JoAnn is a senior environmental and energy regulatory lawyer with over 25 years of experience serving clients throughout Western and Northern Canada. JoAnn’s practice is focused on land, water and natural resource matters including:

• Strategic project planning + stakeholder engagement
• Surface rights + land access
• Traditional land use studies + environmental impact assessments
• Regulatory approvals + compliance
• Climate change policy + carbon offset transactions
• Water management + permitting issues
• Land use, wildlife management + biodiversity
• Environmental, Social + Corporate Governance (ESG) policy and issues

JoAnn also has expertise in negotiating contracts and building partnerships with Indigenous communities and Aboriginal law matters including:

• Interpretation of historical + modern treaties
• Indigenous engagement + Crown consultation processes
• Negotiation of impact benefit agreements + commercial arrangements
• Indigenous Relations + Reconciliation policy and issues

JoAnn is called to the bar in Alberta (1996), the Northwest Territories (2014) and Nunavut (2012), and frequently appears before the various energy, land and water tribunals. Prior to returning to private practice in 2004, JoAnn spent eight years as an in-house regulatory counsel for a major energy company.

JoAnn is currently the President of the Environmental Law Centre (Alberta) and a past board member of the Alberta Emerald Foundation and the Alberta Chamber of Resources.  She is also an active member of the Canadian Bar Association and is the past Vice-Chair of the Aboriginal Law Section. JoAnn regularly publishes legal articles and is a frequent speaker at industry and legal conferences.