Shahir Guindi, Ad E

Practice Areas

Shahir is the outgoing National Co-Chair of the firm and served on its Partnership Board. He is a partner in the Corporate Group. He was Managing Partner of the Montréal office for 7 years prior to becoming national Co-Chair. He has over 30 years of experience and is a recognized advisor in M&A, private equity and corporate finance.

His private equity and venture capital experience includes advising funds on their domestic and cross-border portfolio investments and divestitures and on their fund formations. Shahir acts for a number of the country’s most successful technology and biotechnology companies.

Shahir sits on the Board of Jubilant Draxis Pharma. He was a member of the Board of Directors of GFL Environmental, of the Business Development Bank of Canada for eight years and of the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal, which he chaired from 2019 to 2021. He is also a member of the boards of several other companies and was Co-Chair of Réseau Capital (Québec’s private equity and venture capital association) between 2010 and 2013.

Shahir has received significant industry and peer recognition, including having received top rankings in eight categories of the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory (including Mergers & Acquisitions, Corporate Finance & Securities, Private Equity, Technology Transactions, and Biotechnology). He is recognized as a Star Lawyer by Acritas Stars (now Thompson Reuters’ Standout Lawyers), and is also ranked in Chambers Canada, where he is recognized in the area of Corporate/Commercial (Québec) and Startups & Emerging Companies. Shahir was also recognized as the 2021 ‘Lawyer of the Year’ in Private Funds Law by Best Lawyers in Canada and is recognized by IFLR 1000 in the area of Investment Funds, M&A and Private Equity. In recognition of his significant contribution to the profession, Shahir was awarded the prestigious Advocatus Emeritus distinction by the Quebec Bar, in addition to being inducted into the prestigious John Abbott College Hall of Distinction in 2022.

Career

McGill University, LL.B.

McGill University, B.C.L.

Bar Admission: Québec, 1990 | New York, 1990

Professional Memberships

Investissement Québec, Independent Member of the Board of Directors

Board of the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal, Chair 2019-2021

Business Development Bank of Canada, Member of the Board of Directors 2012-2021

GFL Environmental Inc., Member of the Board of Directors 2018-2019

Jubilant Draxis