Jean Piette

Practice Areas

As a renowned lawyer in the field of environmental law in Canada and even abroad, Jean Piette has developed outstanding professional experience, having worked for close to 20 years in the public sector and 28 years in the private sector.

When it comes to environmental law in Quebec, Jean is considered a dean of sorts. More specifically, he has been involved at every step of the development of environmental law, having designed and drafted the first wave of environmental laws and regulations in Quebec. He was also one of the main authors of Quebec’s environmental policies and was in charge of intergovernmental relations regarding the environment up until 1991, when he joined an important Quebec firm that would eventually become a major international firm.

In his capacity as environmental law counsel at BCF, Mr. Piette will advise the firm’s lawyers and clients who are dealing with environmental issues and cases, including issues related to climate change such as the management of carbon credits on the regulated and voluntary markets.

Over the course of his career in the private sector, Mr. Piette was called upon to provide legal and strategic advice regarding environmental law in Quebec, as well as on the federal and international level, namely in the context of business transactions, real estate transactions, legal proceedings, and issues regarding environmental conformity. He has also acted on environmental mediation files, in negotiations with environmental authorities and in cases before the criminal, civil and administrative courts and tribunals, reaching all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada. He has published several articles and helped draft publications on the topic of environmental law, and lectured widely on environmental law in Quebec, Canada, the United States, Mexico, France, and even in Africa. He has had numerous opportunities to teach environmental law at the undergraduate and graduate levels at Université Laval and Université de Sherbrooke.