Merle practices First Nations resource law, empowering Nations through title and rights affirmation, sustainable economic development, and environmental conservation.
Merle’s clients are looking for righteous advocacy, angular thinking, and relentless diplomacy. They want to be treated with the dignity of Governments, not as warrior activists. His clients are Nations that uplift their jurisdiction and take their rightful seat at the negotiation, economic, and political table.
He holds the Hereditary Chief name, Lagax’niitsk, of Kitasoo Xai’xais First Nation. He will begin his Chiefmanship upon following traditional protocols.
Merle is a ‘life of project’ lawyer assisting with negotiations of all stages of impact benefit agreements, joint ventures, regulatory engagement, traditional knowledge collection, and other corporate and tax-related advice. He supports clients in emerging government-to-government negotiations in all resource areas, including mining, oil and gas, forestry, pipelines, run-of-river, and hydro projects.
As a member of the co-development team for the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act in BC, a major component of Merle’s practice currently involves the ongoing legislative implementation of the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) in BC and Canada.
