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Marie-Josée Neveu, Partner | Chair of the Partnership Board

Marie-Josée Neveu

Partner | Chair of the Partnership Board Fasken
Pressure on boards of directors will not diminish in this era of major disruptions… to the contrary. I thrive when I advise boards of directors in a M&A context or during a crisis. It is at the heart of my practice in governance.
Jurisdiction Québec, 1994
Language(s) French, English
Office(s) Montréal
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Overview

Since January 1st, 2024, Marie-Josée Neveu has been the new Chair of the Partnership Board at Fasken. A member of the Board since 2021, Marie-Josée has been with the Firm for close to 30 years and a partner for 20. She has been recognized for her deep extensive experience in governance, and sits on a number of external boards such as Centraide of Greater Montreal and Tourisme Montréal.

Marie-Josée Neveu specializes in corporate and securities law. Her practice is focused on public and private mergers and acquisitions, corporate financing and corporate governance.

Marie-Josée handles friendly and contested transactions of all kinds, including public offerings, private mergers and acquisitions and statutory arrangements. She represents public companies, underwriters and investors in relation to public offerings or private placements.

Marie-Josée has specific expertise in hostile takeovers and represents large corporations in high-profile complex transactions.

She also advises boards of directors, special committees, executives and major shareholders on various transactions and matters involving disclosure, shareholder proposals, proxy contests, corporate governance and other corporate issues in general.

She often delivers training seminars and presentations on subjects falling within her areas of practice.

Achievements

  • Recognized in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory in Corporate Mid-Market, Lexpert 2026
  • Recognized as a Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyer, Thomson Reuters stand-out lawyers 2025 to 2026
  • Recognized in Corporate Governance Practice and Securities Law in Montréal, The Best Lawyers in Canada 2022 to 2026
  • Recognized in Mergers and Acquisitions Law and Securities Law in Montreal, The Best Lawyers in Canada 2021 to 2026
  • Recognized in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory in Corporate/Commercial Law, Mergers & Acquisitions and in Corporate Finance & Securities, Lexpert 2019 to 2026
  • Recognized in Corporate/Commercial law in Québec , Chambers Canada 2018 to 2026
  • Recognized nationwide as Highly Regarded in M&A, IFLR 1000 2022 to 2025
  • Recognized in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory in Corporate Mid-Market and in Private Equity, Lexpert 2025
  • Recognized as a Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyer (formerly known as Acritas Star™ lawyer), Thomson Reuters stand-out lawyers 2023
  • Recognized as a Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyer (formerly known as Acritas Star™ lawyer), Thomson Reuters stand-out lawyers 2022

Experience

  • Averna Technologies Inc. and Spherea Tests & Services form a strategic partnership, [Deal - Averna Technologies Inc.], Sale of Averna Technologies Inc. to Spherea Tests & Services.
  • La Caisse completed the acquisition of Innergex for C$10 billion, [Deal - Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec], Acquisition of Innergex by la Caisse.
  • Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec invested $500 million in National Bank of Canada in connection with its $5 billion acquisition of Canadian Western Bank, [Deal - Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec], Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec investment of $500 million in National Bank of Canada in connection with a $5 billion acquisition
  • Novacap supported Nuvei’s privatization by Advent, valued at US$6.3 billion, alongside Philip Fayer and CDPQ, [Deal - Novacap], Nuvei announced a going-private transaction valued at US$6.3 billion with Advent, alongside Philip Fayer, Novacap and CDPQ.
  • H2O Innovation completed going-private transaction with Ember, Investissement Québec, Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec and key executives of H2O Innovation, [Case - Investissement Québec], H2O Innovation completes going-private transaction with Ember, IQ, CDPQ and Key Executives.
  • LKQ Corporation acquires Uni-Select Inc., [Deal - Uni-Select], Acquisition of Uni-Select Inc. by LKQ Corporation.
  • Taiga Motors completes private placement of $40.15 million of secured convertible debentures, following an extensive review of various options and alternatives, [Deal - Taiga Motors Corporation Special Committee], On March 24, 2023, Taiga Motors Corporation, a leading electric off-road vehicle manufacturer, announced the closing of a private placement of $40.15 million aggregate principal amount of 10% secured convertible debentures, following a robust process to identify financing options and secure suffi...
  • Noranda Income Fund completes going-private transaction with Glencore Canada Corporation, [Deal - Noranda Income Fund], Noranda Income Fund completes going-private transaction with Glencore Canada Corporation.
  • Votorantim Cimentos and McInnis Cement to Combine Cement Operations in North America, [Deal - Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec], St. Marys Cement Inc. (Canada), a wholly owned subsidiary of Votorantim Cimentos, and McInnis Cement Inc. agreed to combine their assets to create a combined an entity to manufacture, distribute and sell cement in Canada and the United States. The joint venture will be owned by Votorantim Cimento...

Career & Education

Education

  • LL.L. University of Ottawa

Community involvement

  • Member of the board of directors and Chair of the Advocacy Committee of the Institute of Corporate Directors [Québec Chapter] (since 2015)
  • Vice President of the board of directors, Tourisme Montréal (since 2018)   
  • Vice President of the board of directors, Centraide of Greater Montreal (since 2018)
  • Member of the jury, Prix Femmes d’affaires du Québec (2014)
  • Member of the Board, Société du Parc Jean-Drapeau (2015-2018
  • Member of the board of directors of the Montreal YWCA (2009–2014) 
  • Member of the board of directors of Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont (2012–2015)

Memberships & Affiliations

  • Member of the Québec Bar
  • Member of the Bar of Montréal
  • Member of the Canadian Bar Association

Knowledge

  • 2026 Shareholder Activism in Canada: The Legal Framework, 2/3/2026
  • U.S. States are shedding shareholder protections. That’s an advantage for Canada, 10/2/2025
  • Chambers' 2025 Guide to Corporate Governance in Canada, 7/3/2025
  • Board Governance Amid Trade Uncertainty: Strategic Considerations for Directors in Canada, 4/10/2025
  • Fasken Talks : Season 4, 3/6/2025
  • Shareholder Activism in Canada: The Legal Framework, 2/4/2025
  • Fasken's Guide to Directors’ Duties and Special Committees in Public M&A, 10/1/2024
  • Corporate Governance in Canada – Chambers’ 2024 Guide, 7/17/2024
  • Fasken M&A Year in Review 2023, 1/9/2024
  • ESG in Public M&A: What’s Market? – Part 2, 8/17/2023

Events

  • International Women’s Day – Accelerating Action to accelerate progress, 3/31/2025
  • Key ESG Trends, 5/4/2023
  • 2023 Symposium - Own tomorrow, 5/4/2023
  • Colloque 2022 - Marchés des Capitaux de Fasken, 11/29/2022
  • 2018 Annual Securities Seminar, 2/14/2018
  • Governance: Directors’ duties and responsibilities, 1/24/2018
  • Securities and Mergers & Acquisitions Annual Seminar 2012, 2/9/2012

News

  • Marie-Josée Neveu, Sean Stevens and Sarah Gingrich pen Op-Ed in The Globe and Mail highlighting Canada’s growing appeal for investment capital following the reduction of shareholder protections in the US, 9/16/2025
  • Fasken Welcomes the IBA to Toronto, 5/1/2025
  • Fasken Appoints Firm-wide Chief People Officer, 3/4/2024
  • Fasken Names Marie-Josée Neveu the New Chair of Its Partnership Board, 1/8/2024
  • Les Affaires mentions Marie-Josée Neveu in an article on the rising stars of governance, 2/9/2019
  • Key Legal Player – Fasken Martineau involved in two of Lexpert’s Top 10 Deals of 2016, 2/14/2017
  • The Legal 500 Canada 2017: 63 Fasken Martineau lawyers ranked, 11/15/2016
  • Fasken Martineau awarded the “Impact féminin Grande entreprise 2016” by the Réseau des Femmes d’affaires du Québec, 11/15/2016
  • The Legal 500 Canada 2015: 55 Fasken Martineau lawyers ranked, 12/3/2014
  • Droit-inc mentions Marie-Josée Neveu in an article on the completion of a 261 million dollar financing, 1/21/2014

Speaking Engagements

  • A new era for defence measures in Canada?, 5/7/2013
  • Stratégie de lancement et de défense aux offres d'achat hostiles - Développement récents et études de cas, 6/15/2010
  • L'OPA non-sollicitée sur Cossette : les leçons tirées, 5/4/2010
  • Pratiques contractuelles et droit américain : harmonisation ou hégémonie?, 1/1/2008
  • Le rôle des administrateurs, 6/2/2007
  • The Canadian Institute: Protective measures in mergers and acquisitions, 10/15/2006
Stratégie de lancement et de défense aux offres d'achat hostiles - Développement récents et études de cas Lecturer at the Insight "5e édition, Fusions et acquisitions" conference location location Montréal Montréal
L'OPA non-sollicitée sur Cossette : les leçons tirées Lecturer at the 2e Symposium Fasken Martineau location location Montréal Centre Mont-Royal, Montréal