Karl Tabbakh, Quebec Managing Partner of McCarthy Tétrault. Karl Tabbakh, Quebec managing partner of McCarthy Tétrault. Courtesy photo

Karl Tabbakh, McCarthy Tétrault's regional managing partner for Quebec, took over as the new chair of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce this week. He is the first immigrant to Canada ever to hold the position at the organization that represents 450 chambers across the country.

Tabbakh, who immigrated to Canada from Syria and whose parents were shopkeepers both there and in Canada, is also co-leader of McCarthy's international and business strategy and is a corporate lawyer and strategic adviser focused on private equity, mergers and acquisitions, securities and capital markets. He's been involved with many high-profile transactions in Canada, the Middle East and globally.

Law.com International caught up with Tabbakh this week to talk about his new role at the Chamber of Commerce, and to discuss what's happening in the legal industry in Quebec in general and at McCarthy Tétrault in particular.