Posts by Emma Powell
Bringing Order to Title: How the Cowichan Decision Treats Indigenous Oral History and Legal Orders
Cowichan Tribes v Canada (Attorney General), 2025 BCSC 1490 (“Cowichan”) is one of the most consequential Aboriginal title decisions in British Columbia in recent history. In Cowichan, the Court grappled with numerous issues, and among them is a question that has animated the jurisprudence for nearly three decades: how should courts treat Indigenous oral histories…
Read MoreNo Harm? Still a Foul: BC Court of Appeal Ups Privacy Stakes
Written by: Myles Brown, Nathan Jones, and Sara Sebti In Insurance Corporation of British Columbia v. Ari, 2025 BCCA 131, the British Columbia Court of Appeal set an important precedent regarding damages for privacy breaches under the Privacy Act. The Court confirmed that when someone’s privacy is seriously and deliberately violated, they can receive more…
Read MoreHow to Personally Serve First Nations: Clarification on How to Successfully Serve Legal Documents
Written by: Michaela Pomponio and Rielle Gobbett The William Decision In the B.C. Supreme Court decision of William v. Lake Babine Indian Band, 1999 CanLII 6121 (“William”), the Court set aside a default judgment against Lake Babine Indian Band on the basis that the Nation was not appropriately informed of legal proceedings against it. The…
Read MoreWage Hikes and Legal Spikes: What Employers Need to Know About Minimum Wage
Written by Connor Levy and Clayton Bragg On June 1, 2025, British Columbia’s general minimum wage rose from $17.40 to $17.85 per hour, marking a 2.6% increase. This adjustment is based on the Province’s Consumer Price Index (CPI), in accordance with recent amendments to the B.C. Employment Standards Regulation. What’s changed? The annual CPI-based wage…
Read MoreNo Duty of Honest Performance in Pre-Contract Negotiations
Authors: Myles Brown, Nathan Jones, and Jaime Hills The British Columbia Court of Appeal (“BCCA”) recently clarified the nature of the duty of honest performance in pre-contract negotiations. The duty creates expectations for the way parties in contractual relationships conduct themselves, but apparently not for parties who are negotiating a contract. This is consistent with…
Read MoreMT+Co. Named ‘Aboriginal Law Litigation Firm of the Year’ for Second Year in a Row
We are proud to announce MT+Co. has been named ‘Aboriginal Law Litigation Firm of the Year’ by Benchmark Litigation Canada for the second year in a row! The Benchmark Canada awards recognize the country’s most distinguished litigators and firms for their work over the last 12 months. The research for the awards is conducted through…
Read MoreFive MT+Co. Lawyers Ranked in 2025 Benchmark Litigation Canada
Join us in celebrating Joelle Walker, Merle Alexander, KC, and Myles Brown for their recognition as 2025 Benchmark Litigation Stars and Erin Reimer and Erin Barnes for their recognition as 2025 Benchmark Litigation Future Stars. Benchmark Litigation is the only publication on the market to focus exclusively on litigation. Since its inception, Benchmark has grown…
Read MoreAn Offer You Can’t Refuse: Offer Letters vs. Employment Agreements—What’s the Difference?
When hiring new employees, it is critical that employers put careful thought into the documents they use to formalize the employment relationship. Among the most common tools are offer letters and employment agreements. These documents are sometimes used together as part of what is called a “two-step” offer. What Is an Offer Letter? An offer…
Read MoreMT+Co. Celebrates Canada’s Most Admired™ Corporate Cultures Award
Late last year, MT+Co. was named one of Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Cultures by Waterstone Human Capital. The Canada’s Most Admired™ Corporate Cultures program recognizes best-in-class Canadian organizations for fostering cultures that enhance performance and sustain a competitive advantage. Winning this award is a testament to our team’s dedication to creating an environment where innovation,…
Read MoreFour MT+Co. Lawyers Newly Called to Northwest Territories Bar
MT+Co. is proud to announce that Joelle Walker, Erin Barnes, Iain Thomas, and Allan Prest are officially called to the Northwest Territories Bar; this is an exciting development as our firm continues to expand our presence in northern Canada. One-quarter of our legal team identifies as Indigenous, and we are partially Indigenous-owned. This continued investment…
Read More