper the responses of the Hardin was six months into a PhD program when Environment executive and the board of directors.” Canada lured him north toYellowknife with a job too challeng- ing — and potentially rewarding — to ignore.For four years,he Personal goals worked on water pollution regulatory issues, gaining a real A true outdoorsman, Hardin is at peace kayaking on Great interest in environmental law. Bear Lake, skiing cross-country in the Boreal Forest at minus As his world expanded, Hardin opted to change academic 35 degrees Celsius, or cycling La RouteVerte in Quebec. His gears and go to law school.“Law is about life; it touches on so goal is to marry his love of the environment with his skills as many areas of contemporary society. I wanted to be able to a lawyer. play a broader and more productive role,” he remembers. “Law “It’s important to understand that ‘development’ is part of takes you out in the world. Science is almost the mirror oppo- human existence and what humanity is all about,”he says.“But site. To succeed, you have to be extremely specialized.” at the same time,we need to work for the conservation of eco- In many ways, Hardin’s entire career has been a reflection of logically critical landscapes.” his key interest in natural resources. He was in-house counsel for 15 years at highly diversified mining and metals company Bev Cline is a history, legal and business writer in Toronto. AUTOMNE 2007 CCCA Canadian Corporate Counsel Association 53