Cathy Guirguis

Education
Bachelor of Journalism (Carleton), LLB (Osgoode), MA (York), Bar of Ontario
UN SDG

Cathy serves as the Chief Executive Officer and a partner at OKT. Her practice is focused on advancing Aboriginal and treaty rights through litigation and negotiation.

Cathy has represented clients in applications and actions in Ontario and Manitoba, as well as in federal court and at the Supreme Court of Canada. She has also represented Indigenous clients in proceedings and tribunals regarding election processes, labour and employment, and environmental assessment. Cathy provides negotiation advice regarding Aboriginal and treaty rights, land claims, and consultation, and she also advises clients on day-to-day employment matters and governance administration. She received her LL.B. from Osgoode Hall Law School, and has a Masters of Environmental Studies.

While at law school, Cathy was a senior editor of the Osgoode Hall Law Journal and volunteered at Osgoode’s Community Legal Aid Services Program and Downsview Legal Aid Clinic. She also contributed to environmental projects at the Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources (CIER), working on projects dealing with the duty to consult and accommodate, and Indigenous environmental laws. Prior to law, Cathy worked in international development and has a background in journalism.

Cathy is a member of the Ontario bar and is listed as a “consistently recommended” lawyer in The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory. She’s now listed in Best Lawyers. Since 2022, Cathy has been an adjunct instructor at Osgoode Hall Law School.