Elder C. Marques

Background

About Elder C. Marques

Elder C. Marques is a Partner at Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP. He advises businesses on law, public policy and risk. He has deep experience effectively managing crisis situations, internal and external investigations, sensitive transactions, foreign investment, and complex and high-stakes litigation. Prior to joining Blakes, Elder was one of the most senior and influential advisors in the Trudeau government. He served for several years as Senior Advisor to the Prime Minister as well as Chief of Staff to the Minister of Finance and Chief of Staff to the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development. In these roles, he focused on a range of complex legal, economic, investment, national security and trade matters. Previously, he spent nearly a decade at another national law firm, where he was a litigation partner based in Toronto. He is a seasoned trial lawyer with considerable experience before judges, juries, and administrative tribunals. He regularly represents individuals and corporations before the courts and various regulatory bodies. He has provided systemic risk management and regulatory advice to sophisticated Canadian and multinational clients in various sectors. His litigation practice has included complex corporate and commercial disputes, class actions, shareholder remedies, product liability, defamation and professional liability. Elder has taken on pro bono cases for individuals and public interest groups at both the trial and appellate levels. He has been actively involved in several community organizations, with a particular focus on social services, education, and health. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Bruyère Heath, a multi-site hospital in Ottawa. He has numerous publications in various legal and policy areas and his work has been cited by the Supreme Court of Canada. He has been an Adjunct Professor at the University of Toronto's Faculty of Law and is a frequent guest lecturer and speaker at conferences, industry and bar association meetings, and various law schools and graduate academic programs. In 2005-2006, he served as Law Clerk to the Rt. Hon. Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin of the Supreme Court of Canada. Elder received his law degree with honours standing from the University of Toronto. He also holds a master’s degree in public administration and public policy from the London School of Economics, awarded with Distinction, and an undergraduate honours degree in political science and history from the University of Ottawa, graduating summa cum laude. He was called to the Ontario bar in 2006.