Christopher Devlin Email & Phone Number

Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

201 - 736 Broughton Street, Victoria Bc

Our team helps Indigenous communities understand how to assert their Aboriginal rights and title when in conflict with government or industry.We provide litigation, negotiation, economic development, and strategic advisory services to First Nations, Inuit and Métis, as well as partners working with Aboriginal interests in Canada.➟➟ We’re proud to lead the Canadian Lawyers Readers Survey of the Top 5 Aboriginal Law Boutiques.Most recently, we were honoured to work with the First Nations affected by the Treaty 8 Western Boundary decision in the BC Supreme Court. (More information in the next section below.)Our diverse professional experience includes matters related to:• Aboriginal Rights and Title• Treaty Rights• Indigenous Legal Traditions• Duty of Consultation• Human Rights• Environmental Law• On-reserve Land issues• Resource Use off-reserve• Oil, Gas, and Mining issues• Corporate matters (including commercial leasing, taxation, and employment)➟➟➟ If your First Nation is facing challenges in asserting your Aboriginal rights and title, let’s chat about your options and resources that could help. Contact us today.Email: Ashley Cogswell (Associate) ashley@dgwlaw.caWebsite: http://dgwlaw.ca

201 - 736 Broughton Street, Victoria Bc

Our team was honoured to act as Plaintiff Counsel for several First Nations (Doig River, Halfway River, Prophet River, Salteau, West Moberly) in a dispute with the BC and Federal governments over the location of the western boundary of Treaty 8.The BC Supreme Court ruled in favour of the plaintiffs, declaring the western boundary to lie along the Arctic-Pacific divide rather than to the east as British Columbia had argued. This decision forces the province to recognize a much larger area of land under the Treaty than it was prepared to do. Treaty 8 members can now hunt, fish and trap under their rights protected by the Treaty without fear of capricious arrest or harassment by provincial conservation officers.This successful result was the product of 12 years of work and involved:• Preparing briefs, legal arguments and court filings• Preparing witnesses from each of the plaintiff communities for testimony at trial• Compiling expert evidence and documents for trial• Working with the plaintiff First Nations leadership and Elders to strategize• Managing a complex piece of civil litigation involving five plaintiffs, four defendants and three interveners over a 60 days trial spanning two and a half years in and out of court, after nine years of pre-trial preparation and skirmishingMEDIA LINKS FOR THIS CASE:• Full text of the decision on our website: http://dgwlaw.ca/bc-supreme-court-rules-that-the-western-boundary-of-treaty-8-is-the-arctic-pacific-divide/• http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/treaty-8-agricultural-benefits-1.4312053• http://vancouversun.com/news/national/mulgrew-first-nations-win-what-they-already-had-in-long-treaty-8-fight➟➟➟ If your First Nation is facing challenges in asserting your Aboriginal title or rights, let’s chat about your options and resources that could help. Contact us today.Email: Ashley Cogswell (Associate) ashley@dgwlaw.caWebsite: http://dgwlaw.ca

Associate with a varied Aboriginal law practice.

Llb, Law

Activities and Societies: Student Senator for Law (1993-94 and 1995)

Ba, English (Honours)

Activities and Societies: President of the English Students' Society