Cochrane Sinclair LLP

Directions Website Contact the practice

Cochrane Sinclair LLP Litigation, child protection, Indigenous, employment/labour, corporate, real estate, wills/estates We focus on providing superior services to our clients.

Cochrane Saxberg Johnston Johnson & Scarcello LLP (Cochrane Saxberg) is a litigation, child protection, employment and labour, corporate and Indigenous advocacy and Indigenous law firm. Our firm culture is one of collegiality, respect and teamwork.

Development projects led by First Nations involve more than planning and construction. They also require navigating lega...
10/12/2026

Development projects led by First Nations involve more than planning and construction. They also require navigating legal frameworks that can affect how reserve lands are used and developed.

Under the Indian Act, reserve lands are held by the Crown for the use and benefit of First Nations. This creates distinct legal considerations for development, including land designations, approval processes, and leasing arrangements, depending on the project.

Understanding these requirements is an important part of supporting Nation-led development while ensuring projects can move forward in ways that reflect community priorities and long-term goals.

Indigenous Nations are not interchangeable. Each has its own history, culture, laws, governance structures, priorities a...
10/09/2026

Indigenous Nations are not interchangeable. Each has its own history, culture, laws, governance structures, priorities and relationship with the Crown.

That matters in legal work. An approach that is effective for one Nation may not reflect the goals, circumstances or decision-making processes of another. Good work begins by understanding the specific community, not by arriving with a model and assuming it will fit.

The distinction sounds simple, but it changes the questions that are asked, the relationships that must be built and the solutions that can emerge.

Listening is not the pause before offering an answer. It is part of how a better answer is developed.Clients and communi...
10/07/2026

Listening is not the pause before offering an answer. It is part of how a better answer is developed.

Clients and communities bring knowledge that legal training alone cannot provide: lived experience, history, priorities, relationships and an understanding of what a workable outcome would look like in practice.

A lawyer may bring knowledge of legislation, process and legal risk. The work becomes stronger when those forms of knowledge are brought together, and when what is heard genuinely influences the advice that follows.

The impact of mentorship often comes through the moments that never make it onto a résumé.For Sonny Cochrane, K.C., the ...
10/06/2026

The impact of mentorship often comes through the moments that never make it onto a résumé.

For Sonny Cochrane, K.C., the Honourable Murray Sinclair was not only a respected leader and colleague, but someone who made his knowledge and experience accessible to others. Whether discussing a complex legal issue or simply making time for a conversation, that openness created opportunities to learn that continue to influence the people who worked alongside him.

It’s one of the many ways Murray’s legacy continues through those he mentored.

Being invited into a conversation is not the same as having a meaningful role in the decision.Meaningful participation r...
10/03/2026

Being invited into a conversation is not the same as having a meaningful role in the decision.

Meaningful participation requires more than attendance. It means receiving information early enough to respond, having the opportunity to raise priorities and concerns, and knowing that those perspectives will be considered as decisions are developed, not after they have effectively been made.

For Indigenous Nations, a seat at the table must come with the ability to influence what happens at that table. Listening is important. How that input shapes the process is what gives participation meaning.

09/30/2026

Today, we honour residential school survivors, their families, and the generations who continue to live with the effects of that history.

Danielle, Kent, Lindsay, and Jenna share reflections on family, being heard and believed, and the love, language, culture, and strength that Indigenous families carry forward.

We hope their words offer a moment to pause, listen, and reflect on what September 30 means, and what we each carry into the days that follow.

Read the full reflection: https://cochranesinclair.ca/news/ndtr-2026-honouring-survivors-september-30

We’re opening the doors to our Vancouver office for our annual Fall Open House on October 8.Join us in Yaletown to meet ...
09/29/2026

We’re opening the doors to our Vancouver office for our annual Fall Open House on October 8.

Join us in Yaletown to meet our lawyers, explore the office, and learn more about the work we do. We’ll have an oyster bar, refreshments, and great conversations.

October 8, 2026 | 5:30–9:00 p.m.

200–1152 Mainland St., Vancouver

To RSVP, email [email protected]. Read more about the event on our website: https://cochranesinclair.ca/news/fall-opening-house-vancouver-2026

We’re pleased to share that Cochrane Sinclair has been ranked nationwide in Canada for Aboriginal Law and representation...
09/28/2026

We’re pleased to share that Cochrane Sinclair has been ranked nationwide in Canada for Aboriginal Law and representation of Indigenous Peoples in Chambers Canada 2027.

This recognition reflects the collective work of our team and the trust Indigenous Peoples and Nations place in us. Thank you to our clients for the opportunity to support their work.

Read the full announcement and learn more about this recognition: https://cochranesinclair.ca/news/Cochrane-Sinclair-LLP-ranked-in-Chambers-Canada-2027

A reminder that applications for our 2027 Summer Student Program close tomorrow, Friday, September 25.Interested student...
09/24/2026

A reminder that applications for our 2027 Summer Student Program close tomorrow, Friday, September 25.

Interested students can apply by emailing Reilly (Lawyer) directly at [email protected] or through our student programs page found here: https://cochranesinclair.ca/students/summer/vancouver. Please include a cover letter, resume, transcripts and proposed upper-year course list.

Indigenous students are strongly encouraged to apply.

Many of the legal questions affecting Indigenous Nations today did not begin with the latest court decision or news head...
09/23/2026

Many of the legal questions affecting Indigenous Nations today did not begin with the latest court decision or news headline. They are connected to a much longer history of treaties, Crown-Indigenous relations, assertions of sovereignty and the laws and governance systems that existed long before Canada.

That history is not background information. It is part of understanding why the legal questions exist in the first place.

Curiosity is a better starting point than certainty. Before reaching a conclusion, it is worth asking: What history shaped this issue? What legal relationships are involved? Whose perspective may be missing from the discussion?

Address

201-211 Bannatyne Avenue
Winnipeg, MB
R3B3P2

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 5pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 5pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 5pm
Thursday 8:30am - 5pm
Friday 8:30am - 5pm

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Cochrane Sinclair LLP posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Practice

Send a message to Cochrane Sinclair LLP:

Shortcuts

Sponsored

Share

Category