Hugh McFadyen

Hugh's practice involves advising clients on significant public affairs and crisis situations that require a highly strategic focus and integrated approach. Much of his time is spent with corporate executives, legal and financial advisors and FGS colleagues devising and executing strategies to achieve positive outcomes in a noisy stakeholder environment. He has advised clients on some of the most significant and high-profile M&A deals, major projects and crises of the past decade.

Prior to joining FGS Hugh played significant roles in politics and law. His political career included almost a decade as Leader of the Official Opposition in Manitoba. Prior to that he was Chief of Staff to a provincial Premier and advisor to a Mayor. He also did a stint in Ottawa on the staff of a former Attorney General and Minister of Justice. His legal career started with a focus on commercial litigation and financial restructuring and evolved into a focus on capital markets and financial compliance, which included time in the capital markets group at Clifford Chance LLP.

Hugh loves reading history and watching hockey, football, baseball, curling and documentaries. He has read every single Le Carre novel (which he knows to be fiction). He is a proud alumnus of the University of Manitoba with a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) and a BA in Political Studies and Economics. Later in life Hugh completed a MA in International Affairs at King's College London. He wrote his dissertation on intelligence and propaganda in the early Cold War, with a focus on the 1948 Czech coup and Italian election.

Hugh and his accountant wife Jen are the proud parents of two university-aged kids. He partakes in the odd, very slow, trail race and tries to get to the gym, and occasionally ventures into the nearby Canadian Rockies to ski.