Ron S. Maurice, Senior Partner

The firm is owned and managed by Ron S. Maurice, a Cree-Metis lawyer originally from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.  Ron has practiced law since 1991 and is a member of the Law Societies for Saskatchewan (1991), Ontario (1995) and Alberta (2000).  Ron has extensive experience in the negotiation of land claims, civil litigation, administrative law, and alternative dispute resolution. 
 

Ron represents many First Nations across Canada on land claims and aboriginal and treaty rights issues including outstanding treaty land entitlements, unlawful surrenders of Indian reserve land and mineral rights, expropriations, infringements on aboriginal and treaty rights and associated claims for damages and restitution for the unlawful taking of reserve lands and traditional resources.  Prior to going into private practice, Ron was senior Commission Counsel to the Indian Claims Commission of Canada from 1992 to 1998 and was involved in 66 public inquiries into First Nation specific claims across Canada.

Ron is currently acting as legal counsel in the negotiation of 9 land claims with the Government of Canada.  Seven of those claims are expected to reach settlement within the next year with a combined compensation amount expected to exceed $200 million.  Ron’s most significant accomplishment to date related to the negotiation of a settlement of the Siksika Nation Acreage Discrepancy Claim for $82.4 million in February 2003.  This claim related to the unlawful taking and sale by Canada of 12,500 acres of reserve land in 1910 without obtaining a valid surrender as required under the terms of Treaty 7 and the Indian Act.
 

Although our preference is always to seek negotiated settlements of disputes through “interest-based” negotiations, Maurice Law also has litigation experience which has become an increasingly important tool for the resolution of outstanding claims against the Crown.  Ron has successfully represented the Metis Settlements Appeal Tribunal and won several matters before the Alberta Court of Appeal, including disputes between Métis settlements and oil and gas companies over resource development agreements and access to Métis settlement lands and membership issues.