This section keeps you up-to-date on the latest news and upcoming public appearances of Lavery professionals.
News
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Awatif Lakhdar speaks at an information session for owner-pharmacists
On March 29, Awatif Lakhdar, a partner of the Family, Personal and Estate Law Group, spoke to owner-pharmacists at an information session held at Lavery’s Conference Centre. Me Lakhdar discussed the legal tools and general considerations required to protect the patrimony and business of owner-pharmacists during the seminar, entitled Pharmaciens-propriétaires : soyez à l’affût des meilleures pratiques pour la gestion de votre patrimoine.
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Awatif Lakhdar speaks at the Cours de perfectionnement du notariat
On November 25th 2016, Awatif Lakhdar, partner with the Family Law Group, gave a conference before 1300 notaries at the 90th session of the Cours de perfectionnement du notariat, which was held the last November 24-26 at the Palais des congrès de Montréal. During this conference, she spoke about the implications of the February 21, 2017, enactment of section 303(7) of the New Code of Civil Procedure, which will enable notaries to submit simultaneous requests based on draft agreements within the scope of a legal separation, a divorce or the dissolution of a civil union. These requests will be added to the list of non-contentious proceedings.
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Awatif Lakhdar speaks at the 3rd Colloque Liquidation des successions
Awatif Lakhdar, a partner with the Family Law Group, spoke about the survival of the support obligation and the family residence during the 3rd edition of the Colloque Liquidation des successions, held on October 5th in Montréal and October 27th in Québec City. Me Lakhdar reviewed some of the successions law notions specific to the survival of the support obligation and the criteria for determining support. She also provided details about the limits imposed by law and discussed the reduction of liberalities. Last, she raised various difficulties regarding the family residence, in particular the legislative priority in favour of the surviving spouse.
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Lavery joins the partners of the Barreau du Québec’s Panorama project
Lavery is a partner of the Panorama project, which promotes the recruitment, retention and advancement of lawyers from ethnocultural groups within Quebec law firms and company legal teams. The firm was represented by Don McCarty, the firm’s Managing Partner, Awatif Lakhdar, a partner and member of the Family law, personal law, and estate law group. The launch event, held June 9, 2016 at the Maison du Barreau, included members of various cultural communities as well as representatives and project managers of legal firms and departments. For her part, Zeïneb Mellouli, a lawyer and member of Lavery’s Labour and employment group, was involved in this committee The Panorama project is one of the seven items listed in the Barreau du Québec’s ethnocultural diversity action plan adopted in 2014 following the publication of the “Forum Project for a More Inclusive Profession” report. For three years, the firms and partner legal departments involved in the project commit to sharing best practices to achieve greater ethnocultural diversity and a true inclusion in their workplaces and in the profession.
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Our lawyers support the Fondation du Barreau du Québec
Six of our lawyers made a noteworthy contribution during the 2015-2016 campaign of the Fondation du Barreau du Québec. The Foundation warmly thanked our partners Magali Cournoyer-Proulx and Awatif Lakhdar for accepting its invitation to become new governors. André Vautour and Louis Rochette became Governors emeritus by renewing their commitment for a fourth year; and Gérard Coulombe and Pierre Beaudoin became “lifetime governors” by renewing their mandate beyond five years. The Fondation du Barreau du Québec plays a key role in the field of legal research by supporting the work of legal professionals and providing legal publications to the general public.
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Julie Grondin, Jonathan Lacoste-Jobin and Awatif Lakhdar appointed partners at Lavery
Lavery is pleased to announce the appointment of three of its lawyers as partners of the firm. They are: Julie Grondin (Litigation) Julie is part of the firm's litigation group and specializes in the areas of construction law, surety law and commercial litigation. She advises public and private owners, contractors as well as surety companies at all stages of construction projects. She also advises clients in respect of public bidding process and drafting of contract documents, management of the work and claims. Julie is also involved in divided co-ownership matters and represents syndicates of co-owners in various cases involving legal hypothecs and work defects. Jonathan Lacoste-Jobin (insurance law litigation, professional liability and commercial litigation) Graduate of McGill University, Jonathan has extensive experience in insurance law. Often involved in complex matters, he regularly appears before all Quebec authorities. He participated in several reference works and gives many presentations and training, including the annual conference Jean Bélanger, an insurance law annual retrospective before the Canadian Bar Association and the Canadian Insurance Claims Manager Association. Jonathan is also a lecturer at the University of Quebec in Montreal for the Pierre-Basile Mignault moot court. He has recently taken part of the team representing Pro Bono Québec before the Supreme Court of Canada in Réjean Hinse v. Attorney General of Canada. Awatif Lakhdar (family law, personal law and estate law) Awatif is a member of the Family Law, personal law and estate law group since May 2014. Called to the Quebec Bar in 2002, she worked in private practice for over 10 years before joining the firm. Awatif represents clients in international cases including inheritance, divorce, legal separation, child custody, alimony, and the application of matrimonial regimes. Moreover, she often defends clients in international child abduction cases in which the country of origin is not a signatory to the Hague Convention and has acted as legal advisor in cases involving the identification of matrimonial regimes in certain Muslim countries.
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Lavery lawyer Awatif Lakhdar participates in the first gathering of Moroccan lawyers living abroad
On April 8, 2016, Awatif Lakhdar, a member of Lavery’s Family , personal and estate law team, participated in the first Forum for Moroccan lawyers living abroad organized by Morocco’s Ministère chargé des Marocains Résidant à l’Étranger et des Affaires de la Migration in Rabat, Morocco. This gathering was attended by more than forty-five lawyers and judges working in various legal fields, in more than eleven countries. Invited to represent Canada, Ms. Lakhdar co-lead a discussion panel before several Moroccan dignitaries and judges on the subject of “Co-operation and Partnership,” in particular, the need for legislative reform of private International law in Morocco. The goal of this Forum was to identify the social, legal, and administrative difficulties facing Moroccans living abroad, propose ways to mitigate those difficulties, offer greater legal assistance to those in vulnerable situations, as well as establish a network of Moroccan lawyers living abroad.
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Awatif Lakhdar receives a prize from the Chamber of Commerce Al Maghreb in Canada during a mission to Morocco under the leadership of the Embassy of Canada to Morocco
On March 7th 2016, Awatif Lakhdar, a lawyer in Lavery’s Family Law, personal law, and estate law group whose practice focuses on private international law, was awarded a prize by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Al Maghreb in Canada for services rendered for the development of economic relations between Canada and Morocco. To learn more about the CCIMC, of which Lavery is a proud partner, please click here.
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Awatif Lakhdar presents the 2015 case law review in family law
On December 16, 2015, Ms. Awatif Lakhdar, a Lavery lawyer specialized in Family Law, Personal Law and Estate Law, will present a seminar entitled “Revue jurisprudentielle 2015 en droit de la famille – Décisions marquantes et tendances jurisprudentielles”(2015 case law review in family law - Important decisions and case law trends). Organized by Éditions Yvon Blais, this conference is an overview of important 2015 decisions in the field of family law as well as a practical illustration of trends, making it a tangible tool for family law practitioners. To that end, the following topics will be addressed: Crossover between marriage annulment and immigration Unequal division of the family patrimony Partnership of acquests: included property Duration of spousal support Shared custody Recognition of a divorce settlement granted abroad Interpretation and application of article 54.1 CCP
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Awatif Lakhdar, panelist at a YALA conference
On November 10, 2015, Ms. Awatif Lakhdar, a Lavery lawyer specialized in Family Law, Personal Law and Estate Law, was a guest panelist invited by the Young Arab Law Association (YALA) at a conference entitled “Breaking Barriers: Arab Canadians & the Legal Profession”. On this occasion, Ms. Lakhdar shared her experience and career path while emphasizing the various aspects of private international law practice with regards to matrimonial issues.
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Awatif Lakhdar speaks on unjust enrichment
On October 28 and November 6, 2015, Ms. Awatif Lakhdar, a Lavery lawyer specialized in Family Law, Personal Law and Private International Law, presented a conference entitled « L’enrichissement sans cause: Où en sont nos tribunaux en 2015 ? » (Unjust enrichment : Where do our courts of law stand in 2015?) to over 75 participants during a seminar organized by the Bar’s Continuing Education Department in Montreal and during a training day for the Richelieu Bar. During this conference, Mtre. Lakhdar presented the landmark decisions and trends of 2015 on the issue of unjust enrichment.
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Two Lavery lawyers worked with Lawyers Without Borders Canada to develop a written argument in favour of Raïf Badawi’s release
On November 3, 2015, Ms. Awatif Lakhdar and Ms Zeïneb Mellouli, both lawyers at Lavery, participated in a press conference held by Lawyers Without Borders Canada (LWBC) regarding the publication of a written argument in favour of Raïf Badawi’s release that was submitted to the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Canada and the Saudi Minister of Justice on August 15, 2015 The written argument is the fruit of LWBC teamwork in collaboration with the Barreau du Québec, renowned experts in the field of human rights and Islamic law and Lavery, in particular through Ms. Lakhdar and Ms. Mellouli’s contributions to the written argument’s preparation and its Arabic translation and revision. Ms. Awatif Lakhdar is a member of the Family Law, Personal Law and Estate Law Group and, in particular, practices in private international law, and Ms. Zeïneb Mellouli is a member of the Labour and Employment Law Group and is well versed in public international law by way of her master’s degree in transnational law and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees internship in Geneva. Together, the argument and its publication constitute another important LWBC initiative aimed at bringing about Mr. Badawi’s release. The report is available for download here. Camille Gagné-Raynauld, Pascal Paradis, Ensaf Haidar, Zeïneb Mellouli, Awatif Lakhdar and Julia Poulin.