At Nahwegahbow Corbiere, he was lead counsel to First Nations on litigation, negotiations, projects
Alain Bartleman, a member of the Chippewas of Rama First Nation, has joined Fogler, Rubinoff LLP in Toronto as a partner in its Indigenous law practice department this month.
Bartleman’s work focuses on negotiating impact and community benefit, participation, revenue sharing, resource development, and similar agreements for First Nations across Canada. He also assists with consultation, regulatory, and economic development matters.
He guides First Nations as they engage strategically at all government levels and negotiate regarding Indigenous and Treaty rights, governance, and resource and infrastructure projects. He also negotiates with proponents in the mining, energy, and infrastructure sectors.
Bartleman also supports First Nations on matters covering land management, project approvals, on-reserve real property development, and the structuring and governance of band-owned enterprises.
Lawyers in the firm’s Indigenous practice advocate on behalf of Canada’s First Nations and advise First Nations on designing and implementing governance structures, laws, and policies that align with their values and long-term objectives.
Bartleman’s LinkedIn page provides more information regarding his background. Before joining Fogler, Rubinoff, he worked as a lawyer at Nahwegahbow Corbiere from February 2018 to May 2025. In this role, he served as lead counsel to First Nations on multimillion-dollar litigation, commercial negotiations, and capital projects.
He also assisted Indigenous governments with corporate structuring, economic development, and risk mitigation matters in the energy, infrastructure, and resource extraction sectors.
Bartleman also helped clients negotiate and implement impact benefit agreements, equity arrangements, and revenue-sharing contracts aiming to promote Indigenous control and long-term value.
He also guided clients as they strategized regarding Crown consultation and regulatory engagement under s. 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982. His work also covered structuring limited partnerships, trusts, and governance frameworks.
Bartleman offered legal commentary on Indigenous issues as a freelance contributor to Radio-Canada beginning in November 2021. He served as co-founder and chief legal officer of IP-Mate in Switzerland from November 2017 to December 2018. He joined the Ontario bar in 2017.
He worked as a legal researcher for Civis Law LLP in Toronto from April 2015 to May 2016, as an intern for the office of general counsel of Chippewas of Rama First Nation in Ontario from April to September 2014, and as an international intern for LUSSAN société d'avocats in France from September to December 2012.
Bartleman earned his LLB and BCL degrees from McGill University. He has been a board member and treasurer of the Indigenous Bar Association and a special advisor for the Canadian Civil Liberties Association.
