September 1, 2020
Brad Regehr, partner of Maurice Law’s Winnipeg office, begins his term as President of the Canadian Bar Association on September 1, 2020. A member of the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation in Saskatchewan, Mr. Regehr is the first Indigenous person to hold this position.
The CBA is the national organization for the country’s legal profession, representing some 36,000 lawyers, judges, notaries, law teachers and law students from across Canada.
Maurice Law Barristers & Solicitors is a national firm in Canada focusing primarily on the resolution of historical grievances by First Nations against the Crown, contemporary issues arising between First Nations and the Crown, governance matters and corporate and economic development. Maurice Law is the first—and only—Indigenous-owned national law firm in Canada. Mr. Regehr joined the firm as partner in 2017.
“Brad is an exceptional lawyer and contributor to the legal profession. As the first Indigenous person to hold the office of CBA President, he will provide invaluable perspective at a critical time in Canada’s history. We at Maurice Law are proud of Brad for his outstanding leadership and dedication to access to justice, diversity and inclusivity as he takes on this prestigious role,” said Ron Maurice, senior partner at Maurice Law.
Mr. Regehr was part of the legal team that successfully defended a challenge to a First Nation’s tax laws under the First Nations Fiscal Management Act, the first litigation involving that statute. He also acted for a First Nation that partnered in a major hydro-electric project, advising and acting at all stages of the project as well as appearing before both the Clean Environment Commission and Public Utilities Board during the regulatory processes. He has also been involved in the implementation stage of the project.
Mr. Regehr has advised numerous First Nation clients on implementation issues involving both land claim and flooding agreements. He was involved in the litigation concerning the disposal of the Kapyong Barracks in Winnipeg and has been involved in arbitrations and litigation concerning the Manitoba Treaty Land Entitlement Framework Agreement and Saskatchewan Treaty Land Entitlement Framework Agreement.
Quick facts:
Received his B.A. (Honours) University of Waterloo (1993)
Completed his LL.B. at the University of Manitoba in 1996
Called to the Bar in Manitoba in 1997
Served two-year term as President of the Manitoba Bar Association, the first Indigenous lawyer to hold that office and the first lawyer since 1946 to hold the office for two years
Vice-President of the CBA immediately prior to assuming his current role as President
For more on the announcement, see: https://www.cba.org/News-Media/Press-Releases/2020/September/Brad-Regehr-is-the-new-CBA-President