This section keeps you up-to-date on the latest news and upcoming public appearances of Lavery professionals.
News
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Talk by Pierre Marc Johnson in Sherbrooke on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA)
Pierre Marc Johnson, Lavery counsel specialized in international trade, international negotiations, and international partnerships, chief negotiator for the Government of Quebec in the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), and former Premier of Quebec, gave a series of talks on issues and opportunities related to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (PTP). After Montréal, Québec City, and Trois-Rivières, Mr. Johnson was in Sherbrooke on May 26, where he addressed the local business community. During his talk, Mr. Johnson explained the principal characteristics of the two major free trade agreements that were recently concluded but have not yet been ratified by Canada: the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (PTP). He also discussed the business opportunities that these agreements will open up and factors to consider in preparation for their ratification. The Trans-Pacific Partnership (PTP) was signed on February 4, 2016, by twelve countries bordering the Pacific Ocean (Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States, and Vietnam) representing approximately 800 million people and a combined GDP of more than 40% of the global GDP. This is the largest regional trade agreement ever to be negotiated. This event was made possible in part thanks to the participation of Desjardins Business and Desjardins Business Capital régional et coopératif.
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Lavery acted on behalf of Osisko Gold Royalties Ltd in connection with a bought deal offering
A team of lawyers comprised of Josianne Beaudry and Isabelle Richard acted on behalf of Osisko Gold Royalties Ltdin connection with a bought deal offering of 11,431,000 units for gross proceeds of approximately $173 million. The units issued under the offering were offered by way of a short form prospectus filed in all provinces of Canada. The financing closed at the end of February 2016. The units were sold through a syndicate of underwriters co-led by BMO Capital Markets and RBC Capital Markets and included National Bank Financial Inc., Macquarie Capital Markets Canada Ltd., CIBC World Markets, Haywood Securities Inc., Scotia Capital Inc., TD Securities Inc., Cormark Securities Inc., Dundee Securities Ltd. and Paradigm Capital Inc.
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François Parent, speaker at an event organized by the ACPM Quebec Regional Council
François Parent, partner in pensions and benefits at Lavery, participated in a conference organized by the Quebec Council of the Association of Canadian Pension Management (ACPM). The event entitled "What approaches to consider in 2016 to ensure the success of our DC plans?" welcomed a record number of participants : some 140 people attended the conference on April 21, 2016. François acted as a speaker at the final presentation of the event, which was entitled "The supervision of DC plans : to maintain the status quo or to regulate?".
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A team of lawyers from Lavery represented Clifton Star Resources Ltd. as part of a major transaction
A team of lawyers from Lavery represented Clifton Star Resources Ltd. ("Clifton") in a transaction with First Mining Finance Corp. ("First Mining"), where First Mining acquired all the shares of Clifton, in exchange for shares of First Mining. The transaction was effected by way of a scheme of arrangement and was completed in April 2016. The firm has prepared and reviewed the documents related to this transaction, including the Arrangement Agreement and the information circular for Clifton shareholders meeting. Lavery’s team consisted of Josianne Beaudry, Philip Nolan, Jean-Yves Simard, Nicole Messier and Mylène Vallières.
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Gérard Coulombe appointed Lead Trustee of Cominar’s Board of Trustees
During the annual meeting of Cominar Real Estate Investment Trust unitholders held in Quebec City on May 10th, 2016, Gérard Coulombe, business law partner at Lavery, was appointed Lead Trustee of Cominar’s Board of Trustees. Cominar Real Estate Investment Trust is the third largest diversified real estate investment trusts in Canada and the largest commercial property owner and manager in the province of Quebec. Its real estate portfolio includes 537 offices, retail and industrial properties in the provinces of Quebec and Ontario, in the Atlantic Provinces and in Western Canada and represents more than $8.2 billion in assets.
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Corporate and business integrity: a conference organized by Lavery for Quebec’s business community
On May 5, Lavery’s Integrity group hosted a business breakfast on issues related to corporate and business integrity. Attendees learned about integrity-related issues to be prioritized, specific ways to identify the internal and external risks facing them, and proven ways to manage those risks. A portion of the discussion also dealt with actions to take in case of a police search and seizure operation and media crisis management. This conference was lead by Marie Cossette, Lavery’s partner heading the Corporate and business integrity group. The following partners were also invited to speak: André Vautour and André Laurin, business law, Raymond Doray, administrative law, Philippe Frère, administrative and regulatory law litigation, and Isabelle Briand, criminal and penal law.
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Lavery awards $5 000 scholarship to an ambitious young entrepreneur
On May 2, 2016, the Fondation du Cégep Garneau and the École d’entrepreneuriat de Québec honoured fourteen young entrepreneurs during the first awards ceremony held at the École d’entrepreneuriat de Québec. Lavery is proud to contribute to the success of budding entrepreneur Jean Desmarais and his plan to open a clinic offering neurofeedback therapy and complementary psychological services by granting him a $5 000 scholarship. Lawyers Karine Pelletier, Sylvain Pierrard and Sarah Leclerc were on hand to present the award to him. During the event, the new entrepreneurs discussed their projects and the invaluable training and support they received from the École d’entrepreneuriat de Québec. The $5,000 scholarships were presented by established companies acting as sponsors to the young winners by offering them direct access to the business world through their position and network. The aspiring entrepreneurs in the school’s first two cohorts shared a total of $70 000 in scholarships awarded to encourage them to pursue their dreams.
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Pier-Olivier Fradette offers training sessions to the members of the Association des directeurs municipaux du Québec
Pier-Olivier Fradette, municipal affairs lawyer at Lavery, recently delivered two training sessions (in French) in Lac-Etchemin on behalf of the Association des directeurs municipaux du Québec (ADMQ). The first training session, titled “Volunteer groups operating under the umbrella of the municipality: what are the ground rules?,” dealt with the municipal by-laws and issues to consider before creating an organization along with the legal implications. The second training session, “The ABCs of ministerial authorizations and approval related to municipal finance,” explained the procedures related to the approval of borrowing by-laws, the authorization of credit commitments and the authorization of surety bonds. In the first training session, participants learned about the various municipal by-laws applicable to organizations depending on their legal status and the granting of financial support or assistance to those organizations. In the second training session, participants learned about best practices pertaining to borrowing, the various options for municipal taxation, and cases where it is not necessary to obtain ministerial approval or authorization to borrow. The two training sessions were offered to the CEOs of municipalities and will be presented again on November 22, 2016, in Trois-Rivières.
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Lavery is proud to support the next generation in Montreal’s Chinese business community
Lavery was a proud sponsor of the fifth edition of the scholarship presentation gala of the Jiu Ding Club, which took place on April 30, 2016. Montréal’s Jiu Ding (JD) Club is a non-profit organization founded by a group of entrepreneurs and professionals of Chinese origin living and working in Greater Montreal. During the ceremony, the JD Club presented scholarships to students in Quebec’s Chinese community as well as international students from Mainland China, Taiwan, Macau, and Hong Kong who study here and have distinguished themselves through their contributions to all sectors of Canadian society: social, professional, and political, etc. Guillaume Lavoie, partner at Lavery who counts many companies and entrepreneurs in Montreal’s Chinese business community among his clients, was there to represent the firm at the event.
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Lavery’s roundtable on entrepreneurship
On May 9, 2016, Lavery’s Quebec City office welcomed three speakers for a roundtable on entrepreneurship. Véronique Simard of Flirt store and Louis Tremblay of AddÉnergie discussed their entrepreneurial journey with young entrepreneurs from the region including students from l’École d’entrepreneuriat de Québec. Organized by Chloé Fauchon and Karine Pelletier, lawyers at Lavery, the conference followed by a networking cocktail was a great success. Karine Pelletier and Chloé Fauchon
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Sébastien Vézina represented Guy Boucher, the new Head Coach of the Ottawa Senators, in the negotiations with the Sens
Coach Guy Boucher called upon Sébastien Vézina, a Lavery partner, to represent him during the negotiation and conclusion of the agreement that lead to his nomination as Head Coach of the Ottawa Senators. Sébastien Vézina specialises in business law and he advises, among others, decision makers and executives in the sports industry on all questions pertaining to commercial and legal issues in their sphere of activities. Click here to watch the full press conference.
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Lavery, proud partner of the OSEntreprendre Challenge for a prosperous and innovative Québec
The OSEntreprendre Challenge, known until very recently as the Québec Entrepreneurship Contest, comprises three levels: local, regional and provincial. As a partner of the event, Lavery was at the regional gala of the National Capital, which took place at the Complexe Capitale Hélicoptère in Québec City on May 4, 2016. As a partner of the challenge, Lavery is happy to provide an hour's worth of legal advice to the 10 winners of the Business Creation division. Along its lawyers Sarah Leclerc and Karine Pelletier who attended the event as part of the partnership, Lavery would like to congratulate all winners for their entrepreneurial success! OSEntreprendre gives the 2 000 new entrepreneurs who take part in the Challenge each year an opportunity to improve the visibility of their project, win prizes, broaden their network and express themselves! Among the winners of the Business Creation division supporting the new bold and determined entrepreneurs, the company Cradle Games who participated in Lavery GO inc. Program for young entrepreneurs, has won a second regional prize. The company Cradle Games