Following a qualification process, the Ministère des Transports et de la Mobilité durable du Québec (MTMD) issued a call for tenders in 2022 for the construction of the new Île-aux-Tourtes bridge pursuant to the project delivery method known as design-build-finance (DBF). Since this was a DBF, the financing of this project had to be included in the proposals made by the selected candidates. Lavery represented the successful consortium made up of Dragados Canada Inc., Roxboro Excavation Inc. and Construction Demathieu & Bard Inc. Our role required expertise in the following areas: (a)   Governance and corporate law  (b)  Project financing (banking and securities)  (c)   Public procurement (d)  Construction law (e)   Commercial agreements (f)    Taxation  Lavery represented the consortium from the call for proposals to the financial close, including the drafting phase leading up to the awarding of the contract to the consortium. The financing was the most complex part of this transaction. Under the hybrid approach retained for that project, a major credit facility to be granted by a bank syndicate had to be set up, as well the private placement of two tranches of bonds. This involved adjusting the rights and obligations of creditors on both sides within a sophisticated intercreditor agreement. The financing also required parent company guarantees, including from French and Spanish corporations, which required us to find common ground to accommodate the typical requirements of a North American financing and the specific corporate and commercial features applicable in France and Spain. To meet this challenge, we put together a multidisciplinary team, divided up the work in accordance with our professionals’ diverse expertises, and dedicated a team member exclusively to interactions with the MTMD, its lawyers and the issuers of performance bonds typical for this kind of projects. Sound project management practices were essential to the success of this team effort. It is a privilege for Lavery to have participated in this essential project allowing the people of Quebec to obtain a new bridge linking the regions of Montérégie and Montréal. The Lavery team was led by Josianne Beaudry, Nicolas Gagnon, Édith Jacques, David Tournier and André Vautour, and included Véronik Bonneville-Pesant, Katerina Kostopoulos, Jean-François Maurice, Joseph Gualdieri, Siddhartha Borissov-Beausoleil, Alexandre Turcotte, Luc Pariseau, Charles Hugo Gagné, Mickaël Pageau, Jean-Vincent Prévost-Bérubé and Yohann Lévy.

Chanel CalabroChanel is a member of the Business Law group. She works primarily in corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate law."Lavery is at the centre of developing companies in Quebec. It is for me an excellent opportunity to work with inspiring professionals in a work environment that encourages development and initiative. I am very enthusiastic about working in a practice that offers me the opportunity to use my past experiences to provide added value to our clients." Simon Gagné-CarrierSimon is joining our Labour and Employment Law group. He also practices in Municipal Law. He joined the Lavery team as a student in 2022. He completed his bachelor's degree in civil law and a master's degree in business administration at the Université de Sherbrooke. "The team of professionals who make up the firm and who have guided me are committed to strong and important values such as mentoring, professional development and collaboration between peers. It is an ideal environment for a young lawyer." Ghiles HelliGhiles is joining our Business Law Group. He is a member of our mergers and acquisitions team. He assists our partners in advising clients on the legal impacts of the implementation of new technologies and on cybersecurity. "I chose to do my internship at Lavery because of their expertise in technology law and in mergers and acquisitions law, my two legal passions. It is also a great opportunity for me to pursue my professional development with mentoring that is second to none." Kabrina PéronKabrina is joining our Labor and Employment Law group. She joined the Lavery team as a student in the winter of 2021. "Throughout my experience at Lavery, I have had the opportunity to collaborate with passionate and highly experienced professionals on various cases, who were especially committed to ensuring my professional development. It is ideal guidance at the beginning of my career." Daphné Pomerleau-NormandinDaphné is a member of the Litigation and Conflict Resolution group and focuses her practice on commercial and civil litigation. "Joining Lavery involves being part of an environment that is an ideal combination of autonomy and team spirit." Jean-Vincent Prévost-BérubéJean-Vincent is joining our Business Law Group and practises mainly in transactional and commercial law. He has joined the Lavery team for his articling term in the winter of 2022. "Team collaboration and unity are definitely the firm’s strengths. For me, Lavery was the choice of a firm, but above all of a team. I appreciate being able to collaborate on challenging cases as well as the trust and confidence that we are quickly given in the management of these cases."