Firm opens Québec office, deepens Indigenous law expertise across Canada with Nadir André and team
This article was produced in partnership with JFK Law
In a move that significantly expands its national presence and deepens its bench strength in Aboriginal law, JFK Law LLP announced the addition of partner Nadir André and his team to the firm. The high-profile lateral move brings JFK Law into Québec for the first time, establishing a new office based in Kahnawàke (Montreal) and cementing the firm’s footprint “coast to coast to coast.”
Already known for its advocacy and advisory work with Indigenous clients, JFK Law is now positioned as a truly national Indigenous law firm — a significant draw for André and associates Lauren Daniel and Isabelle Simard.
“JFK Law is a national leader in Aboriginal Law,” said André in a recent news release. “This move allows us to bring that depth of experience to new regions — at a time when Indigenous voices, rights, and legal issues are increasingly shaping the national conversation.”
Hailing from the Aboriginal Law Group of a national, full-service firm, André — a proud member of the Matimekush-Lac John First Nation — brings decades of experience advising Indigenous governments, organizations, and businesses on a wide range of legal issues including Aboriginal rights and title, governance, consultation and accommodation, and economic development. Daniel, a member of the Métis Nation of Manitoba, contributes deep experience in regulatory matters, energy and natural resource law, and Indigenous consultation processes, while Simard comes armed with strong litigation expertise, focusing on Indigenous rights and governance.
With work that spans numerous Indigenous nations across Eastern Canada, notable achievements include negotiating Right and Reconciliation Agreements on communal fisheries with Mi’gmaq communities in Québec and New Brunswick and a precedent-setting co-management agreement with Gespeg First Nation and Parks Canada for Forillon National Park in Gaspésie.
The expansion is a strategic, values-aligned move that drives forward JFK Law’s long-standing mission of self-determination, sovereignty, and reconciliation. Already established with operations in British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario, with involvement in high-impact litigation and negotiation processes including landmark cases on Aboriginal rights, environmental assessment, and Crown consultation obligations, the firm sees the recent move as deepening its capacity to serve clients across Canada and internationally. It builds on established relationships in Québec and growing momentum in the Atlantic, noted managing partner Sara Mainville, a member of Couchiching First Nation.
“We’ve strengthened our ability to support Indigenous clients where and how they need us most—through trusted relationships, regional insight, and the legal strength to make meaningful change,” Mainville said. “Nadir’s leadership, alongside the talents of Lauren and Isabelle, brings added capacity and energy to that vision.”
Founded in 2010, JFK Law has expanded steadily, now boasting a network of almost 50 lawyers across the country with a singular focus on advancing Indigenous rights, jurisdiction, and justice. The firm’s growth strategy is notably distinct from traditional large firm mergers or consolidations: rather than absorbing practices to broaden practice areas, the firm has focused on scaling its capacity within its existing mission.
JFK Law stands as a national leader within the legal profession as to what it means to move the needle in a meaningful way on reconciliation. By bringing together André’s Québec-based practice with the firm’s national platform, its ability to serve Indigenous nations whose territories span provincial and territorial boundaries — an increasingly critical factor in modern governance, environmental stewardship, and economic development — is bolstered.
As he settles in and gets his bearings, André’s succinct in his feelings and clear on next steps.
“I’m excited to be joining a firm that shares my deep commitment to Indigenous communities,” he said simply. “And I’m ready to get to work.
