Bryn helps clients resolve commercial and Aboriginal law disputes and navigate the complex Aboriginal law and policy landscape in Canada.
Bryn is a partner specializing in complex corporate/commercial disputes and Aboriginal law. He is a member of our Litigation and Environmental, Regulatory & Aboriginal Law groups.
Commercial Disputes
Bryn has significant experience working on complex corporate/commercial litigation matters, including litigation relating to energy projects, breach of contract and negligent misrepresentation claims, shareholder disputes, securities class actions and hostile takeovers. Bryn has also represented physicians in professional negligence claims, proceedings before regulatory bodies and appeal tribunals. He has worked on numerous precedent-setting cases, including the dismissal of a proposed US$20-billion securities class action, which received a “National Impact Case Award” from Benchmark Litigation Canada.
Bryn has appeared as counsel before all levels of court in Ontario, the Federal Court of Canada, the New Brunswick Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada. He has also appeared before several administrative tribunals, including the Environmental Review Tribunal, the Health Professions Appeal and Review Board, and the Ontario Municipal Board.
Aboriginal Law
Bryn advises clients on Aboriginal law and policy issues across Canada and is recognized for his expertise in Aboriginal law in the Chambers Global Guide, the Chambers Canada Guide to Leading Canadian Lawyers, and the Legal 500 – Canada.
He works with clients to build positive relationships with Indigenous groups, with a specific focus on resource development, energy and infrastructure projects. He regularly advises clients on issues relating to Aboriginal rights and title, treaty rights, consultation and accommodation, environmental assessments and permitting, negotiating various agreements and structuring partnerships with Indigenous groups, developing projects on reserve land, and litigation risk and risk management strategies.
Bryn brings a unique perspective to the table for the clients he works with given his prior work on Indigenous issues in and for the federal government. As a Ministerial Special Representative for Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada, he led a national engagement with Indigenous groups, industry and other affected stakeholders on how the federal government can improve its approach to the duty to consult and authored a detailed report to the Minister titled Building Relationships and Advancing Reconciliation Through Meaningful Consultation. He also served as a former policy and legal advisor to a previous Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada. In this role, he briefed and advised the Minister on a broad range of issues, including treaty and specific claim negotiations, major Aboriginal and treaty rights litigation, and approvals with respect to the use of reserve land.
Transferring this knowledge to his legal practice, Bryn provides practical advice to his clients to help them achieve their objectives coupled with the ability to anticipate a range of issues that may arise. He also brings significant litigation experience to the table. He has acted as counsel in Aboriginal rights and duty to consult litigation, disputes relating to revenue-sharing arrangements, and for interveners in precedent-setting Aboriginal and constitutional law cases in the Supreme Court of Canada, including Mikisew Cree First Nation v. Canada and Ktunaxa Nation v. British Columbia, and Dickson v. Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation (under reserve).
Bryn frequently speaks at conferences on Aboriginal law and policy issues. He is also an active member of the firm and involved in mentoring, student recruitment, and diversity and inclusion issues. He is the National Chair of McCarthy Tétrault’s Pride Action Group and a member of the firm's Inclusion Now Council and its National Pro Bono Committee. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Legal Aid Ontario and was previously on the Board of Directors of Casey House, a specialty hospital providing care and support to people living with HIV/AIDS in Toronto.
Bryn received his JD and Honours BA in Political Science and Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of Toronto.
