You may have noticed a new smiling face around our office these days.
In September, Mason Bennett Johncox was lucky enough to welcome Chantale Clancy, our new business lawyer, to our team. Chantale spent the Fall working alongside Robin Mason before his retirement and has now taken over our corporate/commercial practice.
Chantale came in ready to hit the ground running, and she’s been working at full speed ever since. While she may be new to our firm, she’s certainly no stranger to the law. Prior to joining us, Chantale spent over two decades working for the federal government at the Competition Bureau of Canada. Her work with the government gives Chantale a competitive edge that most lawyers simply don’t have.
Traditionally, lawyers who work within the private sector and those who embrace public service are quite different, and rarely do the two worlds collide. A public servant, such as a Crown prosecutor, may never work with a private client. Similarly, most business lawyers rarely get the opportunity to see, and be a part of, the inner workings of government.
Chantale is that rare exception. She has previous experience in private practice and her time in the public sector has given her a unique perspective on how rules and regulations are structured, as though she’s able to look behind the waterfall. Chantale is open and transparent; from her billings to your bottom line, she will give you her honest perspective every time!
Fluently bilingual, Chantale is a proud Franco Ontarian with roots in Sudbury. Chantale is happy to offer services in English or in French (although note our firm does not have any bilingual clerks on staff). She takes a strategic approach here recognizing where English may be more helpful for business communications, but where francophone clients may be happier conversing with their legal counsel in French.
If you haven’t met Chantale face to face yet, feel free to make an appointment to come by and say hello! A proud extrovert, Chantale loves nothing more than meeting clients in person - whether at our office or at yours! As a corporate lawyer, she relishes the opportunity to see a business first-hand and learn how everything works with her own eyes. The more she learns about her clients, the better she can advise them.
That knowledge gives her a competitive advantage when offering her clients business advice. If she is helping a business make a major purchase, or get ready for a sale, she is able to better structure the transaction once she’s had a chance to see the assets and operations in person. Those in-person connections also help her form a closer overall relationship with clients, and they know that her advice is not only coming from wisdom and experience, but also from the heart.
While she runs a busy practice, Chantale’s top priority is ultimately her family. Chantale is married with three teenage sons that keep her on her toes. A longtime Durham resident, she had forever held MBJ in the highest regard, and is now relishing the opportunity to have finally joined our team.
We’re thrilled to welcome Chantale, and if you haven’t met her yet, reach out to arrange a coffee chat today! Odds are that she’ll be quick to say ‘yes.’
