Our Lawyers
Our team of lawyers at Aldridge + Rosling represent a breadth of experience and technical knowledge that provides our clients with high-quality advice on a range of legal issues. Click on each name for bios and contact information.
JIM ALDRIDGE, K.C.*
Email / vCard / 604-605-5555 x 231
MARGARET ROSLING*
Email / vCard / 604-605-5555 x 229
CHRIS COCHRANE*
Chris is a partner with A+R.
A solicitor with considerable experience, Chris represents modern treaty nations in BC and Yukon focusing on the negotiation of complex commercial agreements, regulatory affairs, consultation, and treaty implementation services.
Chris has broad experience representing modern treaty nations throughout various regulatory review and approvals processes, including multifaceted environmental assessments, ensuring clients’ treaty rights and interests are recognized and adhered to. As well, Chris has extensive experience in negotiations, having successfully concluded benefits agreements in the areas of mining, pipelines and hydroelectric facilities, as well as various funding and joint venture arrangements.
With respect to treaty implementation, Chris assists treaty governments with the development, drafting and implementation of legislation and government policies.
An experienced advocate, Chris looks at traditional legal problems from a creative and collaborative perspective and seeks strategic and practical results for his clients.
Prior to joining A+R in 2011, Chris worked as a senior solicitor for BC Hydro on a variety of indigenous, regulatory and commercial matters.
Bar Admissions
- Yukon (2017)
- British Columbia (2001)
Email / vCard / 604-605-5555 x 228
MICHAEL WELTERS*
Michael advises on taxes and inter-governmental fiscal relations.
Michael specializes in providing tax advice to the tax-exempt sector, including modern treaty nations, bands, municipalities, health authorities, school districts, charities and non-profit organizations. He provides those clients with advice on: obtaining or maintaining their income tax exempt status and structuring new activities; complying with and mitigating their commodity tax obligations (e.g., PST, GST, property transfer tax); and the application of, or exemption from, annual property taxes. Michael teaches aboriginal tax as an adjunct professor at UBC Faculty of Law.
With respect to the inter-governmental fiscal relations, Michael advises on the negotiation of tax coordination agreements between different levels of government and on the negotiation and application of fiscal financing and own source revenue agreements. His knowledge extends to equalization and territorial financing arrangements and provincial tax harmonization arrangements.
Michael has represented clients in a variety of tax disputes, both at the administrative and court appeal levels, with respect to a wide range of taxes, including income tax, carbon tax, PST, GST, EI and CPP, tobacco tax and property tax. He has also assisted clients who have outstanding tax obligations with making voluntary disclosures to tax authorities.
Bar Admissions
- British Columbia (2004)
Education
- Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (In-depth GST Course, 2008)
- Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (In-depth Income Tax Course, Parts 1 & 2, 2004-2006)
- University of Victoria (LLB, 2002)
- Simon Fraser University (BA, 1st Class Honours, 1999)
Email / vCard / 604-605-5555 x 238 / LinkedIn
MICAH CLARK *
Micah’s practice has a dual focus on Indigenous/regulatory litigation and modern treaty implementation.
As part of his litigation practice, Micah has appeared before various levels of courts across Canada, including successfully representing clients before the Supreme Court of Canada. He has also successfully represented clients in modern treaty dispute resolution processes and before various administrative tribunals, including the British Columbia Environmental Appeal Board. Recent representative proceedings include:
- Counsel for an Indigenous party succeeding in setting aside an injunction that precluded their purchase of lands within their traditional and modern treaty territory: British Columbia (Attorney General) v. Reece, 2023 BCCA 257
- Successfully representing an Indigenous party to a modern treaty in a treaty arbitration process, establishing that the federal and territorial governments had breached their treaty obligations by taking a “narrow interpretational approach” that was “not generous”: In the Matter of an Arbitration pursuant to Article 38 of the Nunavut Agreement (Initial Decision – March 25, 2023)
- Co-counsel for an Indigenous nation confirming the honour of the Crown’s application to accommodation agreements entered into in fulfillment of the Crown’s duty to consult: Manitoba Metis Federation Inc v Brian Pallister et al, 2021 MBCA 47
- Successfully representing a modern treaty nation in litigation concerning the Crown’s duty to consult in situations where there may be conflicting duties owed to Indigenous groups with finalized treaty rights and those with overlapping assertions of rights: Gamlaxyeltxw v. British Columbia (Minister of Forests, Lands & Natural Resource Operations), 2020 BCCA 215, affirming in the result 2018 BCSC 440
- Co-counsel for a Canadian corporation successfully appealing the issuance of numerous statutory orders and obtaining a significant tribunal costs award: Cherokee Canada Inc. et al. v. Director, Regional Compliance, Red Deer-North Saskatchewan Region, Operations Division, Alberta Environment and Parks, 2019 ABEAB 1 and 2020 ABEAB 10.
- Successfully representing multiple modern treaty nations and environmental organizations in litigation concerning the proper interpretation and implementation of the land use provisions of the Umbrella Final Agreement (Yukon), and the scope of judicial review proceedings concerning the implementation of modern treaties: First Nation of Nacho Nyak Dun v. Yukon, 2017 SCC 58
- Co-counsel for an Indigenous nation successfully confirming the legal principles in respect of continuing trespass to Indian Reserve lands by flooding: Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation v. Canada (Attorney General), 2016 SKCA 124and 2017 SKCA 5
With respect to treaty implementation, Micah assists treaty governments with the development, drafting and implementation of legislation and government policies. He also provides ongoing advice to treaty governments on issues such as general governance, elections, and the delivery of government programs and services. Micah has appeared before the Senate Standing Committee on Aboriginal Peoples in respect of modern treaty implementation issues (Ottawa, ON, October 2018) and presented on treaty-related litigation issues at the Modern Treaties and Reconciliation, Land Claims Agreements Coalition Conference (Ottawa, ON, November 2017).
BAR ADMISSIONS
- British Columbia (2010)
- Yukon (2017)
- Nunavut (2021)
EDUCATION
- University of Idaho (B.Sc., 2004)
- University of British Columbia (J.D., 2009)
Email / vCard / 604-605-5555 x 226
CHANI CAMPBELL
Chani represents treaty nations throughout British Columbia and the Yukon. Chani’s practice focuses on representing modern treaty nations throughout the negotiation of complex benefits agreements with commercial proponents, as well as advising on treaty implementation matters.
Chani has extensive experience in land title and land tenure matters and she represents the first aboriginal Torrens form of title registration system. Chani regularly advises treaty governments on a broad range of commercial and business matters.
With respect to the negotiation of benefits agreements, Chani has advised on agreements in the areas of mining, pipelines, and hydroelectric transmission facilities.
Prior to joining A+R, Chani advised natural resource companies including two of the largest gold mining companies in Canada.
Bar Admissions
- Yukon (2018)
- British Columbia (2005)
Education
- University of British Columbia (LLB, 2004)
- University of British Columbia (BSc. in Environmental Science, 2000)
Email / vCard / 604-605-5555 x 232
BRIANNE PAULIN
Brianne’s practice focuses on treaty implementation, consultation, resource and environmental governance and Indigenous/regulatory litigation.
In respect of treaty implementation, Brianne has broad experience advising modern treaty nations with the development, drafting and implementation of environmental governance frameworks, resource development strategies and legislation and policies in a variety of areas.
Brianne also has considerable experience advising clients on project development, including navigating regulatory regimes in several jurisdictions including Yukon, British Columbia, Ontario, Nunavut and Saskatchewan. In addition, Brianne has broad experience advising clients in commercial negotiations, including project and financing agreements, funding agreements and benefits agreements in the areas of mining and renewable energy.
BAR ADMISSIONS
- Ontario (2018)
- British Columbia (2018)
- Yukon (2019)
- Nunavut (2021)
EDUCATION
- University of Ottawa (B.A., Environmental Studies, 2013)
- University of Ottawa (J.D., 2017)
- University of Carleton (M.A., International Affairs, 2017)
Email / vCard / 604-605-5555
ALI ADAMS
Email / vCard / 604-605-5555 x 225
GUYLAINE GRENIER† Δ
Email / vCard / 604-605-5555
