François-Xavier Van Neste is a Canadian lawyer specializing in criminal defense, based in Quebec. He gained national prominence for representing Alexandre Bissonnette, the perpetrator of the 2017 Quebec City mosque shooting, in which six people were killed and several others injured. Van Neste's defense argued for a not criminally responsible verdict due to mental health issues, but Bissonnette was ultimately convicted of six counts of first-degree murder and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole for 40 years in 2019. Prior to the Bissonnette trial, Van Neste practiced law in Quebec, focusing on criminal matters. His involvement in the mosque shooting case drew significant media attention and public scrutiny, with some criticism directed at the defense strategy amid national outrage over the attack motivated by Islamophobia. Van Neste has been involved in other high-profile criminal cases, though details on his broader career are limited in public records. He has maintained a low public profile outside of his legal work, and little is documented about his personal life or early career.