Philippe Charlebois

Philippe Charlebois is a lawyer with over ten years of experience in Canada and the United Kingdom, practicing in energy and construction law, as well as within the professional services and infrastructure sectors. He serves as a true business partner to his clients, ensuring alignment between their legal obligations and their strategic business objectives. His experience gained on large-scale projects within a globally recognized engineering firm has enabled him to develop a multidisciplinary approach grounded in collaboration and informed decision-making.

In this capacity, Philippe assumed responsibilities comparable to those of a legal department leader, notably by providing a comprehensive strategic perspective on legal issues and overseeing the management of complex and sensitive high-impact situations. He also contributed to executive decision-making bodies and leadership committees, playing an active role in shaping key organizational decisions.

Philippe also practiced litigation with leading law firms, particularly in professional liability and insurance law. This experience now reinforces his pragmatic, risk-oriented approach. Recognized for his ability to build lasting relationships based on trust, he focuses on delivering practical legal solutions that are tailored to business realities and create value.

Philippe served as Legal Counsel at AtkinsRéalis for six years, advising several divisions of the company in Canada and the United Kingdom.

In Canada, Philippe supported the company on major light rail projects (REM, Trillium Extension Line) throughout the execution of these multibillion‑dollar programs. He also worked within the Dispute Resolution Centre of Excellence at AtkinsRéalis, where he provided strategic leadership on claims filed against the company, both in Canada and internationally, to ensure they were resolved in line with business objectives.

In the United Kingdom, Philippe served as legal business partner for the Transportation division of an international organization, a business unit generating annual revenues of over £500 million (approximately CAD 930 million) and highly active in the rail sector. In this capacity, he operated across all decision-making levels to support the unit’s strategic objectives and mitigate legal risks, working closely with both operational and executive teams.

In this role, Philippe was called upon to articulate a strategic vision for all legal matters affecting the business unit and to lead the management of complex, high-impact situations, including client insolvencies, contract assignments involving end clients, matters involving law enforcement or investigations, as well as sensitive human resources issues. He also participated in the executive committee, actively contributing to strategic discussions and key organizational decisions.

In his most recent role at AtkinsRéalis, he supported Candu Energy, the company’s nuclear energy subsidiary in Ontario. He provided comprehensive legal support to project teams, including contract negotiations, internal governance, compliance, and risk management.

Philippe practiced as a litigation lawyer in professional liability and insurance law at Clyde & Co Canada, where he led defense mandates and developed claims strategies in several complex matters, primarily in construction law and professional liability. In this context, he developed in-depth expertise in defending engineers, while also acting for plaintiffs in technically complex subrogation claims. Prior to joining Clyde & Co, Philippe also practiced litigation at Miller Thomson.

Throughout his practice, Philippe has been directly involved in managing key client relationships, assuming a strategic role from both legal and relational perspectives. He also completed a secondment with an international insurer, an experience that allowed him to gain an inside perspective on the operational realities of managing a high volume of complex claims. Actively engaged in firm life, he has also contributed to recruitment efforts, as well as to the training and mentorship of more junior lawyers.

In-house

• Member of the negotiation team for the refurbishment project of the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station in Ontario (value exceeding CAD 1 billion): played an active role in negotiations with the client Ontario Power Generation Inc., defined business objectives aligned with negotiation strategy, supported project governance, negotiated key project agreements.
• Member of the project team on an Ottawa light rail transit (LRT) mandate: reviewed project-related claims, contributed to execution strategy, managed subcontractors and optimized resource allocation.
• Active participant in a mediation relating to a major infrastructure project in Montreal: prepared and submitted claims, negotiated with project insurers, refined legal positions with the support of experts.
• Led all legal support in response to a data breach caused by an employee: managed external counsel, coordinated cross-functional teams and business stakeholders, implemented decisive actions within a short timeframe.
• Strategic lead and advisor in managing a contractor client’s insolvency and the novation of contracts to a new client.
• Managed a portfolio of claims: conducted preliminary liability assessments, developed mitigation strategies to reduce financial exposure, supervised external counsel, drafted legal opinions on liability.

Private practice

• Led the defence of a general contractor following a water main break in downtown Montreal: negotiated third-party settlements, collaborated with experts, developed settlement strategies, represented the client in court.
• Led the defence in professional liability claims: performed initial case assessments, established litigation strategies, worked closely with experts, managed settlement discussions, represented clients in court.
• Led the defence in insurance coverage disputes: reviewed policy coverage, developed resolution strategies, represented clients before the courts.
• Represented engineers in professional liability claims arising from fire propagation incidents.
• Represented mechanical and electrical engineers in claims related to new construction projects.
• Represented insurance brokers before civil and disciplinary tribunals.