Odette Jobin-Laberge and Jonathan Lacoste-Jobin held a conference on the recent developments in regards to latent defects and the work and product exclusion. This presentation took place on Thursday, November 24, 2011 at the Hilton in Montreal and on Tuesday, December 13, 2011 at the Plaza Hotel in Quebec City.

On December 1, Véronique Morin, lawyer at Lavery, was a lecturer for a workshop entitled “Transfert de connaissances en relations de travail et médias sociaux : l’apport d’un groupe de discussion” (The transfer of knowledge in work relationships and social media: the benefits of group discussions), which offered practical exercises in order to show participants the significance of such groups by basing it on social media.

Lavery was a sponsor of this event organized by the Association québécoise d'établissements de santé et de services sociaux (AQESSS).

On December 1, Marc Beauchemin and André Vautour participated in the Canadian Institute’s 2^nd conference on regulatory compliance for financial services. Held at the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, the conference was on the requirements of additional examinations by regulatory authorities.

Mr. Beauchemin and Mr. Vautour’s presentation, called “Gérer les risques inhérents à l’impartition à toutes les étapes de la relation avec le fournisseur” (Managing risks from outsourcing in all the steps of a relationship with a supplier), discussed many factors that represent challenges when outsourcing as well as practical methods to use in an outsourcing agreement.

On November 16 and 17, Dina Raphaël, partner at Lavery, and Nathalie Durocher, lawyer at Lavery, were speakers at the 4^th edition of the “Conformité et gestion des risques pour les marchés financiers” conference at the Intercontinental Hotel in Montreal.

Ms. Raphaël and Ms. Durocher’s presentation was called “Changement de culture : ligne directrice proposée par l’Autorité des marchés financiers à l’égard des assureurs en matière de pratiques commerciales” (Change of Culture : Proposed Guidelines from the Autorité des marchés financiers for insurers in regards to commercial practices).

Some 175 people attended Lavery’s annual cocktail that was held in the modern, industrial surroundings of the Panoramic Hall at the Montréal Science Centre on Wednesday, October 19, 2011

The professional corporation of Quebec’s human resources managers, the Ordre des Conseillers en ressources humaines (CRHA), invited Véronique Morin to give a talk at the International Congress of Francophone HR managers, the theme of which was Innovation and Creativity. Over 1500 people attended the event, which took place in Quebec City last October 17 and 18. Ms Morin’s lecture was titled “Employment contracts: innovating in order to recruit and retain employees”.

October 26 and 27, 2011, at the Lavery Conference Centre

Today, insurers must deal with increasingly stringent rules in terms of privacy and the protection of personal information. What are these rules, and how can insurers avoid them from becoming major stumbling blocks when processing a claim? Over 80 people attended lectures on this topic by
Marie-Andrée Gagnon (liability, damage insurance, and personal insurance) and Loïc Berdnikoff (administrative law, personal information, and privacy) at the Lavery Conference Centre, last October 26 and 27. During the event, participants were particularly encouraged to get acquainted with the various legislative schemes that apply to insurers and to third parties they are liable to interact with, and they received much practical advice about accessing the required records and information when processing a claim.

Last October 13, several persons involved in the compliance and distribution of financial products and services attended a Lavery Seminar titled “e-distribution of insurance products”, about present issues in the online distribution of insurance products.

Lawyers who are active in the practice group on the Distribution of Financial Products and Services talked about the concerns that the use of new technologies presently generate in the insurance industry, with the special participation of Eric Stevenson, manager of distribution practices at the AMF.

On September 27, 2011, 140 corporate counsel attended this Lavery Conference held (in French) at the Centre Mont-Royal in Montreal.

The day started with a plenary session entitled “Blogs and social media: New issues" followed by workshops on the following subjects:

• Aspects of employment contracts: Constraints and precautions
• Reporting and complaints of harassment in the workplace
• Excess benefit plans: Issues to consider
• Tax treatment of the various components of compensation and severance pay
• Inquiries and inspections by public authorities: Scope of their powers and measures to take in response
• Issues to be negotiated and verified with respect to employment contracts and pension plans in the context of a proposed purchase and sale

Our guest speakers, Suzanne Ménard and Stéphane Paré, of AON Hewitt, then led the plenary session on the theme of “Employment proposal and generations: A matter of flexibility".

This activity was recognized by the Quebec Bar for purposes of the mandatory continuing education of lawyers.

Last June 14, Lavery held a seminar on litigation risk management for corporate counsels at Le Centre Sheraton Montréal. Besides a plenary assembly and a lunch and learn session, this event – which is accredited by the Barreau du Québec in the context of Mandatory Continuing Education – offered no less than six workshops on a variety of themes: an overview of litigation management; inquiries and inspections; communicating with the media; litigation alternatives; injunctions and safeguard orders; and litigation allowances. The fact that 230 corporate counsels attended was a clear indication of the relevance of the seminar, offered as a courtesy of Lavery.

Last June 8, some 150 people, including 95 clients and 40 lawyers at Lavery, gathered for the firm’s traditional summer cocktail. Triple World Champion and Olympic Medalist Alexandre Despatie – who was actually celebrating his birthday – paid the guests a visit. Every year, Lavery lawyers and partners invite present and prospective clients to this event, which took place this year at the Ex-Centris, on St. Lawrence Boulevard, in Montréal, amidst the F1 festivities.

On May 27^th, Louis Charette and Bernard Larocque, both partners at Lavery, gave a conference entitled “Les montants de rétention ‘self-insured retention’: quelle est leur étendue en droit civil québécois?” at the Conference on Recent Developments in Insurance Law, organized by the Continuing Education Department of the Quebec Bar.

Although infrequent, self-insured retentions are sometimes found in certain liability insurance policies, and raise complex legal problems in Quebec civil law. Mr. Charette and Mr. Larocque summarized the current state of the law in Quebec in this regard and discussed some of the issues raised by these retentions, which our courts will eventually have to address.

This seminar inspired the publication of a text in a book called “Développements récents en droit des assurances” published by the continuing education department of the Quebec Bar, Editions Yvon Blais, and authored by Louis Charette, Bernard Larocque and Maude Lafortune-Bélair.

On May 27, Dina Raphaël, partner at Lavery, and Nathalie Durocher, lawyer at Lavery, were speakers at the 45^th Annual Convention of the Canadian Association of Insurance Women at the Delta Centre-Ville Hotel in Montréal. Ms. Raphaël and Ms. Durocher gave a presentation called “À l’ère du web : formation du contrat d’assurance et preuve des documents technologiques” in front of approximately 40 participants.

On April 27, 2011, Gérard Coulombe, Partner at Lavery, participated in a symposium on the challenges of French-speaking people on boards of directors entitled: “50 ans de gouvernance au Québec : les défis de la présence francophone au sein des C.A.” This symposium brought together experienced administrators who have witnessed five decades of changes (1960-2010) to discuss the future of French-speaking members on the boards of directors of large-scale companies in Quebec and Canada.

Organized by the Institut sur la gouvernance d’organisations privées et publiques, this event was held at the Loews Hotel Vogue in Montreal.

On April 6, Dina Raphaël, partner at Lavery, and Nathalie Durocher, lawyer at Lavery, were speakers at the 2011 Damage Insurance Forum organized by the Chambre de l'assurance de dommages at the Hôtel de Mortagne in Boucherville. As the only members of a law firm invited to contribute to this forum, Ms. Raphaël and Ms. Durocher gave a presentation called “À l’ère du web : formation du contrat d’assurance et preuve des documents technologiques” in front of approximately 60 participants.

On March 30, 2011, Daniel Bouchard, partner at Lavery, was the main speaker at a seminar for the Institut québécois d’affaires publiques (INQAP). The seminar was on innovative ways to maintain relations with elected officials and local and regional managers.

Sponsored by Lavery, the event welcomed business people, professionals and consultants in Montreal and will be held in other areas of Quebec.

On March 22, Gérard Coulombe, Partner at Lavery, was a panelist in an information briefing called “Social Media: Are you Monitoring the Conversations? What Question Directors Should ask about the Risks Related to Social Media?” that hosted numerous corporate directors and senior executives. This information briefing, hosted by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), was held at the Sofitel in Montreal.

On February 22, Maude Lafortune-Bélair gave a presentation called “Droit et psychiatrie : analyse pratique de la notion de quérulence” at a breakfast-conference organized by Lavery and the Collège des médecins du Québec.

Dr. Gilles Chamberland, Psychiatrist, also participated in this presentation examining predominantly the pathological and medical aspects of the querulous phenomenon.

This continuing education seminar animated by Jean Saint-Onge was intended for managers and leaders of professional orders in the health sector.

Lavery is proud to mention that Ms. Jocelyne Gagné, partner at the firm, was named to the Advising Council of the Fondation Paul Gérin-Lajoie. Her expertise in business law will be an asset to the development of the Fondation over the course of the next few years.

In this role, Ms. Gagné also joined the Organizing Committee of the Grande Soirée P.G.L. 2011, which will be held on April 14, 2011 at the Delta Hotel in Montreal. This event will feature comedian Yvon Deschamps. Tickets can be purchased from members of the Organizing Committee and the Fondation Paul Gérin-Lajoie at 514 288-3888, extension 244.

For more information, click here.
The form to purchase tickets or to make a donation is available by clicking here.

On February 14, Lavery held a conference with the Honorable Peter Van Loan, Minister of International Commerce, and the Manufacturiers et Exporteurs du Québec, which revealed the Harper government’s plan with regard to free trade such as targeting new markets and creating more jobs and prosperity in Canada.

This conference hosted nearly 30 executives from the business industry in Lavery’s new Montreal offices.

Michel Servant, a partner at Lavery, will be the President of the Prix Relève d’Excellence 2011 Committee of Réseau HEC Montréal. This competition recognizes the professional success of HEC’s graduates, aged 35 and under, in four different classes: Large Enterprises, Small and Medium Enterprises (SME), Entrepreneur and Young Professional. Prize-winners are selected by a jury of experienced business people.

This event will take place as a Gala-Breakfast on Friday, May 20, 2011, at the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal.

It will be the 26^th anniversary of the Prix Relève d’Excellence in 2011 and Louis R. Chênevert, HEC 79, Chairman and CEO of United Technologies Corporation (Pratt & Whitney, Otis, Carrier, Sikorsky, etc.), the 37^th largest company in the United States according to the Fortune 500 list, will be the 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 3, 2011, Mr. Louis Charette and Mr. Bernard Larocque, both partners at Lavery, will be speakers at the Canadian Fire Alarm Association’s technical seminar, Quebec section. This seminar offers presentations on various technical, legal and practical aspects of the codes in effect and more than 200 members of the Association will attend.

The seminar will be held (in French only) Quality Hotel Olympic Parc in Montreal as of 7:30 a.m.

On January 27 and 28, Evelyne Verrier, partner at Lavery, was a speaker at the Canadian Institute’s conference on the management of the claims and proceedings in insurance disability. Ms. Verrier’s presentation, entitled “L’octroi de dommages : derniers développements et impacts concrets sur vos pratiques et votre gestion des dossiers d’invalidité,” assessed the latest jurisprudence pertaining to the award of damages.

On November 23^rd and 24^th, Véronique Morin, lawyer at Lavery, co-chaired a conference called “RH & droit de l’emploi au sein du secteur public et parapublic,” which aimed at providing a forum for and responding to the questions and concerns of human resources administrators and lawyers practising labour and employment law in the public and parapublic sectors.

In addition to presiding over the first day of this two-day conference, Ms. Morin was also the speaker of the presentation called “Droit de gérance de l’employeur du secteur public : notions pratiques pour s’en prévaloir efficacement.”

Held by the Canadian Institute, this conference was recognized by the Quebec Bar and took place at the Mont-Royal Omni Hotel in Montreal.

Mr. Raphaël Schachter, Q.C., was invited to speak at the Quebec/Jewish Law Symposium held at the Chabad of Westmount. The Quebec Bar recognized this activity as part of the Continuing Education program. The topic of Mr. Schachter’s conference was, “How Does a Criminal Lawyer Defend a Client that He Knows is Guilty.”

The evening was chaired by the former Minister of Justice of Quebec, the Honourable Justice Herbert Marx, of our Superior Court. Other participants included Justice William Fraiberg, Mr. Harvey Yarosky and Rabbi Shlomo Yaffe, Harvard law professor. Approximately one hundred people, mainly judges and lawyers, attended the symposium.

Ian Rose, partner at Lavery, was a speaker at the 2^nd seminar on “La responsabilité des administrateurs et membres de la direction,” at the Federated Press Conference in Montreal on November 4^th and 5^th. Mr. Rose conference more specifically pertained to secondary market class action recourses in Canada called “Marché secondaire : Recours en responsabilité civile statutaire et recours collectifs.”

The field of class actions is flourishing and the related case-law is in constant evolution. On October 28^th and 29^th, Jean Saint-Onge, partner at Lavery, hosted a conference on class actions called “Recours collectifs : Développement récents au Québec, au Canada et aux États-Unis” as a continuing education seminar of the Quebec Bar. This conference was held at the Palais des Congrès in Montreal and welcomed no less than 34 speakers specializing in class actions from various jurisdictions in North America.

Jean-Philippe Lincourt, lawyer at Lavery specializing in class actions, actively participated in the organization of this seminar.

Dina Raphaël and Jonathan Lacoste-Jobin held a training seminar called “Insurance Contract Formation and Technological Documents in the Web Era” on October 19^th and 20^th for insurance adjusters and brokers.

This training was on the insurance contract formation and technological documents. During the seminar, the speakers discussed the online formation of insurance contracts and the principles governing the proposal and issuance of an insurance contract in connection with new technologies.

The purpose of this presentation was also to explain the regulations governing document management in an insurance context, both in terms of use and conservation of technological documents and to describe their eligibility as evidence.

On October 19^th, Bernard Laroque, in collaboration with Odette Jobin-Laberge, both partners at Lavery, will be speakers at the Canadian Institute during a training seminar for litigation lawyers on the competitive advantage needed for litigation lawyers to distinguish themselves before the courts entitled: “L’avantage compétitif dont vos avocats de litige ont besoin pour se démarquer devant les Tribunaux, leurs clients et dans la gestion de leurs dossiers.”

Mr. Larocque’s and Ms. Jobin-Laberge’s presentation pertains to art of writing in litigation as well as writing techniques required to present efficient and persuasive summons before the courts. It will be held in French only at the Hôtel Omni Mont-Royal in Montreal at 9 a.m.

For more information on this conference, please click here.
 

On September 28^th, René Branchaud, partner at Lavery specializing in securities law, mergers and acquisitions and corporate law, was a speaker at the TSX Venture Exchange for a seminar on the management of a public corporation. Mr. Branchaud’s conference was on securities investments.

Montreal, September 30, 2010 - On September 21^st, Lavery held a conference on risk management and commercial contracts. This series of Lavery’s conferences hosted nearly 300 corporate counsels at the Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth.

At this conference, Lavery’s lawyers presented both plenary sessions and numerous seminars and Alain Dubuc, a La Presse columnist, made a presentation on “Les conseillers juridiques d’entreprise créent-ils de la richesse?”

Montreal, September 29, 2010 - Sébastien Vézina, member of Lavery’s Business Law Group, reviewed the recent developments pertaining to the mining sector on September 22nd during an information session on IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards) and taxation. This information session was organized by Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton and was held in Montreal at the Fairmont Hotel, Queen Elizabeth.

Montreal, September 24, 2010 - On September 28^th and 29^th, Jean Saint-Onge, partner at Lavery, will participate in a presentation on class actions called “Managing Litigation Complexity and Planning Strategy through Trial” at the Canadian Institute’s 11^th Annual Forum. This conference will be held in Toronto. Mr. Saint-Onge’s will participate in a panel on cross-Canada class actions and recent developments on class actions in Quebec. 

For more details, click here.

Montreal, September 22, 2010 - Michel Desrosiers will be a speaker at the 13^th World Congress, which will be held from September 27 to 29, 2010 at the Palais des congrès in Montreal.

The World Federation of People Management Associations holds its Congress every two years, which welcomes over 3,500 HR professionals from the four corners of the globe. This year, it offers a diversified program with close to 100 outstanding speakers, an Exhibitors’ Hall with some 175 exhibitors, as well as various social activities including an evening’s entertainment showcasing an exceptional artist.

Facing similar people management and development challenges, participants will have the chance to discuss not only local, national and international trends and practices, but also other issues such as their expanding role and the increasingly complex nature of their mandates. Mr. Desrosiers presentation will pertain to the negotiation of collective agreements in 2010.

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.