Best Lawyers Near You in Toronto, Ontario for Aboriginal Law / Indigenous Practice

Lorraine Land practises Aboriginal and environmental law as a partner at OKT. She advises Aboriginal clients across Canada and particularly in the North. Lorraine provides negotiation advice and appears before Courts and tribunals on Aboriginal rights, land claims implementation, self government negotiation and implementation, consultation, impacts and benefits agreements, energy, and environmental matters. Lorraine has a Master's of Environmental Studies (with a concentration on northern Abo...

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...

Bryce Edwards is a partner at OKT. He provides legal and strategic advice on lands and resource matters, on-reserve infrastructure, government to government negotiations, mining, energy, and land use planning. He is class counsel on national class actions regarding infrastructure on reserve, and does work addressing the intersection of Indigenous legal orders and the Canadian regulatory state. Bryce graduated from the University of Toronto, where he was the co-founder and first Editor-in-Chie...

Adam Chamberlain is an active member of Gowling WLG's Environmental Law, Indigenous Law and the Canada North Practice Groups. Certified as a Specialist in Environmental Law by the Law Society of Upper Canada, Adam has practised environmental and energy law for most of his career, focused on infrastructure development. Adam's practice encompasses diverse matters related to the environmental and other regulatory requirements involved with project development. Adam is also extensively involved i...

Lara’s practice encompasses Indigenous laws and governance work, Aboriginal and Treaty rights litigation, and constitutional and public law litigation with a focus on equality rights and anti-discrimination law and policy matters. Lara works with First Nations on lands and resource issues and is passionate about advancing Indigenous land and water stewardship, including through Guardians and Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area (IPCA) initiatives. Lara has a background in internation...

Nick Kennedy is Partner at OKT with a broad litigation and advisory practice. In addition to his Indigenous law work, which includes matters related to the interpretation of modern treaties and the Duty to Consult, Nick has experience in constitutional (especially the division of powers), administrative, anti-money laundering, contract, construction, energy and freedom of information law matters. Nick has appeared before all levels of court in Ontario, the Quebec Court of Appeal, the Supreme ...

Andrew Lokan practises in the areas of constitutional law, appellate advocacy, complex commercial litigation, and administrative and labour law. Andrew advocates before all levels of court in Ontario and has appeared in more than 35 cases at the Supreme Court of Canada and over 30 cases at the Ontario Court of Appeal. He has also appeared before courts in several other provinces on constitutional and administrative law cases. He is co-author of Lokan & Dassios, Constitutional Litigation i...

Christopher Rae practices civil and commercial litigation. He has broad experience litigating a variety of civil and commercial disputes (including contract, shareholder and governance disputes), fraud, breach of confidence, product liability, professional negligence, insurance and insurance brokering. Christopher is also a member of Fasken’s Indigenous Legal Matters practice group. Christopher regularly represents clients across a range of industries, including agriculture, mining, aut...

Justice Harry S. LaForme is Anishinabe and a member of the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation located in southern Ontario. He was born and raised mainly on his reserve where some of his family continue to reside and remain active in that First Nation's government. Justice LaForme graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1977 and was called to the Ontario Bar in 1979. He articled with the law firm of Osler, Hoskin and Harcourt; joined the firm as an associate; and, after a brief time...

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...

Larry is a partner at Olthuis, Kleer, Townshend LLP practising at the intersections of Indigenous rights and environmental law. Larry has worked with First Nations on lands and resources issues for over 25 years, and has developed extensive experience in the negotiation of impacts and benefits agreements, environmental assessment, co-management measures, self-government and treaty provisions. He also represents and advises First Nations dealing with major mining, forestry and energy developme...