About JFK Law LLP

JFK Law LLP is a national law firm with offices in Victoria and Vancouver, British Columbia, that represents Indigenous communities across Canada. It started in 2009 as JFK Law Corporation, based in Victoria and Vancouver, and became JFK Law LLP in 2021. Alongside its two British Columbia offices, the firm keeps a Toronto office in Ontario and offices in Montreal and Kahnawake, Quebec, giving Indigenous clients a local point of contact in three provinces.

The firm's practice covers Aboriginal rights and title litigation, Crown consultation and accommodation, complex negotiations with government and industry, Indigenous economic development and governance, and specific claims against Canada for historical breaches of treaty and fiduciary obligations. Its lawyers have argued cases in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and the Yukon, at every level of the Federal Courts and before the Supreme Court of Canada. In September 2016 the firm adopted a formal Reconciliation Action Plan and set up a Truth and Reconciliation Action Committee to guide staff training, pro bono work and community support alongside its Indigenous law practice.

Practice areas

Indigenous Law Civil Litigation & Dispute Resolution Administrative & Regulatory Law Business & Corporate Law

Milestones & recognition

  • Founded in 2009 as JFK Law Corporation in Victoria and Vancouver, British Columbia; restructured as JFK Law LLP in 2021.
  • Adopted a Reconciliation Action Plan in September 2016 and formed a Truth and Reconciliation Action Committee to oversee the firm's reconciliation work.
  • Sara Mainville became managing partner effective January 1, 2024, succeeding Robert Janes, who had led the firm for close to a decade.
  • Named to Best Lawyers' Best Law Firms National Tier 1 ranking and recognized as a 5-Star Pro Bono Firm in 2024.

In the community

  • Takes on pro bono projects that support Indigenous community development goals.
  • Runs donation drives and gives organizational and individual support to Indigenous organizations and community services.
  • Delivers presentations to high school students on Canadian and Indigenous legal traditions and on careers in law.
  • Offers scholarships to Indigenous law students and has firm mentors working with post-secondary Indigenous students.
  • Prioritizes Indigenous owned businesses, suppliers, artists and community spaces in its own operations.

Good to know

A person using a wheelchairWheelchair accessibleA calendar with a checkmark beside a clockBy appointment

Lawyers 54

Alexander Packman Associate Aria Laskin Partner Indigenous LawAdministrative & Regulatory Law Blair Feltmate Associate Brodie Noga Senior Associate Administrative & Regulatory LawCivil Litigation & Dispute Resolution Bryan Birtles Associate Bryce Lansdell Associate Cheryl Meredith Negotiation Support Specialist Christina Gray Senior Associate Indigenous Law Christina Joynt Associate Claire Truesdale Partner Indigenous LawCivil Litigation & Dispute Resolution Clayton Leonard Senior Counsel Indigenous Law Elizabeth Jordan Senior Counsel Business & Corporate LawIndigenous Law Emma Wall Associate Erika Voaklander Associate Erin Thomson-Leach Partner Indigenous LawAdministrative & Regulatory Law Isabelle Lefroy Associate Isabelle Simard Associate Ivan da Fonseca Senior Associate Indigenous LawCivil Litigation & Dispute Resolution Jade Dumoulin Associate Jane Fallis Cooper Associate Jeff Langlois Partner Indigenous LawCivil Litigation & Dispute Resolution Justin Thompson Associate Kaelan Unrau Senior Associate Indigenous LawCivil Litigation & Dispute Resolution Kaelyn Fountain Associate

This firm’s lawyers at a glance

Called to the bar
1992–2026 · median 10 years in practice 23 of 54 lawyers
Law schools
University of Toronto (8), University of British Columbia (5), University of Ottawa (3), Dalhousie University (2), McGill University (2), University of Victoria (2) and 4 more 26 of 54 lawyers
Languages on the roster
English, French, Inuktitut (learning)

Who handles what

Offices 5

Victoria

816 - 1175 Douglas Street, Victoria, BC V8W 2E1

Vancouver604-687-0549

260 - 200 Granville Street, Vancouver, BC V6C 1S4

Toronto

Suite 1100, 65 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON M5H 2M5

Kahnawake

202 - 2006 Old Malone Hwy, Kahnawake, Quebec J0L 1B0

Montreal

Suite 760 - 1801 McGill College, Montreal, QC H3A 1Z4

The neighbourhood

JFK Law's Toronto office, at Suite 1100, 65 Queen Street West, is one of five JFK Law locations that run from the British Columbia coast to Quebec, alongside offices in Victoria and Vancouver, British Columbia, and Montreal and Kahnawake, Quebec. The firm's lawyers have argued Aboriginal rights and title litigation in Ontario, among other provinces.

Frequently asked questions

Does JFK Law only represent First Nations, or can individuals get help too?
JFK Law serves First Nations, Indigenous organizations and individuals, along with other rights-seeking persons; it isn't limited to representing bands or councils.
What kind of court cases has JFK Law argued?
The firm's lawyers have argued Aboriginal rights and title cases, treaty infringement litigation and judicial reviews in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and the Yukon, at every level of the Federal Courts and before the Supreme Court of Canada.
Does JFK Law handle specific claims against the federal government?
Yes. The firm helps First Nations research, submit and negotiate Specific Claims, historical compensation claims against Canada over land or asset breaches, and represents claimants before the Specific Claims Tribunal when negotiations don't resolve a claim.
Does JFK Law get involved when a project might affect a community's rights, like a pipeline or mine?
Yes. JFK Law advises Indigenous communities on the Crown's duty to consult and accommodate, including environmental assessments and reviews before regulators such as the Canada Energy Regulator, and has worked on pipeline, hydroelectric, oil sands, mining and port projects.
Is JFK Law only based in British Columbia?
No. The firm has offices in Victoria and Vancouver, BC, plus offices in Toronto, Ontario and in Montreal and Kahnawake, Quebec.
How do I reach JFK Law's Toronto office?
The Toronto office is at Suite 1100, 65 Queen Street West, Toronto, and can be reached through the firm's toll free line at 1.888.687.8388 or its online contact form.

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Listing compiled from the firm’s public website in August 2026. Verify licence status in the Law Society of British Columbia directory ↗