On behalf of everyone at Blaneys, congratulations to our partner, colleague and friend, Bob Potts, on being awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Osgoode Hall Law School. We are so proud to celebrate Bob's achievements and well-deserved recognition as a long-standing expert and advocate in the field of Indigenous law.
Bob has been a partner at Blaneys for over 45 years and he is chair of the firm's Indigenous Law group. He has actively represented and counselled First Nations since the early 1980s and he has successfully negotiated a number of significant land claim settlements in Ontario and Alberta, including acting as lead negotiator for the Bigstone Cree Nation, one of the largest settlements in Canadian history.
The Senate of York University conferred this degree, the highest honour the university bestows, in recognition of the significant impact that Bob has made as a long-standing advocate and expert in Indigenous law. In a personal letter to him, the President and Vice-Chancellor of York University said that Bob’s leadership has "greatly advanced working with indigenous people in Canada by helping to reach final settlements on numerous land claims". She added that this achievement, among others, has been "instrumental in furthering reconciliation in Canada and provides a model worthy of emulation by our graduands.”
In a speech at the commencement ceremony at York University on October 18th, Bob said, "I am both profoundly humbled and deeply grateful for having received this honorary degree. In doing so, I am also mindful that this moment would not have happened without the support and love of my wonderful family and friends and my law partners, associates and staff at Blaney McMurtry who for the past half century have tolerated my limitations, supported my endeavors in the field of Aboriginal Law and consoled me in every set back and embraced me in every victory that we have experienced together…a career path that has been extremely satisfying."
Congratulations, Bob! You are a role model to so many and we couldn’t be prouder that you chose to practice law with us.
Read more about Bob's achievement and his acceptance speech on the York University website here.