Brian P. Dominique

Senior Counsel

 | Toronto

Brian Dominique serves as senior counsel at Cassels. Brian practices business law and has broad experience in real estate focused on the mining and electricity sectors, infrastructure (including public/private partnerships) and related Aboriginal legal matters. Brian has negotiated a broad spectrum of complex commercial/operational contracts particular to the mining, electricity and infrastructure sectors, including contractual and corporate joint ventures, access/easement agreements, electricity development/transmission/supply, consulting, metals sales, off-take, and ore processing/refining agreements, railway and port development and shipping agreements, project development/construction and EPC/EPCM agreements, and agreements with/on behalf of Indigenous groups. Brian is a key member of the Cassels mining practice group, one of the largest and most experienced mining groups of any Canadian law firm and Brian and the group are recognized by Chambers Global, Lexpert and Best Lawyers in Canada as global leaders in the mining and natural resources sectors. Brian has acted on transactions and projects throughout Canada and the world.

Brian’s experience includes acting for:

  • Major and junior mining companies in respect of all matters related to mine exploration, development, operations, closure, rehabilitation and complicated title matters, in jurisdictions around the world, including all mining provinces/territories in Canada.
  • Corporate and Indigenous clients throughout Canada with respect to First Nation/Inuit/Metis exploration agreements, impact benefit/collaboration/participation agreements and MOUs for mine exploration and mine and energy project development.
  • Developers of green and clean energy projects, including land acquisition and development of private hydro-electric, solar, wind power and bio fuel electricity generating projects and in respect of the construction of electricity/fibre optics transmission lines in Ontario.
  • The Province of Ontario in restructuring the Ontario electricity industry and implementing the breakup of Ontario Hydro and negotiating with First Nations the grant of new easement and the settlement of previous grievance claims related to the transmission and distribution lines of the former Ontario Hydro.
  • Municipalities in Ontario in restructuring, corporatization or disposition of their electricity utilities.
  • Major industrial and institutional electricity consumers (governments and government corporations, universities, hospitals) on electricity utility and power purchase matters.

In addition, Brian offers experience acting in respect of infrastructure and construction projects, including the Hurontario LRT line in the City of Mississauga, the Ridley Terminals port lease in Prince Rupert, BC and the deep lake water cooling project in the City of Toronto and also served as as chief negotiator for the Government of Canada in respect of the historic transfer of legislative authority over lands and resources in the Northwest Territories to the Government of the Northwest Territories and Indigenous groups, including the transfer of legislative authority and fiscal capacity, negotiating resource revenue sharing, transfer of assets, establishment of governance forums and environmental panel authorities, and integration of environmental land/water boards.

  • Best Lawyers in Canada (Mining, Natural Resources, Aboriginal)
  • Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory (Mining)
  • Chambers Global (Mining)
  • Legal 500 Canada (Energy & Power)
  • Lexpert Guide to the Leading US/Canada Cross-Border Corporate Lawyers in Canada (Mining)
  • Lexpert Special Edition, Global Leaders in Mining
  • Who’s Who Legal: Canada (Mining)
  • LL.B., Osgoode Hall Law School, 1987
  • B.A. (Hons), Queen’s University, 1984
  • Ontario, 1989
  • Canadian Bar Association
  • Ontario Bar Association
  • The Foundation for Natural Resources and Energy Law