Best Lawyers in Canada for Aboriginal Law / Indigenous Practice

Alex O'Reilly is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Aboriginal Law / Indigenous Practice. Alex, who practices law in Montréal, Quebec, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Alex is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Cam Cameron is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Aboriginal Law / Indigenous Practice. Cam, who practices law in Ottawa, Ontario, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Cam is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Senwung Luk is a partner at OKT. He has appeared in different levels of court and tribunals, including the Supreme Court of Canada and various courts of appeal, representing Indigenous clients fighting for their rights. He focuses on the protection of sacred spaces and cultural sites, in asserting treaty rights, in on-reserve service delivery, and in the duty to consult and accommodate Indigenous communities. He has published a number of peer-reviewed articles on the Crown's fiduciary obligat...

Adrienne practices in the areas of labour, constitutional, administrative, and national security law, as well as in Aboriginal law and Indigenous rights. She has appeared before all levels of courts in Ontario, the Federal Courts, and the Supreme Court of Canada. She provides strategic legal advice to clients on a range of issues, and advances their interests through negotiation, litigation, and oral and written advocacy before courts, tribunals, and in other forums. Adrienne's labour law pra...

François Dandonneau is a partner in the firm’s Montréal office. His practice has been centred on Aboriginal law for over fifteen years with a specific focus on matters dealing with mining and natural resources, procurement, taxation and self-governance. Throughout his career, François has acted and played a major role in important litigation matters, notably constitutional cases, before all levels of the courts, including the Supreme Court of Canada. François...

Cliff is the Managing Partner of Lawson Lundell and a leading practitioner in environmental and Indigenous litigation. He advises clients across a range of industries, including forestry, manufacturing, mining, real estate development, and hydro-electric power generation. Cliff has represented his clients in environmental prosecutions, administrative actions, permit appeals, environmental assessments and has helped clients respond to a wide variety of environmental investigations and prosecut...

Randall Kahgee is Senior Counsel to Olthuis Kleer Townshend LLP and specializes in Indigenous rights law, with an emphasis on community-based processes and government-to-government negotiations. Randall has worked with Indigenous governments across Canada and participated in significant agreements between Indigenous communities and provincial and federal governments on energy matters, including issues relating to the development of nuclear facilities, transmission lines, renewable energy proj...

John is a member of the firm’s Indigenous, Environmental, and Project Development practice groups. His practice includes advising private sector and government clients throughout Canada on Indigenous, environmental, regulatory and natural resources matters. John advises oil sands developers, conventional oil and gas companies, railways, mining companies, utilities and other resource developers on environmental regulatory matters and on Indigenous law matters, including Indigenous consul...

Sara Mainville has been a member of the Ontario bar (2005) and she is a member of the BC bar (2022) with specific matter approvals to practice in Nunavut and Quebec. Sara has a Management/Public Administration degree (Lethbridge) and a Bachelor of Laws from Queen’s University. She has a LLM from the University of Toronto and an Advanced Negotiations certificate from Harvard University, and a Certificate in Entertainment Law (Osgoode PD). During her early practice years with a well-known...

John A. Olthuis is one of the founding partners of OKT. His practice includes litigation, comprehensive and specific land rights, self-government, and impacts and benefits agreements. John was on the legal team of the Assembly of First Nations in negotiations with Canada and the provinces lending to the inclusion of "Section 35" in Canada’s repatriated Constitution in 1982. John was legal counsel to Chiefs of Ontario and table negotiator at the Aboriginal Government table for the Assemb...

AREAS OF PRACTICE: Litigation, Insurance, Personal Injury, Labour and Employment, and Aboriginal Law PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: Maria received her B.A. degree from St. Thomas University in 1977, and her LL.B degree from the University of New Brunswick in 1980. She was admitted to the Newfoundland Bar in 1981 and to the New Brunswick Bar in 1989. Maria received her appointment as Queen's Counsel (Q.C.) in 2004. Her affiliations include membership in the Canadian Bar Association, the Law Society ...

Amy Carruthers is a corporate/commercial Partner in the Vancouver office with a solid background as a transaction lawyer and extensive experience in the energy industry. She is a member of the firm’s Global Energy and Climate Group and Indigenous Legal Matters Group. Amy drafts and negotiates complex commercial contracts regarding the purchase and sale of energy, investments in and other transactions involving resource projects, as well as relationships with Indigenous communities to fo...

Robert Janes practices civil litigation, focusing on constitutional, aboriginal and commercial litigation Robert Janes has been a litigator for over twenty years and has extensive experience in assisting First Nations, Aboriginal people and others with difficult problems needing sound strategic and legal advice. Robert’s approach is to find practical solutions where possible, while preparing to vigorously advance his client’s interests in court where necessary. Robert’s focu...

Nancy Kleer is one of the founding partners of OKT. In her practice of Aboriginal rights, she represents Aboriginal clients responding to a variety of resource developments, including mineral exploration, mining, and hydroelectric development, in negotiations and litigation. She also advises on federal and provincial environmental protection and assessment law. She provides legal advice and does legal drafting on issues addressed in negotiations for comprehensive land claims, Aboriginal self-...

Aaron is a partner in the McKercher LLP Saskatoon office with a practice that focuses on corporate and commercial law, real estate, estate planning and First Nations legal issues. Aaron is a member of the Star Blanket Cree Nations. He provides both legal and strategic advice to clients in developing projects on First Nation Lands. He has experience in the areas of corporate and commercial law, residential real estate, and estate planning. For First Nations, he provides advice in the areas of ...

Pierre-Christian Labeau is counsel to the Environment, Energy and Climate Change Group in our Quebec City office. In this capacity, he advises clients on legal and policy issues relating to mining, forestry and energy development, including the negotiation and drafting of numerous impact benefit agreements and the duty to consult. He also provides legal advice to government agencies, corporations and financial institutions on matters related to the special legal status of Aboriginal peoples. ...