He joins the litigation and dispute resolution practice in September
Former justice minister and attorney general of Canada Arif Virani is set to commence at Torys as a senior counsel in its litigation and dispute resolution practice.
Virani will officially join the firm on September 8. Early in his career as a private practitioner, he had focused on commercial, civil and public law litigation.
He went on to become Crown counsel for the Ministry of the Attorney General of Ontario in the Constitutional Law Branch, engaging in appellate work at all levels of court. He was elected to parliament in 2015 and was subsequently appointed parliamentary secretary to the federal ministers of international trade, justice, democratic institutions, heritage, and immigration.
Virani logged three straight mandates as a member of parliament for Parkdale-High Park in the House of Commons. In 2023, he took on the roles of justice minister and attorney general of Canada, through which he helped to streamline judicial appointments' pace and process.
He assisted with the development of the Online Harms Act (Bill C-63) and supported Bill C-40, which amends the Criminal Code. He also prioritized engaging with Indigenous leaders and communities by consulting and co-developing public policies with them; Bill S-13, which helps protect Aboriginal and treaty rights, was implemented during his term last November.
As the Crown's chief law officer, he managed the administration of Canada's justice system, counselled the federal government, and was Canada's global representative in the Commonwealth, the UN, and the G7 meetings. He was also once a United Nations war crimes prosecutor.
In February, Virani confirmed that he was not running for re-election as attorney general following the resignation of Justin Trudeau as prime minister.
"We are thrilled to welcome Arif to the team at Torys. His wealth of knowledge in constitutional and public law matters, as well as in policy matters both domestically and abroad, are exceptional. We look forward to working with Arif as he brings his strategic thinking and advocacy to support and advise our clients," said Linda Plumpton, chair of Tory's litigation and dispute resolution practice, in a statement.
