An Alberta court has extended an order temporarily freezing the assets of Jeffrey Rath, a lawyer and prominent advocate of Alberta separatism, as part of ongoing legal proceedings related to allegations of financial mismanagement involving northern First Nations’ trusts.

On Wednesday, Court of King’s Bench Justice John Gill agreed to continue the Mareva injunction that restricts access to approximately $8.5 million held by Mr. Rath and his law firm. The freeze will remain in place until a final ruling or until Mr. Rath provides a $15-million security bond to an investigative receiver, as stipulated by the court. The judge emphasized concerns that Mr. Rath and his firm may be taking steps to hinder efforts to trace the disputed funds.

Under the terms of the latest order, Mr. Rath and his firm must disclose the location of their assets and submit a detailed accounting of all fees, charges, and payments by early August. Additionally, Mr. Rath is required to attend an examination under oath scheduled for August 11. His legal counsel, Edward Holt, did not present evidence during Wednesday’s virtual hearing and agreed to the extension of the asset freeze. Mr. Rath’s lawyer declined to comment, though past court filings show that Mr. Rath has denied any wrongdoing, asserting that his actions complied with the terms of the trusteeships.

The case stems from allegations made by the Tallcree First Nation that Mr. Rath improperly moved $8.5 million in November 2025 from the band’s trust to his private corporation. This amount matches a sum that a previous court ruling ordered him to repay related to a fee dispute. Last week, Justice Michael Marion initially imposed the asset freeze following similar concerns raised by the First Nation. The Tallcree First Nation had earlier removed Mr. Rath as trustee in late June after discovering he billed more than $6 million to the band between 2024 and 2025.

This dispute echoes Mr. Rath’s contentious past dealings involving the Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation, where he also serves as a trustee for a minors’ trust. In 2017, he helped secure a $142-million settlement for Sturgeon Lake with the federal government over long-standing issues related to broken agricultural promises. Mr. Rath and his firm received $28.5 million in fees tied to that settlement, which was later challenged and found unenforceable by a court in 2024. The matter is currently under review to determine the appropriate fee amount.

In 2022, Sturgeon Lake sought to remove Mr. Rath as trustee, citing complaints that ranged from underpayment to beneficiaries, failure to pay interest on trust distributions, lack of financial transparency, and unprofessional conduct by his firm’s staff. Justice Gill highlighted concerns raised in an affidavit by Chief Sheldon Sunshine of Sturgeon Lake, which included evidence of approximately $12 million in payments withdrawn from the band’s trust to Mr. Rath’s company without the First Nation’s knowledge between May 2023 and January 2024. The judge called this evidence “compelling” and indicative of a troubling pattern.

Despite the allegations, Mr. Rath continues to manage the Sturgeon Lake minors’ trust. The court’s recent order permits him to spend up to $25,000 on living expenses during the asset freeze. Chief Sunshine expressed worry that many children may never receive funds owed from the settlement. Legal proceedings remain ongoing as the court seeks to resolve these complex disputes over trust management and fiduciary responsibilities.