A highly accomplished class actions lawyer, Jean Saint-Onge has extensive experience as defence counsel representing private and public sector clients, including multinational companies, particularly in multi-jurisdictional and cross-border class actions. He is known for his ability to find practical and sustainable solutions in cases that are frequently complex and involve several defendants.
Jean's expertise extends across a number of fields of law, including:
- competition
- product liability
- environmental law
- consumer law
He draws on his experience to further enhance the strategic direction and management of class actions in which the firm is involved. He has acted in numerous matters and has successfully argued several precedent-setting cases. He is consistently recognized as one of Canada's leading class action lawyers in publications such as Lexpert, Chambers Canada, Chambers Global and Benchmark.
Jean is a certified mediator of the Barreau du Québec, and a member of the Institut de médiation et d'arbitrage du Québec (IMAQ).
Since 2004, Jean has organized and hosted the National Conference of the Barreau du Québec on Class Actions, the largest continuing professional training activity in the field in Canada. He has also been Chair of the Class Actions Committee of the Barreau du Québec since 2006.
Jean is the recipient of the Prix de la justice du Québec 2007, Québec's highest honorary distinction in the field of law.
Strongly involved in the community, Jean was president and director of the Marie-Vincent Foundation, an organization dedicated to helping children and teenagers victims of sexual violence (1987-2012). He was also a director and treasurer, from 2010 to 2015, of the Fondation Lafontaine-Cormier – Preservation of Québec’s legal and judicial heritage.