John Alexander Terry

A leading lawyer in his field and a strategic partner to clients on high-profile international matters, John is recognized for his long track record of work on arbitrations, trade disputes and Indigenous consultation.

John’s practice focuses on public, business and international trade and investment law. He regularly advises businesses and governments on trade law issues, and has a leading practice acting for claimants and respondents in investment arbitrations, and set aside and enforcement proceedings, under various bilateral and multilateral treaties.

John also has a significant practice in Indigenous matters, with extensive experience on issues respecting the duty to consult with Indigenous communities and representing parties and negotiating in disputes regarding Indigenous issues, often on high-stakes or sensitive matters. He also routinely provides guidance to natural resource and energy companies on corporate social responsibility issues.

John has appeared as counsel at all levels of court in Ontario, at the Federal Court and Federal Court of Appeal, before the Supreme Court of Canada, in commercial and investment arbitrations and before a variety of administrative tribunals.

Before joining Torys, John worked as a constitutional lawyer with the Ontario government and senior policy adviser with the Ontario Cabinet Office. He also spent two years teaching international trade law, international commercial arbitration and international human rights law at Otago University in New Zealand. Further, he served as a clerk to Mr. Justice Cory of the Supreme Court of Canada and the judges of the Ontario Court of Appeal.

John teaches International Commercial and Investor-State Arbitration and Public International Law at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law as an Adjunct Professor and teaches advocacy with the Foundation for International Arbitration advocacy in Geneva.