1. Our commitment and guiding principles
BRION RAFFOUL is committed to advancing Reconciliation with First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples in Canada. We recognize the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) as the framework for Reconciliation, and we are guided by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action, in particular Call to Action 92, which asks the corporate sector to adopt UNDRIP as a reconciliation framework, to build respectful relationships, to ensure equitable access to jobs, training and economic opportunity, and to provide education for management and staff on the history and rights of Indigenous Peoples.
As an intellectual property firm, we are conscious that patents, industrial designs, trademarks, copyright and trade secrets intersect with Indigenous knowledge, traditional cultural expressions and genetic resources. These intersections are the subject of active international work, including at the World Intellectual Property Organization, and we will keep our practice current as those norms develop. We commit to acting respectfully and to using our expertise, where welcome, to help Indigenous inventors, entrepreneurs and communities protect and benefit from their innovation.
2. Governance and accountability
Accountability for this strategy rests with BRION RAFFOUL’s management team, who engages respectfully with Indigenous organizations. We will seek guidance from Indigenous partners so that our actions are led by, and genuinely benefit, Indigenous Peoples rather than being determined solely by the firm.
This strategy and its objectives are reviewed at least annually and updated as our relationships, understanding and capacity grow.
3. Education and awareness
- Formally acknowledge and participate in the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (September 30) each year, including internal education.
- Maintain an internal resource list of Indigenous-authored materials and learning opportunities, reviewed annually.
4. Employment, training and inclusion
- Ensure that our recruitment and opportunities at the firm reach Indigenous candidates, including through Indigenous student, law school, and STEM networks.
- Support an inclusive workplace.
5. Economic participation: procurement and subcontracting
- Ensure that qualified Indigenous-owned businesses have fair opportunity to supply goods and services to the firm.
6. Using our expertise to benefit Indigenous Peoples
- Adopt internal guidance for the culturally sensitive handling of Indigenous traditional knowledge, traditional cultural expressions and genetic resources in our patent and IP work, consistent with evolving international norms.
7. Reporting and review
- Invite feedback on this strategy from Indigenous partners and from anyone who reads it, and record how that feedback changed our approach.
A note on authenticity. Reconciliation is a relationship, not a checklist. These commitments are a starting point. BRION RAFFOUL will pursue them in partnership with Indigenous Peoples and refine them based on their guidance, and we accept that meaningful progress will be measured by those relationships rather than by this document.