John W. Gailus
Partner
john@cascadialegal.caAboriginal Law · Victoria, British Columbia
Asserting rights.
Seizing opportunities.
An Indigenous-owned and Indigenous-led boutique firm, acting for First Nations across western and northern Canada.
We litigate, we negotiate, and we build the legal foundations for economic development, so that Nations can act on their own terms.
Who we are
A seasoned firm, newly its own.
Cascadia Legal LLP grew out of the dissolution of DGW Law and carries forward that firm's depth in Indigenous legal work. Founding partners John Gailus and Courtenay Jacklin brought the practice, the relationships, and the institutional knowledge with them.
Ownership
Indigenous-owned and led
The firm is owned and directed by Indigenous lawyers. That shapes how we take instructions, how we advise, and whose interests sit at the centre of a file.
Clients
First Nations and their entities
We act for Nations, councils, development corporations and Indigenous organizations throughout western and northern Canada.
Scale
Boutique by design
Small enough that the lawyer you retain is the lawyer who does the work, and senior enough to carry a matter to the Supreme Court of Canada.
Place
Rooted in Victoria
We practise from downtown Victoria on Vancouver Island, and we travel to the communities we serve.
What we do
Four ways we work.
Most matters cross more than one of these. A consultation file becomes a judicial review; a land transaction becomes a governance question. We staff accordingly.
Litigation and advocacy
Aboriginal and treaty rights litigation, judicial review, and appellate work before the courts of British Columbia, the Federal Courts, and the Supreme Court of Canada. We also appear before tribunals, commissions of inquiry, and regulatory review panels.
Courts & tribunalsNegotiation and consultation
Consultation and accommodation with the Crown and with proponents, impact benefit and revenue sharing agreements, and negotiated resolutions where litigation is not the right instrument.
The tableLands and claims
Land claims, reserve lands and additions to reserve, tenure and leasing on reserve, and the full range of Indian Act land management questions.
TerritoryEconomic development
Corporate structuring for Nation-owned businesses, joint ventures and partnerships with industry, and the commercial agreements that turn a settled right into a working enterprise.
ProsperityHow we practise
Reconciliation is not a slogan here.
We value honesty and pragmatism, and we measure a file by whether it left the Nation in a stronger position than it found them.
Commitment
Ethical practice and transparency in every dealing. Clients hear the real assessment of a matter, including when it is not the one they hoped for.
Empowerment
We support Nations in asserting their own rights and interests. Self-determination is the objective, not a by-product.
Authenticity
Genuine respect for Indigenous cultures and traditions, reflected in how we conduct ourselves on and off the record.
Integrity
Every Nation is distinct. We take the time to understand the particular history, governance and priorities of each client we act for.
Our team
The people on your file.
A small bench of lawyers with long experience in Aboriginal law, and a firm built so that experienced counsel stay engaged in meaningful work.
Courtenay A. Jacklin
Partner
courtenay@cascadialegal.ca
Stephen L. Wallington
Associate
stephen@cascadialegal.ca
Iris Fairley-Beam
Associate
iris@cascadialegal.caBettyAnn Marcoux
Associate
bettyann@cascadialegal.caAssociate
Position open
Enquire about joining the firmContact
Tell us what you are facing.
New client enquiries reach our office manager, who will route your matter to the right lawyer. Contacting the firm does not create a solicitor-client relationship.
Follow
Cascadia Legal LLP is located on the traditional territories of the Lekwungen peoples known today as the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations, and of the WSÁNEĆ peoples, whose historical relationships with the land and waters continue to this day.