This section keeps you up-to-date on the latest news and upcoming public appearances of Lavery professionals.
News
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Lavery assists Agendrix in obtaining two ISO certifications for data security and privacy
On February 6, 2023, Agendrix, a workforce management software company, announced that it had achieved certification in two globally recognized data security and privacy standards, ISO/IEC 27001:2013 and ISO/IEC 27701:2019. This made it one of the first staff scheduling and time clock software providers in Canada to obtain these certifications. The company is proactively engaging in all matters related to the security and confidentiality of the data processed by its web and mobile applications. The ISO/IEC 27001:2013 standard is aimed at improving information security systems. For Agendrix’s customers, that means its products comply with the highest information security standards. ISO/IEC 27701:2019 provides a framework for the management and handling of personal information and sensitive data. This certification confirms that Agendrix follows best practices and complies with applicable laws. A Lavery team composed of Eric Lavallée, Dave Bouchard, Ghiles Helli and Catherine Voyer supported Agendrix in obtaining these two certifications. More specifically, our professionals assisted Agendrix in the review of their standard contract with their customers, as well as in the implementation of policies and various internal documents essential to the management of personal information and information security. Agendrix was founded in 2015, and the Sherbrooke-based company now has over 150,000 users in some 13,000 workplaces. Its personnel management software is a leader in Quebec in the field of work schedule management for small and medium-sized businesses. Agendrix’s mission is to make management more human-centred by developing software that simplifies the lives of front-line employees. Today, the company employs more than 45 people.
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Lavery Gold level Parity certified
Lavery was awarded Gold level Parity Certification for 2019 at the annual Women in Governance Recognition Gala. Lavery has been committed from day one to Women in Governance as a Pioneer in Parity Certification. This recognition is a testament to the effort and collaboration that the Lavery team put into setting concrete goals and achieving them. We would also like to congratulate the groundbreaking newly certified companies that are committed to taking real action within their organizations in order to achieve parity. The Women in Governance Parity Certification is a one-of-a-kind initiative that recognizes the courage of the thousands of inspiring women who take risks to transform the business environment every day.
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Lavery welcomes four new professionals at its Montréal office
Lavery is pleased to announce that four new professionals have joined its Montréal office. Marjolaine Arès joins the Business Law group as a partner. She has over 20 years of experience in commercial real estate law, and also specializes in lobbying law, mining and energy law, and telecommunications law. As a notary, Mrs. Arès undertakes the steps required for certifying and legalizing documentation in an effort to ensure their validity when intended for various foreign countries. Check out her LinkedIn profile France Camille De Mers joins the Business Law group as an associate. She practises mainly in commercial law and corporate law. During her law school at Université de Montréal, she participated in a summer program at the China University of Political Science and Law (Beijing, China) as well as an exchange program at the Wien Universität (Vienna, Austria). Check out her LinkedIn profile Marilyn Jourdain joins the Tax Law group as an associate. During her practice, she has acquired expertise with multinational companies and SMEs wishing to expand their operations abroad. She has also completed several complex mandates in corporate reorganizations, acquisitions and sales in a domestic and cross-border context. Check out her LinkedIn profile Timothé R. Huot joins the Tax Law group as a partner. Since his admission to the bar, Timothé is active in most areas of taxation, including tax litigation and he has appeared before all Quebec Courts and before the Supreme Court of Canada in tax and pension plan cases. Timothé is also specialized in the area of tax planning for refundable tax credits for scientific research. Check out his LinkedIn profile
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Parity certification: Lavery celebrates the commitment of new parity certified companies
As a Business Pioneer in Parity Certification, Lavery is proud of the commitment made by law firms and newly certified companies to help increase the representation of women in leadership positions. "Undertaking the Gender Parity Certification process means committing to establishing adequate mechanisms to advance women's careers and promote the fulfillment of women in leadership positions," commented Anik Trudel, Chief Executive Officer of Lavery. Lavery would also like to congratulate its business partners who received the Parity Certification for the first time at the September 11, 2018 Women in Governance Gala, in particular Air Canada, the Autorité des marchés financiers, the Business Development Bank of Canada, Loto-Québec, the National Film Board of Canada, Schneider Electric and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. Two other law firms, Miller Thomson LLP and Norton Rose FulBright, also joined Lavery Lawyers as certified companies. "I want to acknowledge the contributions of our clients who are taking part in this great movement as well as highlight the involvement of our peers, who are contributing to change in the legal industry. We wish to continue our involvement and promote the progress already made, which motivated our decision to participate in the certification process for a second consecutive year," concluded Anik Trudel.
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Lavery – the first law firm to receive ICI ON RECYCLE! Program’s Level 3 Gold Achievement Certification
Lavery is the first law firm to receive the ICI ON RECYCLE! Program’s highest honour, which is the Level 3 Gold Achievement Certification. This award received by the Montréal office is a testament to Lavery's commitment to developing best practices in sustainability and social responsibility. Established by RECYC-QUÉBEC, this recognition highlights the remarkable efforts of industrial, commercial and institutional (ICI) organizations that have implemented measures to manage their residual materials responsibly. The Level 3 certification is an impressive recognition to receive considering that the organization must clearly demonstrate the implementation of source reduction, reuse, recycling, energy recovery and disposal processes (4R-D) of residual materials targeted by the Québec Residual Materials Management Policy. The organization must also illustrate its awareness-raising efforts, in particular by organizing information activities with its employees regarding waste management.
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Lavery first ever law firm Parity Certified Bronze 2017
During the Annual Recognition Gala organized by Women in Governance, Lavery was designated “Business Pioneer in Parity Certification” and received “Parity Certified Bronze 2017”. Lavery is the first law firm to undertake the Parity Certification process, launched on June 22, 2017. This initiative of Women in Governance aims to increase the number of women in senior management positions. “Our participation in this initiative is based on Lavery’s vision of being a vehicle for fulfillment and advancement for the women in our organization,” commented Anik Trudel, Chief Executive Officer of Lavery. “In addition to sending a clear message about our leadership in this area within the legal and business communities, the certification process will allow us to set clear objectives and structure the steps needed to support women in the advancement of their career.” The Parity Certification offered by Women in Governance is a unique initiative that acknowledges the courage of the thousands of inspiring women who take risks every day to transform the business world. Lavery invites its peers and Quebec’s large corporations to join this movement and launch the Parity Certification process so that they too can contribute to building a diversified business community.
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Lavery to host the Quebec-Asia Law and Business Association’s upcoming breakfast-conference: Quebec’s Natural Resources, a Major Asset in Attracting Asian Investments to Quebec
Lavery is honored to host the Quebec-Asia Law and Business Association’s (QALBA)’s breakfast-conference which will be held September 18th, 2014. The guest speaker for this conference on the subject of "Quebec’s Natural Resources, a Major Asset in Attracting Asian Investments to Quebec" will be Mr. Luc Carignan, Director, Americas and Asia, Investissement Quebec. Mr. Guillaume Synnott, lawyer in Lavery’s Business Law Group and QALBA Executive Committee member is enthusiastic about this upcoming conference. Certified in Chinese Law from the China University of Political Science and Law, Mr. Synnott completed the first part of his professional training in Shanghai, therefore making him the first member of the Quebec Bar to have completed part of his articles with a Chinese law firm in mainland China. For additional information regarding this event please click here.
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Lavery welcomes thirteen new lawyers to its Montreal office
Lavery is pleased to announce that thirteen new lawyers, who are practising in health law, labour law and litigation, have joined its Montreal office: six partners, one counsel and six associates. The new partners are as follows:Magali Cournoyer-Proulx practises in the areas of labour and employment law, and health law. She is recognized for her expertise in matters relating to the individual contract of employment and all legal questions concerning health institutions. She also advises various professional orders, syndics, organizations and associations in regulatory, disciplinary and ethical matters, and with respect to professional liability. Norman A. Dionne practises in the area of labour and employment law. He has long-standing experience in union certifications, the negotiation of collective agreements, the management of labour conflicts and grievance arbitrations. He is often called upon to act in cases involving employment disputes. Véronique Iezzoni focuses her practice on civil litigation. She has solid experience in matters regarding civil and professional liability, in particular relating to health and social services centres including the liability of the nursing staff and medical residents. Simon Gagné focuses his practice on both health and labour law, including grievance arbitrations, labour standards and the interpretation of collective agreements. He also offers a broad range of health law services to institutional and corporate clients. Sylvain Poirier, LL.M., heads Lavery’s Health Law team. For more than 25 years, he has been practising in health law and labour law. Mr. Poirier is a founding member of the Société de médecine et de droit du Québec. He was also a lecturer for the Université de Sherbrooke’s Master’s program in Health Law. Mr. Poirier is recognized as a leading practitioner in the area of Health Care Law in the 2012, 2013 and 2014 editions of The Best Lawyers in Canada. Best Lawyers also named him 2014 Montreal Lawyer of the Year in Health Care Law. Philippe Tremblay specializes in commercial litigation. He has led numerous complex files giving rise to a number of construction law remedies and has acted in various public-private partnership (PPP) construction files. Patrick A. Molinari, FRSC, is counsel. He brings to his health law and regulatory practice the experience of an exceptional career in academia. A professor at the Faculty of Law of the Université de Montréal from 1977 to 2010, he headed the Centre de recherche en droit public (Public Law Research Centre). He also acted as Associate Dean and then Dean of the Faculty as well as Provost, Administration and Finance of the Université de Montréal. In addition, Mr. Molinari was Chairman of the Board of the Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal from 2004 to 2012. The new associates are as follows: Amélie Bélisle practises in the area of labour and employment law. She advises and represents small, medium and large private and public sector clients in all aspects of their labour and employment needs. She also acts as a legal advisor for her clients, representing them before various administrative and civil tribunals. Laurence Bich-Carrière focuses her practice on all aspects of civil and commercial litigation. She is also the author of several articles, including in the areas of intellectual property and constitutional law. Rhonda Grintuch focuses her practice on all aspects of health law as well as labour and employment law. She has also developed expertise with regards to the ethical, legal and social implications of pharmacogenomics research. Jérôme Laflamme practises in the area of labour and employment law. He handles every aspect of the employment relationship, including the interpretation of collective agreements, grievance arbitration matters, labour relations, labour standards and employment litigation. Mélanie Sauriol practises in the areas of labour and employment law, and health law. Her practice includes handling matters pertaining to grievance arbitration, labour standards, privacy law and human rights. She regularly advises health and social services institutions on administrative issues related to their organization and management. Charles Olivier Thibeault, M.Sc. (Health Services Management), practises in the area of health law. He assists institutions and organizations in Quebec’s health and social services sector with various legal issues. "We are very pleased to welcome these new lawyers. Their combined experience and expertise will help maximize our service offer in certain practice areas to reflect our clients’ needs and our growth objectives", said Don McCarty, Managing Partner of the firm.
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A Lavery client wins a federal labour and employment law case
Lavery is pleased about a decision rendered on July 3, 2013 by the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB), which ruled in favour of its client, Shoppers Drug Mart Inc. as well as Pharmaprix franchisees and Canada Post Corporation, by dismissing an application for certification filed by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers. Mr. Guy Lemay, Ms. Josianne L’Heureux and Mr. Guy Lavoie, Labour and Employment Law partners at Lavery, played a key role in this victory.The Canadian Union of Postal Workers had filed an application for certification for the purpose of representing the employees working in postal outlets located in the retail premises of Pharmaprix franchisees.The CIRB concluded that the true employer of the employees who were the subject of the application for certification was the franchisee of each Pharmaprix establishment named in the application, and not the Canada Post Corporation since the franchisees met all the requirements of an employer.The CIRB was also of the view that it lacked the constitutional jurisdiction to rule on the application for certification of the union since although the operations carried out in postal outlets may be considered as forming an integral part of the service offered by Canada Post Corporation, which is under federal jurisdiction, Pharmaprix franchisees remain under provincial jurisdiction since (i) the services offered at postal outlets do not represent a significant part of Pharmaprix franchisees’ activities and (ii) that such services form an integral part of their retail mission.As the period for appealing is not yet expired, we invite you to follow the evolution of this decision on our website.
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Carl Lessard discusses the National Hockey League labour conflict on TVA Sports
Mr. Carl Lessard, a partner at Lavery in labour and employment law, appeared yesterday night on the TV Show Le Premier Trio, produced by TVA Sports network, to discuss the recent judicial proceedings initiated by the National Hockey League (NHL) and the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) with respect to the labour conflict, which has been raging for several months. An expert in labour relations, Carl Lessard dealt with various issues related to this conflict, including the revocation of certification, the judicial precedents in that regard in the United States and the risks that such proceedings could have on the outcome of negotiations.The comments of Carl Lessard can be read and viewed by clicking here (in French).
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University Certification Presentation Ceremony with Regards to a Continuing Education Program in Business
Lavery is pleased to have welcomed at our office, on June 12, the partners involved in a continuing education program in business for a university certification presentation ceremony to employees of Distinction Group Inc. (GDI), a Canadian leader in the areas of industrial and commercial maintenance. This program, entitled "Gérer et superviser efficacement" (Managing and supervising efficiently), is managed by the Faculté de l’éducation permanente de l’Université de Montréal and tailored for first-level managers within a company.A Lavery partner, Marie-Claude Perreault has been actively involved in the program’s implementation, ever since its launch in 2008, as a trainer for the module entitled Fulfilling the role of a first-level manager. "This module gave me the opportunity to deal with various subjects of interest for Distinction Group employees who enrolled in this training course, including human resources management, the development of harmonious labour-management relations, the laws on labour standards, the respect of health and safety standards as well as the rules associated with the protection of personal information", she pointed out.GDI’s president and CEO, Claude Bigras, is happy that the company chose to invest in the training of its first-level managers. "This program has endowed GDI with the undeniable advantages of team management skills, knowledge of labour relations laws and conflict resolution as well as the human relations techniques, methods and skills required for a more efficient, healthy and lasting project and operations management", he said.The Assistant Dean of the Faculté de l’éducation permanente de l’Université de Montréal, Monique Kirouac, welcomed the second certification presentation ceremony. "On April 6, 2010, during an official ceremony, GDI managers were the first recipients of this new official university certification awarded by our Faculty. On June 12, 2012, many GDI managers were awarded a certification for having successfully completed this continuing education program. In short, the program represents an excellent initiative that draws academia and business closer together".In addition, the president and CEO of the firm Relais Expert-Conseil, Luc Chabot, is pleased by the partnership with the Université de Montréal. "Our firm has worked in close cooperation with the Faculté de l’éducation permanente to develop a new management training program perfectly suited to the actual and complex needs of today’s businesses. Each module of the program has been thoroughly analysed and I’m very happy to note the remarkable success this continuing education program in business has had with GDI employees".Lavery would like to join the Université de Montréal and Relais Expert-Conseil in congratulating the recipients of the 2012 certifications and in thanking GDI’s senior management team for its continued support that contributes to the long-term success of the program.From left to right: Denise Pellerin, psychologist, coach and trainer; Marie-Claude Perreault, Partner at Lavery and trainer; Luc Chabot, President and CEO of Relais Expert-Conseil; Monique Kirouac, Assistant Dean, Academic Studies, Faculté de l’éducation permanente de l’Université de Montréal; Yves André Godon, Executive Vice-President, GDI; Valérie Korozs, Associate at Lavery and trainer; and Éric Robillard, trainer.
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Lavery welcomes Brigitte Gagnon as Director of Professional Development
Lavery is pleased to announce that Ms. Brigitte Gagnon, a lawyer specializing in professional development and knowledge management, has joined the firm as Director of Professional Development. Brigitte Gagnon has almost 20 years of experience, including ten years in private practice in the field of banking and commercial litigation. Over the past ten years, she has held the management posts of Knowledge Manager and National Director of Professional Development with a national law firm.In addition to possessing strong expertise in planning and managing the professional development of lawyers and other legal professionals, Brigitte Gagnon is certified for Cycle 1 and 2 of the Training Program in Professional Coaching (PECP-2009) and has been a certified professional coach with the International Coach Federation (ICF) since 2010.Brigitte Gagnon has been a member of the Association for Legal Career Professionals (NALP) since 2004, of the Professional Development Consortium (PDC) since 2006, and of the International Coach Federation (ICF) since 2007. She has also been a member of the Continuing Education Committee of the Quebec Bar since 2009.