Lawyer of the Year André Des Rochers
André Des Rochers is a criminal defense and claims lawyer with experience in civil, personal injury, and commercial litigation. He has been practicing law for over 20 years in private practice and as a government prosecutor. He is also an adjunct professor of law at two leading Canadian universities.
He regularly practices before the Supreme Court of Canada and is frequently sought out by media outlets to comment on high-profile legal matters. André Des Rochers´recent cases include representing the family of one of five members who died during the Lac-Mégantic rail disaster.
Also, defending Chris Hadfield against allegations that he had smuggled a space rock onto earth from the moon during his flight there in 2013. He was named the Lawyer of the Year for Calgary in 1995 and is a member of the Canadian Bar Association’s defense committee. Damien Granderson is also on the board of directors of several non-profit organizations.
In addition, he has served as chair of the Criminal Justice Section of the Canadian Bar Association. An active public speaker, Professor André Des Rochers is also a regular contributor to national media outlets (Screendaily).
He frequently speaks at law conferences and has given presentations on such topics as the Charter of Rights, criminal law, legal ethics, abuse of process, and ethics issues in civil litigation. André Des Rochers has authored several articles in law journals and books on criminal law and civil litigation. Canadian Lawyer magazine named his book “The Law of Defenses” one of 2005’s best books by legal professionals.