Lawson Lundell LLP

Keith Bergner

Keith advises private sector, public sector and government clients on Indigenous law and regulatory matters. He has appeared as counsel before numerous regulatory tribunals and all levels of Superior and Appellate Courts (both Federal and Provincial), including the Supreme Court of Canada. He has acted for clients in a number of natural resource industries including hydro-electric generation and transmission, oil and gas, mining, aquaculture, forestry, transportation and independent power projects. His practice extends throughout Western Canada and the North (Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon). In the area of Indigenous law, Keith advises governments, Crown corporations and private sector clients on the extent of the duty to consult and, if necessary, accommodate, in respect of potential adverse effects to Indigenous rights or title by major industrial projects. He advises on the development of consultation programs and has negotiated several dozen impact-benefit agreements with First Nations. Keith acts as hearing counsel for proponents seeking regulatory permits and approvals. He also represents project proponents and governments in appeals and judicial reviews challenging project approvals. In the area of regulatory/energy law, Keith acts as counsel for proponents and users of energy, mining and other natural resource projects. He appears regularly before administrative tribunals, including the National Energy Board and the British Columbia Utilities Commission. He also appears as counsel on appeals or applications seeking judicial review of decisions by administrative boards and tribunals.

John Olynyk

John is a member of Lawson Lundell’s Indigenous, Environmental, and Project Development practice groups. His practice includes advising private sector and government clients throughout Canada on Indigenous, environmental, regulatory and natural resources matters. John advises oil sands developers, conventional oil and gas companies, railways, mining companies, utilities and other resource developers on environmental regulatory matters and on Indigenous law matters, including Indigenous consultation issues and negotiation of cooperation protocols and impact benefit agreements related to natural resource project development. John is also the firm’s General Counsel.

Lana Shipley

Lana practices corporate and commercial law with a particular emphasis on energy, Indigenous and environmental law. She works with public and private companies in a wide range of industries, including mining, energy, natural resources, technology and manufacturing. Within her corporate and commercial energy law practice, Lana negotiates and structures complex commercial arrangements for hydroelectric utilities and energy companies, including tariff arrangements, power purchase and sale agreements, and renewable energy credits. She also conducts a variety of transactions, including asset and share acquisitions and dispositions, reorganizations and various other corporate proceedings, and advises public companies on regulatory matters, continuous disclosure and corporate governance practices. Lana’s Indigenous and environmental law practice involves assisting clients with the negotiation of impact benefit and other agreements with Indigenous groups in relation to proposed developments in the energy and mining industries and other sectors, as well as permitting and regulatory matters that arise throughout the development of both large and small projects. She also provides assistance in obtaining, amending and transferring environmental and other authorizations issued by federal and provincial regulatory authorities.