Biography: Thomas Isaac
Thomas Isaac is a nationally recognized authority in the area of Aboriginal law. He also advises clients across Canada on Indigenous legal matters and related environmental assessments, negotiations and regulatory and constitutional issues. His litigation practice is national in scope and focuses on representing clients in Indigenous-related matters before courts and tribunals across Canada.
Isaac has extensive national experience advising on Indigenous, regulatory and environmental matters for:
- energy, oil, gas, pipeline, mining and forestry companies, lenders and investors
- federal, provincial, territorial and municipal governments and agencies
He regularly negotiates with Indigenous groups on behalf of industry and governments concerning:
- impacts
- benefits
- economic development
- replacement tenures
- access agreements
He also advises on Indigenous consultation and accommodation processes and agreements.
Isaac has represented clients in Indigenous-related matters before the:
- Supreme Court of Canada
- Federal Court of Canada
- Ontario, British Columbia and PEI Courts of Appeal and lower courts
- Manitoba Court of Queen's Bench
- Northwest Territories and Yukon Supreme Courts
- Canadian Energy Regulator (formerly the National Energy Board)
- Ontario Energy Board
- British Columbia Environmental Appeal Board
He is a former Chief Treaty Negotiator for the Government of British Columbia and former Assistant Deputy Minister responsible for establishing Nunavut for the Government of the Northwest Territories. He also served in a senior capacity with the Government of Saskatchewan dealing with Indigenous issues.
In 2015, Isaac was the Ministerial Special Representative to the Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs regarding:
- a section 35 Métis rights and reconciliation framework
- a reconciliation approach for the Supreme Court of Canada's decision in March 2013 in Manitoba Métis Federation v. Canada
His Report, A Matter of National and Constitutional Import: Métis Section 35 Rights and the Manitoba Metis Federation Decision, was released by Canada in June 2016.