Thierry Dorval

Senior Partner, Canadian Head of Corporate Governance
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP

Montréal
Canada
T:+1 514 847 4528
Montréal
Canada
T:+1 514 847 4528
Thierry Dorval

Thierry Dorval

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Biography

Thierry Dorval practises securities law and competition law. He acts in a wide range of transactions such as mergers, business acquisitions and dispositions.

He is chair of our governance and directors’ liability team. Thierry frequently reviews the governance policies and practices of Canadian corporations listed on both Canadian and US stock exchanges. He also regularly advises boards and management on directors and officers’ liability issues and independent committee deliberations.

Thierry also acts for public and private corporations in Canadian and multinational merger transactions and in competition law investigations.

He is the author of the book Governance of Publicly Listed Corporations published by LexisNexis, and of many other publications.

Professional experience

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LL.D., University of Ottawa, 2007 
M.B.A., University of Oxford, 1998
LL.M., Université Laval, 1997
LL.B., Université Laval, 1995

  • Quebec 1996

Clients for whom Thierry has acted recently include:

  • iA Financial Corporation inc. (over $5 billion) - various financings and transactions
  • Metro inc. (over $5 billion) - various acquisitions, including Jean Coutu Group, A&P Canada, GP Group, Chevrefils Group and Adonis Group
  • Laurentian Bank of Canada (over $2.5 billion) - various acquisitions, including Northpoint Commercial Finances, CIT Group, MRS Trust and AGF Trust
  • Desjardins Group (over $50 billion in assets under management) - amalgamation of subsidiaries of Desjardins and of Credit Union Centrals
  • Energir inc. ($1.2 billion) - privatization of Valener inc.
  • Enbridge Income Fund Holdings ($30.4 billion) - acquisition of assets of Enbridge
  • Lassonde Industries inc. ($89.3 million) - acquisition of Sun-Rype Products ltd. and its US subsidiaries
  • Ivanhoe Cambridge ($1.5 billion) - sale of assets to Cominar Real Estate Investment Trust
  • RONA inc. (over $4 billion) - various transactions, including sale to Lowe's and acquisition of Don Park Limited Partnership, TruServ Canada Inc. and Piercey’s
  • Hydro-Québec (undisclosed amount) - acquisition of a 60% interest in Compagnie Hydroélectrique Manicouagan
  • Best Lawyers in Canada: Director and Officer Liability Practice, 2011-2025; Corporate Governance Practice, 2022-2025; Competition / Antitrust Law, 2024-2025
  • Best Lawyers in Canada: Corporate Governance Practice "Lawyer of the Year," 2025
  • Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyers, 2022-2024
  • Best Lawyers in Canada: Director and Officer Liability Practice "Lawyer of the Year," 2023
  • Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, 2018-2024: recommended in Competition Law; 2020-2023: recommended in Corporate Finance & Securities 
  • Acritas Stars 2019-2021 – Designated as an "Independently rated lawyer"  
  • Who's Who Legal, Canada 2016 and 2018:  Corporate Governance 
  • Acritas StarsTM  2018 – Designated as a "Star" lawyer by a panel of over 4,300 clients
  • Ranked as one of Canada's corporate lawyers to watch by Lexpert magazine in 2010
  • Ranked as one of the best lawyers in Canada under 40 by Lexpert magazine in 2009
  • Recommended by PLC Which Lawyer in the field of governance
  • "ESG - Have investors found what they were looking for?" (jointly with Réjean Nguyen and Miekela Singh), Montreal, August 2021.
  • "The evolution of fiduciary duty" (jointly with Poonam Puri, Timothy Youmans and Vagn Sorensen), Institute of Corporate Directors annual conference, Halifax, May 2020.
  • "Corporate democracy and shareholder engagement: The long-term view" (jointly with Kim Thomassin and Walied Soliman), Montreal, October 2017.
  • "Competition  Law: Better Safe Than Sorry" (jointly with Commissioner of Competition of Canada John Pecman and Madeleine Renaud), Institute of Corporate Directors, Montreal, February 2017.
  • "Transformational Governance," chairman of the organizing committee (co-chaired by Monique Leroux, Claude Mongeau and Michael Sabia), Institute of Corporate Directors, Montreal, September 2014.
  • "Challenges Related to Globalization of Businesses" (jointly with Yvan Allaire, Jacynthe Côté, Yves Fortier and Pierre Marcouiller), Institute of Corporate Directors, Montreal, September 2013.
  • "Crown Corporations Forum" (jointly with Marie Giguère, Jean-René Halde and Hubert Lacroix), Institute of Corporate Directors, Montreal, February 2012.
  • "The Duties of Directors With Respect to Activist Shareholders and Their Advisors" (jointly with Stephen Jarislowsky and Robert Parizeau), Institute of Corporate Directors, Montreal, November 2011.
  • "Directors in the Spotlight" (jointly with Louise Roy), Institute of Corporate Directors annual meeting, Montreal, September 2009.
  • "Governance and Financial Markets in North America," chairman of the organizing committee, Institute of Corporate Directors, Montreal, September 2008.

 

 

  • Fellow, American College of Governance Counsel
  • Institute of Corporate Directors
    • Founding member and former president, Quebec chapter 
  • Institute of Corporate Directors/McGill University
    • Lecturer, Directors Education Program
  • Director, Scale.Ai
  • Director, Alloprof
  • Director, Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal (Montreal symphony orchestra) (2007-2022)
  • Director, Société des alcools du Québec (Quebec liqour board) (2013-2018)
  • Director, Institute of Corporate Directors, Quebec Chapter (2012-2018)
  • Director, Société d’Investissement Jeunesse (2010-2018)
  • Director, Fondation de l'Orchestre symphonique de Montréal (Montreal symphony orchestra foundation) (2008-2014)

 

  • English
  • French