René joined Actus Law Droit as a partner in 2007 after practicing for nearly 20 years beforehand. A fluently bilingual native of Tracadie-Sheila, he was admitted to the bar in 1989. He received Queen’s Counsel designation in 2013. His practice focuses on regulatory work, corporate litigation, outside corporate counsel and employment law.
In addition to his practice, he worked as Public Intervener on behalf of the Attorney General of New Brunswick on a number of issues in front of the New Brunswick Energy and Utilities Board (NBEUB), including Enbridge Gas New Brunswick’s rate setting hearing, Irving Oil’s wholesale margin hearing and the Point Lepreau refurbishment hearing.
René’s dedication to the legal profession has been recognized both provincially and nationally. He has received the Pro Bono Award from the Canadian Bar Association (New Brunswick Branch) for his work in assisting a variety of clients at no cost. He also received the Douglas Miller Award from the Canadian Bar Association for “a Canadian Bar Association member who demonstrates outstanding dedication and team spirit in his or her ongoing involvement with the CBA.”
He is past President of the Canadian Bar Association, a volunteer member association of over 36,000 lawyers.
He is a past board member of the New Brunswick Law Society and the Canadian Bar Association’s excellence awards committee. He has also lectured on commercial and corporate law for the provincial bar admission course, provides business seminars for new entrepreneurs, as well as governance seminars for charitable and for-profit boards of directors.
He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree (1980) and a Bachelor of Law degree (1988), both from the Université de Moncton.
A well-known community builder, he has served as chair of the board of directors of the Boys and Girls Club of Moncton and national vice-chair of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada. For his dedication and longtime work for the organization, he was honoured with the Silver Keystone Award, given to an individual, corporate body or group, for outstanding and extraordinary service to a Boys and Girls Club at the local, regional or national level.
He has served as president of Downtown Moncton Centre-Ville Inc. (DMCI), as well as having served as a member of the board of directors of the Greater Moncton Chamber of Commerce.
In 2015, he received the Queen’s Jubilee medal for his volunteer work.
René lives in Riverview and is married with two daughters.
