William J. Taggart

Bill’s practice focuses exclusively on Aboriginal and Indigenous law.

He began practicing in this specialty as in‐house lawyer for Grand Council Treaty #3, and was a member of the legal team which represented Ontario First Nations in the 1981 First Ministers Conference which resulted in the inclusion of s. 35 in the Constitution Act, 1982.  

Legislative drafting for Indigenous clients has remained one of the main bases of his law practice but he has also acted for First Nations in claims and other matters including, most recently, acting as legal counsel for Henvey Inlet First Nation in the creation of the environmental laws and land tenure system for Henvey Inlet First Nation’s 300 MW wind  energy centre, one of the largest Indigenous projects in Canada.  He advises First Nations in Ontario and in other provinces in relation to the legislative and executive functions of Indigenous governments, and is Past Chair of the OBA’s Aboriginal Law Section.

Bill Taggart’s comprehensive review of the Anishnabek Nation Governance Agreement appears in Key Developments in Aboriginal Law, Volume 2 edited by Thomas Isaac and published by Thomson Reuters.

Bill is recognized as a leading lawyer in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers™ in Canada and The Canadian Legal LEXPERT® Directory in Aboriginal law / Indigenous Practice.