Kapur, who leads the firm's national litigation and dispute resolution group, replaces Dave Leonard
McCarthy Tétrault has appointed Sunil Kapur as the firm’s new chief executive officer, effective Jan. 1, the firm announced Tuesday.
Kapur will replace Dave Leonard, who has served as CEO since 2016.
“I’m honoured and humbled to be chosen to lead McCarthy Tétrault as its next CEO,” Kapur said in a statement. “I want to thank Dave for laying the foundation and setting a high standard for excellence, innovation and inclusion that I intend to build on.
“I look forward to engaging with Dave and the firm’s leadership team over the next several months and collaborating with our exceptional partners and colleagues across the firm to support our clients’ success,” Kapur added.
As practice group leader of McCarthy’s national litigation and dispute resolution group, Kapur currently oversees approximately 300 litigators across the country, managing the group’s client service, business development, strategic direction, professional growth, and more.
Kapur joined McCarthy in 2000 and has previously been a member of the firm’s board of partners and served as practice group leader of its Toronto labour and employment group.
His clients have included Fortune 500 companies, which he represented in high-stakes employment matters, according to McCarthy. Prior to joining the firm, he served as counsel for the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General.
McCarthy said Kapur will work closely with Leonard over the next four months as he transitions to the new role.
“Sunil is the ideal leader to take McCarthy Tétrault forward as we enter a new and exciting era of transformation and opportunity for our firm and our clients,” Sarit Batner, chair of McCarthy’s board of partners, said in a statement. “Sunil has a proven track record of delivering exceptional results for our clients, our people, and our firm.”
Leonard’s tenure as CEO will end on December 31, after serving two four-year terms. Under his leadership, the firm announced its diversity, inclusion, and corporate social responsibility program, Inclusion Now, in 2018 and appointed a chief inclusion officer. The newly created role was the first of its kind in Canada.
Leonard helped establish the firm’s New York office early in his tenure as CEO. The firm lauded his leadership through the COVID-19 pandemic and noted that he won the 2021 Managing Partner of the Year Award at the Canadian Law Awards.
“I’d like to congratulate Sunil on becoming the next CEO of McCarthy Tétrault,” Leonard said. “Having worked closely with him over the last several years, I know that his strong leadership skills, sharp business acumen and innovative approach to client service make him well-positioned to lead our firm and our clients into the future.” 
Editor's note: This article was corrected to clarify that Dave Leonard served two four-year terms, not two nine-year terms.
