Best Lawyers in Canada for Aboriginal Law / Indigenous Practice
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...
Gavin Fitch is an award-winning lawyer and K.C. working in environmental, regulatory, energy permitting, and Indigenous law. He’s a respected and trusted advisor who provides sound, practical advice geared towards keeping his clients out of the hearing room. When necessary, however, he is a strong and fearless advocate, whether in negotiations or in a courtroom. His clients include developers, energy producers, environmental monitoring agencies, governments and landowners. For each indi...
Jules Brière has been in private practice in Quebec City since 1976. He has acquired a strong reputation in constitutional law, administrative law, health law and the law governing public lands (production, transmission and distribution of hydro-electricity; forestry and land management). Mr. Brière has on many occasions advised governments, various ministries and public and parapublic agencies on the legal aspects of resource management and development in the public domain, the...
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 ...
Marie-Christine Gagnon is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area of Aboriginal Law / Indigenous Practice. Marie-Christine practices law in Montréal, Quebec Best Lawyers has recognized Marie-Christine Gagnon since 2025. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Marie-Christine Gagnon is held by other lawyers.
Brent Olthuis is an experienced litigator with a broad practice. He represents individual and corporate clients in civil and commercial matters and also regularly acts for regulated professions and their member professionals, as well as for other public bodies. He has acted as external counsel to the Auditor General of Canada in respect of the 2015 audit of the Senate and for the Attorney General of British Columbia in constitutional proceedings. He presently acts for the City of Richmond in ...
Bridget Gilbride is a partner in our Vancouver office. She is an experienced litigator focused on Indigenous legal issues and environmental law. Bridget advises on permitting, environmental assessments, and Indigenous and Aboriginal legal issues such as the duty to consult, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples , and section 35 of the Constitution. Bridget’s core focus is advising clients advancing projects, through provincial and federal approval processes,...
Jessica Orkin has a broad litigation practice including criminal, civil and administrative law matters, with an emphasis on constitutional, human rights, Aboriginal rights and access to information law matters. Jessica appears at all levels of court, including the Court of Appeal for Ontario and the Supreme Court of Canada. She is also a frequent speaker at legal conferences and seminars. Jessica received her law degree from the University of Toronto. She also holds an M.Phil. degree in Devel...
Jean-Sébastien Clément is a partner in the firm's Montréal office. His practice has been focusing on aboriginal law for more than fifteen years with a particular interest for matters pertaining to self-governance, natural resources, forestry, education, socio-economic development, administration of justice, environment, land regime and health and social services. During his career, he has acted and played a major role in many litigation cases including constitutional case...
François G. Tremblay is a partner with the firm and has been practicing for 41 years in commercial, corporate, international, and First Nations affairs, as well as in constitutional law. He handles a range of major merger, acquisition, and consolidation cases and has substantial business experience from having served on the boards of a number of private and public corporations. François has been closely involved in developing business partnerships between various public and priv...
Paul C. Wilson is Chair of the firm’s Energy, Environmental and Natural Resources group. His practice focuses on energy, infrastructure, transportation and natural resources projects, with an emphasis on environmental and Indigenous matters. Paul negotiates project contracts, concession agreements and deals with environmental assessments and permitting for major infrastructure, port infrastructure, energy and mining projects. Paul is also recognized for his experience related to project...
Maggie Wente (BA, LLB, MSW) is a partner at Olthuis Kleer Townshend LLP. She is a member of Serpent River First Nation and was born and raised in Toronto. Recently Maggie focuses much of her practice on advocating for equality for Indigenous children and individuals in child welfare systems and the exercise of inherent jurisdiction over child well-being. She does this in litigation and in negotiation about child welfare funding, program delivery and First Nations law-making. Maggie also advis...
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-...
John Doolan is a business lawyer, with a wide variety of experience in Aboriginal law and commercial real estate law. His experience includes advising on major projects and financings, infrastructure development, structuring transactions, acquisitions and dispositions, partnerships and joint ventures, real estate development and leasing. He is included in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, a guide to the leading law firms and practitioners in Canada, as a leading lawyer in the areas of abo...
Alex O'Reilly is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area of Aboriginal Law / Indigenous Practice. Alex practices law in Montréal, Quebec Best Lawyers has recognized Alex O'Reilly since 2024. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Alex O'Reilly is held by other lawyers.
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.
