Former Ontario Finance Minister Dwight Duncan joins McMillan LLP

Former Ontario Finance Minister Dwight Duncan joins McMillan LLP

McMillan LLP, the Canadian business law firm, today announced the appointment of Dwight Duncan, former Minister of Finance for Ontario, as a Senior Strategic Advisor to help the firm’s clients invest and operate in Canada and internationally. Mr. Duncan assumes his responsibilities effective March 1, 2013, and will be working out of the McMillan Toronto office.

“McMillan is privileged to have someone of Dwight Duncan’s remarkable experience join our firm,” said McMillan CEO Andrew Kent. “McMillan is quickly becoming one of Canada’s premier legal advisors to business, able to lend strategic insight and expertise to help businesses both within Canada and with their international interests. Dwight adds additional strength, breadth and depth to our existing client service teams.”

As well as his term as Ontario’s Minister of Finance, in a public service career that spanned almost 25 years, Mr. Duncan served as Chair of the Management Board of Cabinet and Deputy Premier for the Government of Ontario. He was also MPP for Windsor Ontario constituencies, Government House Leader, Minister of Revenue, Minister of Energy and Chair of Cabinet.

“I look forward to working with the McMillan team. It is a growing, ambitious firm with an entrepreneurial culture I admire and with expertise that attracts and assists businesses locally and abroad. I share its interest and commitment to energy, property and casualty insurance, infrastructure and pensions,” said Mr. Duncan.”My experience and interests are clearly aligned with McMillan’s, making this a great fit for the firm’s clients.”

As Minister of Finance, Mr. Duncan oversaw Ontario’s response to the global economic crisis, the worst since the Great Depression, by introducing the Tax Plan for Jobs and Growth in the 2009 Ontario Budget. It created the HST, cut corporate taxes by $8 billion and individual taxes by $12 billion. He also introduced the first major reforms to the pension and retirement income system in more than two decades and led the call for reforms at the federal level. He worked closely with other provinces, Ottawa, and international governments and businesses, earning their respect.

Since Finance drives the public policy environment in which business operates, Mr. Duncan’s experience and insights will be valuable to McMillan’s clients in Canada and elsewhere.

As Minister of Energy, Mr. Duncan led the restructuring of Ontario’s electricity sector and created the Ontario Power Authority. He launched a 20-year electricity supply mix plan, initiating the move away from coal to more environmentally friendly alternatives. He also introduced Ontario’s energy standard offer program, setting a standard price to make it easier for entrepreneurs and businesses to sell clean power from small projects to the electricity grid. It was hailed as the most progressive green energy initiative in North America in more than 20 years. Mr. Duncan’s energy expertise will also help McMillan serve its clients.

Mr. Duncan is the most recent addition to McMillan’s accomplished advisors and senior counsel drawn from government and public service. This group provides clients with additional strategic and practical perspectives to supplement McMillan’s legal counsel and includes Hon. Stockwell Day, Hon. John D. Reynolds, P.C., Sen. Yoine Goldstein, and Timothy J. Murphy.

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About McMillan LLP

McMillan is a leading Canadian business law firm committed to client service and professional excellence for over 100 years. With recognised expertise and acknowledged leadership in major business sectors, McMillan provides definitive Canadian legal advice to businesses, financial institutions, governments and private individuals in Canada, the United States and internationally. McMillan has offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa, Montréal and Hong Kong. McMillan stands as a truly modern and ambitious law firm with enhanced scope, deeper bench strength and a broad range of expertise offering effective, innovative solutions to Canadian and international clients. For more information, please visit our website at www.mcmillan.ca.