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Pierre-Olivier Charlebois Associé/Partner Montréal

Pierre-Olivier Charlebois

Partner | Co-Leader, Energy and Climate Fasken
Environmental, social and economic issues must be considered in order to successfully develop natural resources and implement industrial and energy projects.
Jurisdiction Québec, 2004
Language(s) French, English
Office(s) Montréal
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Overview

Pierre-Olivier Charlebois is a leading lawyer in the areas of environmental, mining, energy, climate change and corporate social responsibility law.  Recognized by his peers across Canada and internationally due to his multidisciplinary experience , Pierre-Olivier is the go-to legal reference.

Pierre-Olivier is the leader of the Corporate Social Responsibility group. He also heads the Environmental, Energy and Climate Change group for the Quebec region.

Pierre-Olivier advises clients on compliance with environmental laws and regulations. He participates in obtaining government authorizations needed to develop new industrial and energy projects. He also represents clients during environmental administrative, penal and civil litigation.

His mining expertise encompasses environmental aspects involved in acquiring, restoring and closing a mine. Pierre-Olivier also advises clients on implementing and transferring financial security covering the cost of restoring a mining site.

His expertise in climate change covers all aspects of the carbon market, specifically compliance with Canadian and Quebec legislation and developing carbon offsets.

In energy law, he advises private and public energy providers working with biomass, hydroelectric and wind power on regulatory and commercial issues. He also applies his expertise to the institutional and legal reform of the production, transmission and regulation of electricity in developing countries, more specifically Africa.

In corporate social responsibility, Pierre-Olivier helps clients implement strategies and policies on Aboriginal, environmental, regulatory and other aspects of corporate social responsibility.

Achievements

  • Recognized in Québec as a Litigation Star, Benchmark Litigation Canada 2025 to 2026
  • Recognized nationwide in Canada in Environment, Chambers & Partners 2024 to 2026
  • Recognized in Natural Resources Law and Oil and Gas Law in Montreal, The Best Lawyers in Canada 2022 to 2026
  • Recognized in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory in Environmental Law and Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG), Lexpert 2019 to 2026
  • Recognized in Energy Law, Energy regulatory Law and Environmental Law in Montreal, The Best Lawyers in Canada 2018 to 2026
  • Recognized in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory in Energy (Oil & Gas), Lexpert 2026
  • Recognized in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory in Mining, Lexpert 2025
  • Recognized in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory in ESG, Lexpert Canadian Legal Directory 2024 to 2025
  • Recognized nationwide in Environment , Chambers Canada 2021 to 2025
  • Recognized in Québec as a Future Star, Benchmark Litigation Canada 2024

Experience

  • Northvolt Batteries North America succeeded in having an application for an interim injunction dismissed, allowing it to carry out preparatory work on the site of its future manufacturing plant for electric vehicle battery cells, [Case - Northvolt Batteries North America Inc.], Dismissal of an application for an interim injunction.
  • ODL, Inc. Acquires Second Quebec Company with Purchase of Robover Inc., [Deal - ODL Incorporated], Acquisition of a major Quebec glass manufacturer.
  • Champlain and Gefco acquire Naya Waters from L Catterton Partners, [Deal - Champlain Financial Corporation], Champlain and Gefco acquire Naya Waters.
  • McCain Foods Limited sells a majority stake in Wong Wing Foods, [Deal - McCain Foods Limited], McCain completes its sale of a majority stake in the Wong Wing business unit.
  • Lignectics acquires wood pellet manufacturing company Energex, [Deal - Lignetics Inc.], On January 31, 2020, Lignetics Inc. completed the acquisition of Energex Corporation, which operates a wood pellet manufacturing plant in Lac-Megantic, Quebec. Fasken acted as legal counsel to Lignetics, the largest residential wood pellet manufacturing company in the U.S. Lignetics is owned by T...
  • C$125 million bought deal offering of 4.65% convertible unsecured subordinated debentures of Innergex., [Deal - Innergex], On September 30, 2019, Innergex Renewable Energy Inc., an independent renewable power producer which develops, acquires owns and operates hydroelectric facilities, wind farms and solar farms, announced the completion of a C$125 million bought deal public offering of 4.65% convertible unsecured su...
  • GenePOC reaches an agreement with Meridian Bioscience for the acquisition of its molecular diagnostics business, [Deal - GenePOC Inc], On June 3, 2019, GenePOC, a Debiopharm Group company, concluded the sale of its molecular diagnostics business to Meridian Bioscience. The purchase price for GenePOC’s molecular business has a maximum potential value of $120M US, with $50M US paid at closing (subject to a holdback and working cap...
  • Knowlton Development Corporation, a Novacap Portfolio Company, sells its issued and outstanding shares to Cornell Capital, [Deal - Knowlton Development Corporation (KDC)], Fasken advised Knowlton Development Corporation Inc. (“KDC”) and its shareholders in the sale of all of its issued and outstanding shares to a group of investors led by Cornell Capital LLC (“Cornell”), a private investment firm based in New York and Hong Kong. KDC is a leading value-added partne...
  • Champlain Financial Corporation acquires Cape Bald Packers, [Deal - Champlain Financial Corporation], On December 6, 2018, Champlain, a Canadian private equity firm, concluded a series of transactions by which it acquired the Cape Bald Packers, Ltd. group, which include operating entities Cape Bald Packers, Ltd., based in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, Cavendish Seafoods Inc., based in Prince Edw...

Career & Education

Education

  • LLM, droit de l'environnement, développement durable et sécurité alimentaire Université Laval
  • LLB University of Sherbrooke

Community involvement

  • Member, Board of Directors Quebec Business Council on the Environment (CPEQ)
  • Board Secretary Association québécoise de vérification environnementale
  • Board Secretary Fondation Martin Matte
  • Chair, Water Committee Quebec Business Council on the Environment (CPEQ)

Memberships & Affiliations

  • Member Québec Bar Association
  • Member Canadian Bar Association
  • Member Young Bar of Montreal
  • Member Montreal Bar Association

Knowledge

  • Opsis Ruling: Supreme Court Finds Provincial Statute Doesn’t Apply to Two Federally Regulated Businesses Despite the Constraints of Interjurisdictional Immunity, 6/12/2025
  • Securing the Future: Government Measures for Companies Impacted by Tariffs, 3/14/2025
  • Securing the Future: Tariff Timeline, 3/11/2025
  • Securing the Future: 9 Ways to Help Your Business Adapt to New U.S. Policies, 2/21/2025
  • The AMF (Autorité des marchés financiers) Incorporates ISSB Standards Into Its New Climate Risk Management Guideline, 7/10/2024
  • Long-Term Vision and Expanded Roles for the Government and the Régie de l'Énergie: How the New Bill the Governance of Québec's Energy Resources will Affect You, 6/6/2024
  • To ISSB or Not to ISSB, That is the Question: The New ISSB Sustainability Disclosure Standards Are Not Mandatory in Canada, But They Could Soon Be, 6/29/2023
  • New ISSB Standards – Is This the End of the 'Alphabet Soup' for ESG Disclosure Requirements and How Will Canada Position Itself?, 6/29/2023
  • Are You a “Primary Supplier” to Whom the New (Federal) Clean Fuel Regulations Apply?, 11/1/2022
  • Scoping Ontario’s Potential for Low-Carbon Hydrogen Production and Storage, 10/11/2022

Events

  • Fasken’s Environmental Conference, 11/12/2025
  • Greenwashing : Avoiding Pitfalls in the Face of New Rules, 11/5/2025
  • Energy and Decarbonization Projects: an Opportunity for Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, 9/27/2023
  • Key ESG Trends, 5/4/2023
  • 2023 Symposium - Own tomorrow, 5/4/2023
  • Colloque en Environnement et Energie, 10/19/2022
  • Water: A Critical Resource and Human Right - Mitigating Water Risk in Mining, 3/11/2021
  • 11/18/2020
  • Environment, Health and Safety, 4/28/2020
  • Colloque en droit de l’environnement et de l’énergie, 4/24/2019

News

  • Fasken Shines in The Best Lawyers in Canada™ 2026 Guide with Hundreds of Lawyers Recognized, 9/4/2025
  • Fasken Team Helps Clients Align ESG With Their Business Objectives, 9/21/2022
  • Miningweekly.com quotes François Joubert and Pierre-Olivier Charlebois in an article about climate change and ESG effects on the mining industry, 3/12/2021
  • Novacap Awarded Canadian Private Equity Summit Awards 2019 Deal of the Year for its successful sale of Knowlton Development Corporation, 11/21/2019
  • Forty-Two Fasken Lawyers Ranked in 2020 Edition of Legal 500 Canada, 11/19/2019
  • Energiemines.ma mentions Youssef Fichtali, Pierre-Olivier Charlebois, Karim Maalioun and Marek Nitoslawski in an article on a discussion about CSR in the light of the Canadian experience, 3/20/2019
  • Fasken Wins Labour and Employment Law Firm of the Year in the 2019 Best Lawyers in Canada Guide, 8/21/2018
  • Fasken Martineau Wins Mining Law Firm of the Year in the 2018 edition of Best Lawyers in Canada Guide, 8/22/2017
  • The Journal du Barreau quotes Pierre-Olivier Charlebois in an article on the Paris Accord and the carbon market, 4/1/2017
  • Lexpert Magazine quotes Pierre-Olivier Charlebois in an article on regulation forcing companies to slash GHG emissions, 10/24/2016

Publications

  • Getting The Deal Through - Mining 2016 - Canada, 7/4/2016
  • Commentary: The Paris Agreement is a historic climate deal, 12/16/2015
  • Autorisation préalable : évaluation des impacts sur l’environnement de la Loi canadienne sur l’évaluation environnementale (2012), 12/17/2012
  • Water Governance in Quebec: Introduction of Bill 27 Aimed at Reinforcing the Protection of Water Resources, 6/4/2009
Article Commentary: The Paris Agreement is a historic climate deal
Article Autorisation préalable : évaluation des impacts sur l’environnement de la Loi canadienne sur l’évaluation environnementale (2012)

Speaking Engagements

  • L’écoblanchiment dans la ligne de mire des récents amendements à la Loi sur la concurrence MTL PME (Only in French), 5/29/2025
  • L’écoblanchiment dans la ligne de mire des récents amendements à la Loi sur la concurrence APCHQ (Only in French), 5/29/2025
  • The Modernization of the Environment Quality Act (Modernisation de la Loi sur la qualité de l’environnement), 5/16/2017
  • Our Expert Panel: Authorization under the Environment Quality Act, 2/15/2017
  • Expropriating Contaminated Land, 3/15/2016
  • Executive roundtable on U.S. and Canadian energy and environment Policy / Regulatory developments and outlook, 11/12/2015
  • Submission presented by Réseau Environnement, 9/15/2015
  • Les nouveaux développements dans le secteur du marché du carbone, 5/21/2015
  • Director and officer liability – What you should know about environmental issues, 4/28/2015
  • Évolution de la réglementation sur l'eau: obligations et tendances, 3/26/2015
The Modernization of the Environment Quality Act (Modernisation de la Loi sur la qualité de l’environnement) Training on the Modernization of the Environment Quality Act (EQA) organized by the Réseau Environnement in collaboration with the ministère du Développement durable, de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques