On June 17, 2010, Yvan Biron and Josiane L’Heureux gave a conference on the regulations during investigations and inspections in virtue of the Act Respecting Occupational Health and Safety and the Environment Quality Act. This conference, which was held at Saint-James Club in Montreal, was offered to Lavery’s clients and lawyers.

On June 8^th and 9^th, Louis Charette was a speaker at the Canadian Institute during a seminar on risk management following the processing of general liability and property insurance claims. Mr. Charette’s presentation, which was held in Montreal, was on insurance policies intended for manufacturers and professional sellers.

Louis Charette and Jean Saint-Onge held presentations at the The Alchemy of Advocacy (AGM 2010) at Canadian Defense Lawyers in Toronto on June 3rd and 4th. Mr. Charette reviewed the application of strict liability principles in the context of products liability. Mr. Saint-Onge presented on multijurisdictional class actions.

On July 7, 2010, at the Hôtel Auberge Universel, M^e Luc Thibaudeau will give a talk about Act 60, which will modify the Consumer Protection Act and all regulations arising. As soon as it is introduced on June 30, 2010, this new law will have a major impact on retail businesses. In effect, retailers will have to review all practices concerned with finances, operations, and sales and marketing, as rapidly as possible. For more information or to register for this seminar, please contact the Retail Council of Quebec via its Website: www.cqcd.org

On May 27^th, Evelyne Verrier and Jonathan Lacoste-Jobin held a presentation for our client, Alpha, Compagnie d’assurances Inc., in Drummondville. During the presentation, they reviewed the jurisprudence in Insurance Law for 2009.

On May 25^th, Jean-François Lepage participated in a presentation at the Canadian Bar Association in Montreal on the Experts in Medical and Hospital Liability Law: Key Players with Many Sides. This conference was on the expert’s role in court, the implications behind the quality of an expert’s work and drafting the report in writing, in light of the recent decisions rendered by the Quebec Superior Court.

The Young Bar Association of Montreal welcomed Jean Bélanger as a Speaker at the 65^th Annual Congress on May 13^th and 14^th. Mr. Bélanger presented a conference on Retrospective 2009 in Insurance Law.

From May 12^th to May 14^th, Evelyne Verrier participated in a conference for our client, AXA. She gave a speech on the jurisprudence in Insurance Law in 2009.

Montreal, May 10, 2010 - The Professional Liability Underwriting Society invited Raymond Doray to speak at a conference on “Privacy Liabilities Exposed” last Tuesday, May 4, 2010 at the Centre Mont-Royal in Montréal. The Speakers :

• Gave an overview of Canadian and Quebec legislative framework
• Presented on de-mystifying Privacy Liabilities
• Spoke about the recent headlines of Privacy Breaches and their ramifications; and
• Provided information on insurance responses.

On June 2, 2010, as part of a one-day training session organized by the Quebec Technology Association (AQT), Mr. Richard Burgos and Ms. Catherine Rioux, lawyers practicing business law at Lavery, will offer training for AQT members on the subject of good negotiating practices for start-up companies.

AQT is a non-profit organization that represents ICT companies and regroups their management in order to support them in the attainment of their growth objectives and facilitate access to best business practices. Lavery supports AQT and is actively involved with the organization, particularly by means of the seat it holds on the AQT Start-up Committee. Lavery also publishes its own newsletter, Lavery Technology, which is of particular interest to AQT members and other ICT firms.

During this conference on advertising and marketing law, to be held in Montreal on March 25 and 26, 2010, Mr. Luc Thibaudeau, a partner with Lavery, will address the conference on the reform of the Consumer Protection Act. Among other issues, Mr. Thibaudeau will cover a number of specific clauses and go over the objectives of the Consumer Protection Act with respect to advertising.

Michel Servant, a partner at Lavery, will be the President of the Prix Relève d’Excellence 2010 Committee of Réseau HEC Montréal. This competition recognizes the professional success of HEC graduates aged 35 and under, in four different classes: Large Enterprises, Small and Medium Enterprises (SME), Entrepreneur and Young Professional. Prizewinners are selected by a jury of experienced businesspeople.

This event will take place at a Gala-Breakfast on Friday, May 14, 2010, at the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth Hotel. It is the 25th anniversary of the Prix Relève d’Excellence this year and Patrick Palerme, President and Chief Executive Officer of GE Capital Canada, will act as Honorary President.

HEC Montreal is the first business school in Canada and arguably Canada’s leading business school with over one hundred years of history and three international accreditations.
 

On February 17, Bernard Larocque, a partner at Lavery, gave a speech to the Canadian Insurance Claims Managers Association. He took as his subject a review of the jurisprudence in insurance law in 2009.

During this conference, among other things, Mr. Larocque discussed formation of the contract, remedial work and liability insurance warranty, as well as the wide variety of liability insurance.

Manon Robert, paralegal and administrative trainer at Lavery, gave a speech on case management during the Litigation Conference of the Canadian Association of Paralegals, which was held on February 10, 2010.

The Canadian Association of Paralegals noted Manon Robert’s dynamism, professionalism and extensive expertise in litigation.

At a breakfast conference on the mornings of January 26 and 27, Bernard Larocque and Jean Bélanger presented our clients with a review of the jurisprudence in 2009 as it affects insurance law. This annual activity provides a look back over the legal decisions of the past year.

Jean Saint-Onge, a partner at Lavery, will be a guest speaker at the Vingt-deuxièmes Entretiens du Centre Jacques Cartier to be held in Lyons, France, on November 30 and December 1, 2009.

For this symposium, whose theme is "The Civil Law Culture: An Obstacle or Asset to Doing Business?", Jean Saint-Onge's speech will be entitled "Collective redress: An efficient instrument or consumerist drift?"

Les Entretiens Jacques Cartier is a major annual event held in France in the Rhône-Alpes region, and one out of every four years in Quebec. By holding this event, the Centre Jacques Cartier, created in 1984, affirms its commitment to engage in a constructive dialogue with the territorial communities.

On October 29 and 30 2009, Jean Saint Onge will, for the sixth straight year, moderate the Quebec Bar Continuing Education Seminar on Class-Action suits: recent developments in Quebec, Canada, the United States and Europe.

This continuing education activity will bring together no less than 32 lecturers from several jurisdictions, who will speak to participants about the most recent developments in the area of class actions.

Jean Philippe Lincourt has been closely involved in organizing this seminar. For his part, Yvan Biron will act as moderator for the panel discussion on environmental class-action suits, which will be held on October 29.

Last October 21, Ian Rose, a Lavery partner, gave a lecture entitled Exploring Trends in D&O Liability – Certain Canadian Trends at the Canadian Institute’s 12^th Annual Forum on Directors’, Officers’ and Fiduciaries’ Liability held on October 21^st and 22^nd, 2009 in Toronto. His presentation focused on exposures to liability from the current economic climate and credit crisis, increased class action activity in the secondary markets, and the possible implications of Quebec law on D&O liability in certain circumstances.

Mr. Rose specializes in complex litigation involving products liability and professional liability, as well as directors' and officers' liability.

At the request of the Canadian Institute, Evelyne Verrier, a Lavery partner, will co-chair the 9th Managing & Litigating Disability Insurance Claims Conference, which will be held on September 23 and 24 in Montreal.

As part of this event, Ms. Verrier will deliver a lecture entitled “Issues related to critical illness insurance claims: where do we stand?”, which will particularly deal with critical illness insurance coverage, hybrid hypothecary-critical illness products, the interpretation of the moratorium period clause, time limit for contestation, fraud and false statements.

Catherine Maheu, Guy Lavoie and Guy Lemay were invited to give presentations at the 6^th annual conference of the Canadian Association of Counsel to Employers that was held in Chicago from September 10 to 12. In their presentations, they considered such subjects as recent developments in Quebec employment law, class action suits in employment law, and cyber-harassment in the workplace (through new technologies such as blogs, e-mail, etc.).

The Canadian Association of Counsel to Employers is a national non-profit association of management-side labour and employment practitioners, with several hundred members across Canada. CACE’s objectives are notably to provide input on policy and legislative reform from a legal perspective and to promote excellence in the specialized field of labour and employment law.

Jean Saint-Onge will participate in a panel on September 23, 2009 as part of the Canadian Institute’s 10th Annual National Forum on Class Action Litigation. The other panel members will be Joel S. Feldman, Sidley Austin LLP (Chicago), Tony Merchant, Q.C., Merchant Law Group LLP (Regina), Peter Cavanagh, Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP (Toronto) and Glenn M. Zakaib, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP (Toronto). The subject of their discussions will be Navigating Multijurisdictional Hurdles: Key Issues and Update on National Class Actions.

Dina Raphaël, Louis Charette and Anne-Marie Lévesque will lecture as part of the “Réclamations et litiges d’assurance-responsabilité générale et de biens dans un climat économique précaire” [General Liability and Property Insurance Claims and Litigation in a Precarious Economic Climate] seminar sponsored by the Canadian Institute. The seminar, which will be held on June 11 at the Omni Hotel in Montreal, is recognized and accredited by the Quebec Bar for mandatory professional development purposes. Our three specialized insurance lawyers will lecture, in particular, on insurance against pollution and other environmental disasters and the means that directors and officers may use to overcome the new challenges in insurance law matters.

On June 9, 2009, a luncheon was given to the clients of the firm's Labour and Employment Law Group. The three speakers, Nicolas Joubert, Guy Lavoie and Guy Lemay, updated key subjects in labour and employment, such as the conditions under which benefits can be reduced in the context of a recession, the financial consequences of an employer's mischaracterization of a self-employed worker, the issues surrounding the use of blogs and other Internet sites by employees, and class action suits in employment law.

On June 4, 2009, on the occasion of an event organized by The Canadian Institute entitled « Responsabilité municipale et gouvernementale », Mr. Denis Michaud, a partner at Lavery and an expert in municipal legal matters, will be giving a lecture bearing the title « Surmontez les défis posés par la responsabilité municipale en matière de sécurité incendie : responsabilité, moyens de défense et immunités ». This program is specifically designed for legal advisors, lawyers, legal clerks and other professionals who either work directly or indirectly with municipalities and governmental bodies.

On May 29, 2009, on the occasion of the Annual Convention of the Quebec Bar, Evelyne Verrier, a partner at Lavery, will speak on aspects of professional practice at the Sheraton Montreal Hotel.

This workshop, which is designed for lawyers working as in-house counsel, will focus on the documentation handled by in-house counsel, and on managing litigation, litigation costs as well as writing skills.

The Association de planification fiscale et financière (the fiscal and financial planning association) has organized a conference called "ACHAT/VENTE ET FUSION D’ENTREPRISE - Mise à jour technique et considerations pratiques (Buying/selling and corporate mergers - technical update and practical considerations)" to be held at the Montreal Bonaventure Hilton on May 14, 2009.

Luc Pariseau, a partner with Lavery in the Business Law Group who specializes in tax law, will offer an analysis of key legal decisions handed down recently and will comment on the impact they have on corporate restructurings that usually accompany the acquisition or sale of a company.

At the request of the Management and Economics Society of The Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum, Ann Bigué will be delivering a lecture on May 13^th, 2009 in Toronto. This talk is featured as part of the CIM’s Mining Finance and Management Day. Ms. Bigué will address community relationships and issues in a presentation entitled “Aboriginal and Other Local Communities as Partners”.

The Canadian Chapter of the Professional Liability Underwriting Society (PLUS) is organizing its 2009 Seminar to be held on Wednesday, May 6, 2009, in Montreal. Ian Rose, a Lavery partner and member of the organizing committee, will moderate a panel discussion by a group of experts including Hugues Lacroix, of the Fonds de solidarité FTQ, Montreal; Kevin LaCroix, of OakBridge Insurance Services, Minneapolis; Dr. Faten Sabry, of NERA Economic Consulting, New York; and David B. Williams, of Chubb Insurance Company of Canada, Toronto. The subject of the discussion will be The Global Credit Crisis: Where we are, where we’re going; D&O, E&O and other liabilities.

Marie-Claude Perreault, a Lavery partner, will chair the Advanced Conference on Labour and Employment Law – “Nouvelles stratégies éprouvées pour réduire la responsabilité légale en milieu de travail” (New proven strategies to reduce legal liability in the workplace) organized by The Canadian Institute, which will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday, April 28 and 29, 2009 in Montreal. Ms. Perreault will deliver the opening address and make a presentation concerning increased occupational health and safety liability.

On March 24, 2009, a breakfast seminar entitled “Construction Contracts and Performance and Payment Bonds” was given to our clients in the construction and surety industry. The three speakers, Daniel Alain Dagenais, Nicolas Gagnon and Pamela McGovern, discussed key construction issues such as choosing the right type of contract, bonding of projects — advantages and consequences — and recent developments in legal construction hypothecs (builder's liens).

Marie-Claude Perreault, a Lavery partner, will give a lecture on March 11, 2009 for the Société de développement économique de Drummondville as part of a conference on Dependencies and Productivity. The subject of her lecture will be the management of problems related to dependency (alcohol, drugs, gambling) in the workplace and, more specifically, the legal aspects of policies, screening tests and the handling of such problems.

On February 18, 2009, at the request of the Canadian Insurance Claims Managers Association, Dina Raphaël gave a conference entitled "Automobile insurance policy: endorsements 5a and 23b – scope and consequences of these endorsements in the light of recent case law".

On January 28, 2009 Anne-Marie Lévesque, Jean-Philippe Lincourt and Jean Saint-Onge gave a conference entitled "Class actions, competition law and product liability: Continuing causes of concern for manufacturers"

Ian Rose, a partner at Lavery, gave a seminar on January 22, 2009 to the Quebec Risk and Insurance Management Association (QRIMA) on Manufacturer's Liability in Quebec in light of the Supreme Court of Canada Decision in ABB v. Domtar.

On January 21, 2009 in Montreal and January 28 in Quebec City, 2009, at the request of the Canadian Bar Association, Jean Bélanger gave conferences on the annual review of Quebec case law.

An experienced speaker, Pamela McGovern chaired the first day of the conference and gave the opening remarks. In her speech on November 26^th, she discussed a subject of great interest to the construction industry: Surety Bonds and Insurance: Critical Issues to consider at the Prequalification Stage and Afterward.

Pamela McGovern shared her expertise on insurance law, surety bonds and construction law with an audience of lawyers, engineers and corporate executives in the field of risk management, as well as construction, insurance and other fields. Ms. McGovern’s presentations dealt with Surety Bonds and Environmental Responsibilities.

On October 3 and 4, Daniel Alain Dagenais will participate in the organization of the second international conference of the Fondation Claude Masse on the theme “For a general framework of action favouring sustainable consumption”.

This conference will bring together speakers from England, France, Sweden and the United States, who will present the initiatives taken by their countries to promote sustainable consumption.

Also, speakers from Quebec and elsewhere in Canada will continue the discussion on Canadian actions and acquired knowledge in this field. The focus will be on energy, the food sector and waste management.

The Fondation Claude Masse is dedicated to issues related to consumer law.

The Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association (CLHIA) is organizing a conference to be held from September 26 to 28 in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Evelyne Verrier will be a speaker at the Quebec Affairs Workshop. This annual conference brings together legal advisors working for life and health insurance companies in Canada and some private practice lawyers.

From September 24 to 26, the Canadian Pension and Benefits Institute (CPBI) will holds its 2007 Quebec Regional Conference at the Manoir Richelieu. Evelyne Verrier will act as the moderator of the discussion following Marie-Claude Perreault’s presentation on the duty to accommodate. The event usually brings together over 500 participants working in the investment, pension plan and group insurance industry.

On September 24 and 25, 2007, Pierre Baribeau will co-chair the third conference on the duty of accommodation in the workplace organized by Insight Information. In addition, Mr. Baribeau will give a lecture, the theme of which will be “To risk or to test?”

Véronique Morin will also lecture. The theme of her presentation will be “Case Law Examples and Legislative Orientations on the Issue of the Aging Workforce: Specifics in the Event of Employment Termination or Accommodation Requests”.

For her part, Vicky Lemelin will lead a workshop, the theme of which will be “Absences Related to Certain Dependencies: Accommodation or Termination?” The event will be held at the Intercontinental Hotel, in Montreal.

On May 22 and 23, 2007, in Montreal, Insight Information will hold its fourth conference on psychological harassment in the workplace. Véronique Morin and Marie-Claude Perreault will lead, respectively, discussions on “The recourses of the alleged victim: what should the employer anticipate?” and “Is the psychological harassment complaint well founded? How to manage the resulting absenteeism? How to manage the claims with third-party payers? In what circumstances is the employer entitled to demand that the employee return to work?”

On March 5 and 6, 2007, the International Bar Association and the American Bar Association held the 12th International Wealth Transfer Practice Conference in London, the main theme of which was “Civil and common law planning for the multinational family”. Gerald Stotland participated as a member of a panel of experts who discussed prenuptial agreements and matrimonial property regimes.

On May 16, 2007, Luc Thibaudeau will participate in a conference on Bill 48, the theme of which will be “E commerce, direct marketing and remote-parties contracts: get ready for the new rules!” Organized by the Conseil québécois du commerce de détail, the event is aimed at informing its members about the impacts of Bill 48 on remote-parties transactions (telephone, Internet, catalogue, direct marketing).

On February 1^st, Nicolas Gagnon led a conference at the Corporation des entrepreneurs généraux du Québec’s 10^th annual meeting held at the Château Frontenac in Quebec City. The participants reviewed recent developments in the Quebec Court of Appeal’s case law dealing with legal hypothecs in the construction industry.

On April 27^th, Marie-Claude Armstrong will address a symposium hosted by the Professional Development Department of the Québec Bar. The theme of the symposium will be Successions et fiducies personnelles [successions and personal trusts] and she will deliver her presentation entitled Annulation de testaments pour motifs de captation ou d’indignité [annulment of wills for reasons of unworthiness or captation].

Pamela McGovern will participate as a moderator and panellist at the second Conférence avancée sur la gestion des litiges dans le domaine de la construction [second advanced conference on managing construction litigation issues] organized by the Canadian Institute and to be held on May 23^rd and 24^th. She will take part in a panel discussion entitled “ discussion stratégique “ [strategic discussion] during which the speakers will exchange views on the best strategies to adopt in order to avoid adverse impacts of a stakeholder’s bankruptcy or insolvency at any phase of a construction project.

Daniel Alain Dagenais is involved in the organization of an international conference on sustainable consumption to be held in Montreal on October 3^rd and 4^th. The conference will take place under the leadership of the Fondation Claude Masse, of which he is a director.

The foundation’s mission is to support research and the dissemination of knowledge in the fields of law, economics and other fields concerned with consumer affairs and the functioning of markets. The foundation also aims to promote the development of, and compliance with, legislation in the areas of consumer affairs, competition and market operations.

Two partners of the firm will provide training for the Association des directeurs municipaux du Québec. The training sessions will be held from February 28 to June 7, 2007 and will be held in several cities in Quebec.

Daniel Bouchard will conduct a workshop entitled “ Accès aux documents municipaux : rappels et nouveautés” [Access to municipal documents: reminders and new developments]. The workshop will deal with Bill 86 entitled An Act to amend the Act respecting Access to documents held by public bodies and the Protection of personal information and other legislative provisions, which came into force on June 14, 2006.

Marie-Claude Perreault will conduct a training session entitled “Actualités en relations de travail” [Latest developments in labour relations]. This training session will deal with current high-profile issues such as psychological harassment, the duty of accommodation, disciplinary measures and the preparation of litigation before any type of tribunal.