This section keeps you up-to-date on the latest news and upcoming public appearances of Lavery professionals.
News
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COVID-19 – Update on our preventive measures to protect all Lavery team members, clients and business partners
Dear clients and business partners, In light of recent recommendations from Canadian and Québec authorities, and the progression of the coronavirus epidemic to the pandemic stage, Lavery wishes to inform you of the measures that we have implemented to ensure the safety of our members, limit the spread of the virus within and outside the Lavery network, comply with the official recommendations of the authorities, and ensure the continuity of our business. The safety of our team members, our clients and business partners, as well as that of their families and loved ones, remains our top priority. We would like to offer our thoughts and support to all those who have to deal with the impacts of contamination within their own organizations or among their relations. We would like to assure all of our clients and business partners that we have been monitoring the situation for several weeks, and that a business continuity plan has rapidly been put in place in order to ensure that we maintain the level of service that you expect, particularly in terms of managing the impacts of the spread on your own organization. Lavery’s four offices (Montréal, Québec City, Sherbrooke and Trois-Rivières) remain open and our team members are able to continue operations, whether on site with reinforced sanitary measures or remotely in a secure manner. In summary, here are the preventive measures that we have implemented and will continue to adjust as the situation progresses: All business travel outside Québec, regardless of destination, has been cancelled or postponed until further notice. This includes travel for client meetings or for participation in conferences or other professional events. All personal travel outside Québec, regardless of destination, is subject to the usual recommendations of the official authorities and is subject to precautionary measures (self-isolation or other) before any return to work. All internal events, including training sessions, conferences and any other events organized at the firm, are cancelled until further notice, and participation in events of a professional nature outside the firm (training sessions, symposiums, meetings, receptions, sports and social events, etc.) is not recommended. Participation in events involving more than 25 people is not permitted until further notice. We have asked our team members to conduct all meetings with clients or business partners by telephone or virtual meeting. Should a client meeting truly need to be held in person on an exceptional basis, our receptionists have been instructed to ask visitors to register so that we can follow up as required. The measures described above are part of a collective prevention effort. Rest assured that we are continuously assessing the adequacy of these measures, that we remain at your service for all your legal needs, including those required to manage this pandemic, and that we will keep you informed as the situation evolves at Lavery. Anik TrudelChief Executive Officer
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Bernard Larocque becomes Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers (ACTL)
Lavery is pleased to announce that Bernard Larocque, a partner of the firm, was inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers (ACTL) during a ceremony held on March 7, 2020 in Tucson, Arizona. Founded in 1950, ACTL is a professional association of the best trial Lawyers in the United States and Canada and one of the most prestigious legal organizations in North America. The College is dedicated to maintaining and improving the standards of trial practice, the administration of justice and the ethics of the profession. Click here for more information on the College.
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Three New Partners in Lavery’s Team
Lavery is pleased to announce that Valérie Belle-Isle, Guillaume Laberge et Béatrice Ngatcha have been appointed partners of the firm.
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A team of five professionals joins Lavery’s Labour Law group
Lavery is pleased to announce that a team of five new professionals is joining its Labour and Employment Law group. Richard Gaudreault, Partner Richard Gaudreault’s practice focuses on the negotiation of collective agreements and strategy advising in human resources planning and reorganization for private companies and public institutions. Benoit Brouillette, Partner Benoit Brouillette serves a clientele that includes private, public and parapublic organizations and assists them in their daily and strategic management of human resources and labour relations. Ariane Pasquier, Partner Ariane Pasquier regularly represents her clients in court. Thanks to her negotiating skills, she also represents parties in collective agreement negotiations, particularly in municipal matters. In addition, she has specific expertise in public safety for police forces and fire services. Elizabeth Bourgeois, Associate Elizabeth Bourgeois has gained experience in conflict prevention and resolution, and frequently advises public and private organizations regarding problematic situations that arise in the workplace. Camille Rioux, Associate Camille Rioux advises employers in the public, parapublic and private sectors on issues related to human resources and the development of good labour relations.
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Lavery facilitates a partnership between Soccer Québec and the Montreal Impact
On January 16, Soccer Québec and the Montreal Impact announced a partnership to boost the popularity and quality of Quebec soccer. Lavery had the opportunity to support Soccer Québec in reaching this agreement, which is the first in Canada between a professional soccer club and a provincial sporting federation. The main subject of this agreement is the long-term acquisition of Soccer Québec’s commercial and marketing rights by the Montreal club until the FIFA World Cup in 2026 in North America. This will allow Soccer Québec and the Impact to join forces to promote and support the continued growth of soccer in the province. The Lavery sports law team that counselled Soccer Québec was made up of Sébastien Vézina and Andrée-Anne Perras-Fortin. Click here to learn more.
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Lavery announces appointment of Simon Clément as managing partner of its Québec City office
Lavery is pleased to announce the appointment of Simon Clément as managing partner of Lavery’s Québec City office. In addition to managing Lavery’s Québec City office, comprised of 44 professionals and employees,Mr. Clément will be responsible for the overall growth of the firm’s activities and the firm’s position in the Québec City area. As such, he will be joining the firm’s Management Committee. A professional known in the business community for his expertise and drive Mr. Clément’s practice extends to commercial litigation, including shareholder conflicts, corporate reorganizations and insolvency, breach of contract and urgent proceedings. He also offers legal counsel to long-term clients for acquisitions as well as sales of businesses and assets, in particular. In keeping with this, he chairs the Québec City division of the M&A Club, founded in 2012 to facilitate deal making and financing in the mid-market private sector between M&A professionals. “Lavery is more than a century old and has strong roots in Québec City. With its reputation well established, the firm has reinvented itself over time through bold decisions. Not only am I pleased to join the Lavery network and the entire Québec City team, but I am also eager to put my network and energy to work for the benefit of the firm’s clients and its strategic plan,” says Mr. Clément. An appointment in keeping with Lavery’s vision This arrival coincides with the start of major work aimed at expanding our Québec City office. “I am pleased to pass the torch on to Simon, as our Québec City office redefines itself in new premises and as the region is offering great opportunities for economic growth,” says Daniel Bouchard. “With his excellent legal reputation, entrepreneurial skills, notoriety and strong connections in the Québec City business community, Simon Clément has emerged as the best candidate to take over the management of Lavery’s Québec City office and to drive its development. Although he is not leaving, but simply returning to active practice, I would like to thank Daniel Bouchard for his exceptional contribution. His ongoing commitment throughout the years, the projects and the challenges has been expressed through motivating leadership,” says Anik Trudel, CEO of Lavery.
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Lavery contributes to the international expansion of the entertainment industry
On December 2, Montreux Comedy and Groupe Juste pour rire (JPR) announced the establishment of an alliance between the two organizations. The aim of this historic collaboration between the two largest French-language comedy festivals in the world is to create original products and content on both sides of the Atlantic and to enable the co-production and co-promotion of an international French-language gala in Montréal and in Montreux, Switzerland. Lavery advised and represented Montreux Comedy in the drafting and negotiation of the agreement for this bold project, particularly on aspects related to the creation of content for digital and traditional broadcasting platforms. Sébastien Vézina, a partner in the Business Law group, handled the negotiations to reach the agreement, with the support of Andrée-Anne Perras-Fortin, a lawyer in the same group. "Lavery is proud to have contributed to finalizing the collaboration between two major players in the entertainment industry in Quebec and abroad. In a context where this industry is taking a major digital shift, this collaboration will increase the positioning and availability of French-language content on the market," says Sébastien Vézina.
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Béatrice Ngatcha appointed editor-in-chief of the Canadian Intellectual Property Review
We are pleased to announce that our professional, Béatrice Ngatcha, was appointed to the position of editor-in-chief of the Canadian Intellectual Property Review (CIPR) last September at the annual general meeting of the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada (IPIC). For a tenure of two years, her role as editor-in-chief will be to coordinate the review process and ensure that only high-quality articles are published. The CIPR is a journal for professionals working in intellectual property law. All submissions undergo a double-blind peer review process: the reviewers are not given the authors' identities and the reviewers' identities are shielded from the authors.
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Lavery assists La Granaudière in obtaining more than $50M in financing
Last October 28, La Granaudière announced that it has obtained more than $50M in financing from Ressources Québec, Investissement Québec and the Caisse Desjardins du Nord de Lanaudière. A team from Lavery represented the three lenders involved in the transaction and with respect to the relations between the various stakeholders in order to successfully complete this project, which will be a showcase for the renewable energy industry in Québec. This financing will enable La Granaudière, a plant producing wood pellets from forest biomass, to complete the construction of its plant by the summer of 2020 and to start producing wood pellets and exporting them to Europe by the end of 2020. The plant will produce nearly 200,000 tonnes of pellets annually, and should create about 180 direct and indirect jobs, including roughly 50 at the production plant in Saint-Michel-des-Saints. This mandate was successfully completed thanks to the extensive expertise of the Lavery team composed mainly by Étienne Brassard, Ali El Haskouri, Katerina Kostopoulos et Bernard Trang.
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Lavery Lawyers welcome 6 professionals in Business Law
Lavery is pleased to announce the arrival of six new professionals in Business Law. Marie-Josée Desjardins Marie-Josée Desjardins has joined the firm as a notary, whose practice is focused on real estate law. Pierre-André Hamel Pierre-André Hamel has joined the firm as an associate, practising primarily in commercial and transactional law, particularly in the areas of bank financing and real estate. Anne-Julie Loiselle Anne-Julie Loiselle has joined the firm as an associate and works mainly in transactional law, mergers and acquisitions, and general corporate law. Selena Lu Selena Lu has joined the firm as a partner. Her practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions and the drafting of standard contracts, including leases, franchise agreements, distribution agreements and financing agreements. Wiam Mahroug Wiam Mahroug has joined the firm as an associate, concentrating her practice in securities law and mergers and acquisitions. Vicky Trépanier Vicky Trépanier has joined the firm as counsel and advises medium and large privately held companies and entrepreneurs regarding mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, corporate finance and governance issues.
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Alain M. Leclerc and Serge Shahinian are recognized as leading patent agents by IAM Patent 1000: The World’s Leading Patent Professionals
Alain M. Leclerc and Serge Shahinian, partners in the firm’s Intellectual Property Group, have been recognized as leading patent agents in the eighth edition of the directory IAM Patent 1000: The World’s Leading Patent Professionals. This distinction was determined, among other things, through exhaustive peer-reviewed surveys. The professionals are ranked in the directory based on a recognition of market share, exceptional skills, and in-depth knowledge of patent matters.