McCarthy Tétrault LLP is honoured to announce that Mr. Jean Charest, Premier of Québec from 2003 to 2012 and former Deputy Prime Minister of Canada, has joined the firm as a Partner in its Business Law Group. Mr. Charest, who will be based in Montréal, brings invaluable expertise to the firm’s clients with his in-depth knowledge and experience with public policy, corporate Canada and international matters.
“In 28 years of politics, the diversity of initiatives he has led in Québec, Canada and abroad, the scale of projects he has developed, the scope of agreements he has negotiated and concluded as well as the many challenging files he has had to manage, make him a unique resource to our clients,” said Marc-André Blanchard, Chair and Chief Executive Officer of McCarthy Tétrault. “With Mr. Charest and our legal excellence, McCarthy Tétrault will deliver analysis, solutions and results to our clients that are unmatched in the legal market.”
A passionate leader and skilled negotiator, Mr. Charest will play a key role providing strategic advice on firm and client initiatives in Canada and internationally, focusing on the United States, Europe, China, India, Africa and Latin America.
“It is with great enthusiasm that I join the law firm and team of McCarthy Tétrault, the first Canadian law firm to establish a national presence and whose history is intimately linked to the development of Québec and Canada,” said Mr. Charest. “My association with such a prominent business law firm is an opportunity for me to contribute to the business and economic development of Québec and Canada.”
Mr. Charest will work closely with clients and partners across our offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Montréal, Québec City and London, U.K.
“We are honoured that Mr. Charest is starting a new chapter in his career with our firm’s talented team,” said Kim Thomassin, McCarthy Tétrault’s Managing Partner for the Québec Region. “He had many options, and the fact that he wanted to work with us as much as we wanted to work with him is a testament to the leading position of our firm and our ability to attract talent who will provide insights and truly add value for our clients.”
With a public service career spanning almost 30 years, Jean Charest is one of Canada’s best known political figures. Mr. Charest was first elected to the House of Commons in 1984 and, at age 28, became Canada’s youngest cabinet minister as Minister of State for Youth. During his time with the federal government, Mr. Charest was also Minister of State for Sports, Minister of the Environment, Minister of Industry and Deputy Prime Minister of Canada. In 1998, he was drafted to become the Leader of the Québec Liberal Party. Mr. Charest then broke a 50-year provincial record by winning three consecutive election campaigns in 2003, 2007 and 2008. Under his leadership, Québec experienced a sustained period of economic prosperity, with stronger economic growth from 2008 to 2012 than the U.S., Europe, Canada and Ontario. His legacy includes, the creation of the Council of the Federation, the “Plan Nord” as well as major hydro-electric, wind power projects and a significant infrastructure investment program. On the international scene, Jean Charest’s most noteworthy initiatives include initiating an unprecedented labour mobility agreement between France and Québec and convincing Canada and the European Union to negotiate a broad economic partnership that will put Canada in the middle of the world’s largest trading zone. Click here for more detailed bio.
