Jean-Simon Schoenholz

Associate
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP

Ottawa
Canada
T:+1 613 780 1537
Ottawa
Canada
T:+1 613 780 1537
Jean-Simon Schoenholz

Jean-Simon Schoenholz

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Biography

Jean-Simon Schoenholz is a versatile litigator with a bilingual, bijural practice focusing on administrative and regulatory matters, public law, and appeals. Jean-Simon has meaningful experience acting before the federal courts and the Supreme Court of Canada. He brings to bear his experience as a former judicial law clerk to the Honourable Justice Suzanne Côté at the Supreme Court of Canada and as a judicial law clerk at the Federal Court of Canada. In addition, Jean-Simon regularly appears before all levels of court in Ontario and is also licensed in Québec.

Jean-Simon excels at handling high-stakes and complex matters. His work regularly entails challenging or defending decisions made by public bodies in judicial review applications. His experience is also regularly called upon to assist on appeals in a wide range of subject areas, including commercial, insurance, employment and labour, and public law. He also frequently advises clients on a wide range of regulatory issues including official languages obligations owed by federal institutions. Jean-Simon has unique experience participating in high-profile public inquiries, most notably as commission counsel to the Emergencies Act inquiry. He holds an enhanced Government of Canada security clearance (Top Secret). He has been ranked "One to Watch" in public and administrative law. 

Jean-Simon is greatly involved in the legal community. He teaches Administrative Law with Carleton University's Department of Law and Legal Studies. In 2022, he co-coached the University of Ottawa's team in the Laskin Moot (administrative and constitutional law) to a third place finish.  He is a member of The Advocates' Society, Young Advocates Standing Committee, and the Canadian Bar Association, Supreme Court of Canada Liaison Subcommittee. He regularly volunteers with Pro Bono Ontario's Supreme Court Leave Application Assistance Program. 

Professional experience

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J.D., University of Ottawa, 2016
M.A. (International Affairs), Carleton University, 2016
B.Soc.Sc. (Hons.), University of Ottawa, 2012
  • Ontario 2017
  • Quebec 2022

Jean-Simon Schoenholz has recently acted as counsel or co-counsel in the following types of matters:

  • Commission counsel to the Public Order Emergency Commission inquiring into the circumstances that led the federal government to invoke the Emergencies Act for the first time in February 2022
  • Counsel for the Canadian Superior Courts Judges Association and the Canadian Judicial Council before the 2020 quadrennial Judicial Compensation and Benefits Commission
  • Intervening on behalf of national associations on matters of constitutional and administrative law and statutory interpretation at the Supreme Court of Canada (British Columbia (Attorney General) v. Provincial Court Judges' Association of British Columbia, 2020 SCC 20; Nova Scotia (Attorney General) v. Judges of the Provincial Court and Family Court of Nova Scotia, 2020 SCC 21, Sudbury v. Ministry of the Attorney General, Docket 39754) and in the Federal Courts (Safe Food Matters Inc. v. Canada (Attorney General), 2022 FC 915)
  • Successfully responding to an appeal on a precedent-setting matter relating to the Corruption of Foreign Public Officials Act (Kirloskar Technologies (P) Ltd. v. Best Theratronics Ltd., 2022 ONCA 331)
  • Challenging decisions by Transport Canada, Health Canada, Public Services and Procurement Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency before the Federal Courts
  • Successfully responding on behalf of federal Crown corporations, airport authorities, port authorities, and post-secondary institutions to challenges before the Federal Courts (Viaguard Accu-Metrics Laboratory v. Standards Council of Canada, 2022 FC 16; Minéraux Midatlantic Inc. c. Administration Portuaire de Québec, 2021 CF 688) and the Divisional Court (Rengarajan v. University of Ottawa, 2022 ONSC 219)
  • Advising federally regulated entities and Crown corporations on constitutional and administrative law issues and compliance with various legislative and regulatory requirements, including the Official Languages Act
  • Acting for an international construction company in an arbitration relating to an investment in South America
  • Successfully responding, on behalf of an international pharmaceutical company, to an anti-dumping complaint before the Canadian International Trade Tribunal
  • Obtaining an urgent injunction on behalf of a national retailer
  • Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in Canada: Administrative and Public Law, 2023-2024
  • "Insights into Advocacy at the Supreme Court of Canada," Ontario Bar Association, June 12, 2020
  • "Red light, green light: Uber, TELUS and arbitration clauses," AJEFO 2019 Annual Conference, Sudbury, ON, June 22, 2019
  • Member, Canadian Bar Association, Supreme Court of Canada Liason (2020 to present)
  • Member, The Advocates' Society, Young Advocates Standing Committee (2020 to present)
  • Contract instructor, Administrative Law, Carleton University, Departmento of Law and Legal Studies (2018 to present)
  • Coach, University of Ottawa, Laskin Moot (2021-2022)
  • Member at Large, Ontario Bar Association, Administrative Law Section (2021 to 2022)
  • Member at Large, Ontario Bar Association, Young Lawers Division (East) (2019 to 2021)
  • Association des juristes d'expression française de l'Ontario
  • County of Carleton Law Association
  • English
  • French

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