Serge Fréchette served as Vice-Chairperson of the Canadian International Trade Tribunal between 2006 and 2014. During that same period he also served as a panelist on a number of dispute settlement matters before the World Trade Organization.
Since then, and until his most recent appointment, Mr. Fréchette returned to the private sector where he provided advisory services to various clients on matters related to international trade, investment and regulatory affairs. He also provided advice on matters that relate to administrative justice and good governance. During this latest period, Mr. Fréchette also served as a temporary member of the Tribunal during three separate terms.
Prior to his initial appointment at the Tribunal, M. Fréchette was a senior official with the departments of Justice and Foreign Affairs and International Trade. At the time, Mr. Fréchette was involved in several important government initiatives, including the negotiation and implementation of various international trade agreements, such as the North American Free Trade Agreement and the Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization. In 1997, he became partner in a boutique law firm specializing in international trade, investment and regulatory matters. He also founded his own law firm specializing in the same areas of practice. He represented Canada and other parties in several matters before the World Trade Organization. He has also served as an adjunct professor at the University of Ottawa's Faculty of Law.
