This section keeps you up-to-date on the latest news and upcoming public appearances of Lavery professionals.
News
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Lavery represents EBI in a $70 million transaction
On June 26, 2018, the QFL Solidarity Fund announced a $70 million investment in EBI, a leading Quebec and Canadian firm active in the integrated residual materials sector, including the collection and transport of waste matter, recyclables and residual materials, the transformation, recovery and disposal of residual materials as well as the production of natural gas. A Lavery client for the past two decades, EBI has been represented by the firm in connection with every legal aspect of this investment initiative. The Lavery team, spearheaded by André Paquette, with the assistance of Jacques Paul-Hus, was composed of Nadia Hanine (Mergers & Acquisitions), Éric Gélinas (Taxation), Pierre Denis (Financial Services), Audrey-Julie Dallaire (Environment), Carolle Vaudry and Isabelle Normand (Corporate).
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Lavery hires three of its articling students
Lavery is pleased to announce that it has hired three of its articling students as associates. Camille Côté has joined the Business Law group of our Trois-Rivières office. While a law student at the Université de Montréal law faculty, Camille volunteered with Pro Bono Québec on a project to prepare small claims court hearings, organize conferences and mentored students during the articling recruiting process. Blanche Fournier has joined the Litigation and Conflict Resolution group of our Sherbrooke office. She holds a Bachelor of Law degree, internship program, from the Université de Sherbrooke. During her legal studies, Blanche had the opportunity to take part in two professional internships in major financial institutions and in a law firm practising in civil litigation. She has also tutored new law students. William Lacoste has joined the Litigation and Conflict Resolution group of our Montréal office. He obtained his Bachelor’s in both Civil and Common Law from McGill University. During his studies, he worked as the Director of human and material resources at the Legal Information Clinic at McGill, where he was responsible for training and supervising more than 150 student volunteers. “We are very proud to welcome talent like Camille, Blanche and William into the Lavery family. They have distinguished themselves by their quality of work, dedication and ongoing pursuit of excellence,” commented Loïc Berdnikoff, Director of Professional Development.
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Patrick A. Molinari appointed Ethics Commissioner at VIA Rail
On June 18, Patrick A. Molinari, attorney-legal counsel with the firm’s Health Law division, was appointed to the position of Ethics Commissioner for VIA-Rail’s entire program for modernizing its Quebec-Windsor corridor fleet, from the procurement stages up until the final delivery. The role of Commissioner will hear and manage complaints from employees or third parties regarding reprehensible acts and presumed ethical issues (including financial irregularities, misuse of public funds, allegations of legal or Code of Ethics breaches, etc.) and will see to the swift and fair resolution of any disputes.
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A 360-degree offering for innovative businesses: Goudreau Gage Dubuc, one of the leading intellectual property firms in Canada, joins Lavery Lawyers
Lavery Lawyers and Goudreau Gage Dubuc (GGD) are integrating their operations in order to offer their clients a complete range of legal services. The two firms will combine their teams, all of whom are recognized experts in their fields. To learn more, visit www.YourIPLawyers.ca. The GGD team with over 40 members, including 16 professionals, will join Lavery Lawyers September 4 th. A combination that consolidates the services offered by Lavery to companies operating in the knowledge and innovation industries “This business decision was made in the context of expanding issues relating to the digital revolution, the knowledge economy, and innovation, all of which are key factors in the economic prosperity of Canadian and foreign companies with operations in Canada. Protecting intellectual property, may it be through patents and trademarks, industrial designs and copyright, is central to the promising business strategies adopted by innovative industries and companies,” said Anik Trudel, Lavery’s Chief Executive Officer. The integration consolidates Lavery’s multidisciplinary approach. As the largest independent law firm in Quebec, Lavery is continuing to grow by adding the expertise brought by lawyers, patent agents and trademark agents specializing in intellectual property law, who belong to one of the most respected teams in the country. GGD ranks among the firms that file the most patent and trademark applications in Canada and its clients operate in over 100 countries. The firm serves numerous industries, including aerospace, new materials, energy storage, biotechnology, biochemistry, pharmaceuticals, computer science, and telecommunications. “Companies recognize that innovation is an important driver of growth, which must be properly managed, particularly when it comes to intellectual property and especially trade and industrial secrets, and cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence. The issues are increasingly complex and our clients count on us,” added Alain Leclerc, senior partner at Goudreau Gage Dubuc. “Our clients will now have access to services provided by a single integrated, well-respected team that brings 360-degree legal solutions tailored to their concerns allowing them to grow their businesses on a solid foundation.” Deep common roots in a culture of excellence and recognized depth of expertise The culture of excellence, depth of expertise, and distinctive approach to client service that characterize both firms ensure that GGD’s professionals will generate impressive synergy in the Lavery team. “Our decision to join forces with Lavery is based on the firm’s excellent reputation and its business vision and on our cultural compatibility and complementary expertise. This is the key to the success that will benefit our broad spectrum of clients who need complete and pragmatic solutions to the challenges they face,” said Chantal Desjardins, senior partner at Goudreau Gage Dubuc. A transaction in synch with Lavery’s business vision “This combination consolidates the status of the firm as a leader in the legal industry in Quebec, while at the same time raising its profile abroad. The transaction aligns with our business vision: to be a leader in the transformation of legal services in Quebec. Integrating our firms will benefit our clients tremendously, our goal always being to ensure that our services respond to their business reality and to offer them a memorable service experience,” Anik Trudel concluded.
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Lavery appoints five new Partners
Lavery is pleased to announce that Audrey Gibeaut, Justin Gravel, Myriam Lavallée, Marilyn Paré and Virginie Simard have been appointed Partners of the firm. Audrey Gibeault is a member of the firm’s Business Law group and practices tax law. From family-owned businesses to multinationals, she provides companies with advice in connection with reorganizations, corporate acquisitions and sales, but also in regards to developing several private investment funds, including the legal structures to be put in place in order to welcome investors to Canada who are residents and non-residents alike. Justin Gravel is part of the firm’s Litigation and Conflict Resolution group and he practices primarily in the bankruptcy and insolvency, bank law and construction law sectors. He is frequently called on to represent bankruptcy trustees, financial institutions and various construction sector stakeholders before all of the province’s law courts. Myriam Lavallée focuses her practice on labour and employment law, administrative law as well as human rights law. She advises and represents numerous companies in a variety of sectors in connection with individual working relations and collective labour relations. She has specific expertise in the childcare services sector. Marilyn Paré is a member of Lavery’s Business Law group and practices in the areas of transactional law, commercial law, financing as well as corporate reorganizations. She frequently advises companies in drafting and negotiating numerous types of commercial or corporate agreements, such as sales agreements and shareholder agreements. Virginie Simard works with Lavery’s Litigation and Conflict Resolution group. Virginie focuses her practice primarily in the areas of hospital liability, civil and professional liability, director and officer liability, as well as insurance law. Virginie represents insurers, hospital centres, clinics and youth centres before civil courts, in arbitration matters, as well as in connection with coroners’ inquests.
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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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21 partners from Lavery ranked in the 2018 edition of The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory
Lavery is proud to announce that 21 partners are ranked among the leading practitioners in Canada in their respective practice areas in the 2018 edition of The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory. “The fact that they are ranked amongst some of the most influential lawyers simply confirms their leading role in a competitive market. This distinction recognizes the depth of their expertise and the fact that they put their clients and partners at the forefront of their practice. Congratulations to all!”, stated Anik Trudel, Chief Executive Officer. The following Lavery partners are listed in the 2018 edition of The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory: Asset Equipment Finance/Leasing Pierre Denis Benjamin David Gross Aviation (Regulation & Liability) Louis Charette Banking & Financial Institutions Louis Payette, Ad.E. Computer & IT Law André Vautour Construction law Nicolas Gagnon Corporate Commercial law André Vautour Corporate Finance & Securities René Branchaud Family Law *Caroline Harnois Elisabeth Pinard *Gerald Stotland Franchise law Jean-Philippe Turgeon Labour Relations *Pierre-L. Baribeau Michel Desrosiers Norman A. Dionne Michel Gélinas Guy Lavoie, CIRC Litigation - Commercial Insurance *Bernard Larocque Litigation - Product Liability Louis Charrette Mining René Branchaud Benjamin David Gross Sébastien Vézina Occupational Health & Safety Josiane L’Heureux Property Development *Louis-Martin Dubé Property Leasing *Richard Burgos *Louis-Martin Dubé Technology Transactions André Vautour Workers' Compensation Guy Lavoie, CIRC Workplace Human Rights Michel Gélinas *New posting The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory is the most comprehensive publication to legal talent in the country and it identifies leading practitioners in over 60 separate practice areas and leading law firms in over 40 practice areas. It is a reference guide for Canadian and foreign corporate counsels and law firms in need of specialized legal services in Canada. For more information, please visit Lexpert’s website at: http://www.lexpert.ca/directory.
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Luc Thibaudeau publishes the 2nd volume of the Guide pratique de la société de la consommation – Les Garanties
On March 28, 2018, Luc Thibaudeau, a partner of the Litigation and Conflict Resolution group, launched the second volume of his Guide pratique de la société de la consommation on warranties. The event, which took place at the Lavery Conference Centre, welcomed more than 100 guests. The publication is not only intended for lawyers working in consumer law in Quebec, but also for the general public. Mr. Thibaudeau addresses the different types of warranties that apply to goods and services intended for consumption, while drawing many parallels with the warranties of common law. The author's analysis captures both the rationale and the limits of consumer protection as regards warranties. His expertise in this field has been recently recognized by his nomination to the Consumer Protection Advisory Committee. Members will provide input on the evolving nature of the financial sector and consumer needs by sharing their perspectives on marketplace trends and emerging issues, concerns regarding the delivery of financial services, and how changes in the financial services sector are impacting Canadians. For more information or to buy the book, click here.
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Construction project financing: Étienne Brassard presents at the 21st Annual CEGQ Conference
On February 21, 2018, Étienne Brassard, Partner with Lavery’s Business Law group, alongside Helen Bougas, Director of the Legal Affairs division of Réseau Sélection, made a presentation on the topic of construction project financing at the Corporation des entrepreneurs généraux du Québec’s 21st Annual Conference.
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Lavery welcomes Valérie Dufour, ex-senior securities analyst at the AMF to its Business Law group
Lavery is pleased to welcome Valérie Dufour to its Business Law group at its Montréal office. For the last twelve years, Ms. Dufour worked for the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF). Until just recently, she was a senior securities analyst with the AMF where she served as a key advisor, both internally and externally, on complex issues relating to prospectus financing, takeover bids and issuer bids, reorganizations, and discretionary exemptions from a requirement in securities legislation. During her tenure at the AMF, Ms. Dufour also sat on various committees of the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) responsible for the application and modernization of securities regulation, including the Committee on takeover bids and issuer bids as well as the Committee on reducing the regulatory burden for reporting issuers. “In addition to the recent arrival of Eric Stevenson, the arrival of Ms. Dufour continues to solidify our positioning as a key consulting resource for our clients and stakeholders in the financial sector in Quebec,” said Anik Trudel, Lavery’s Chief Executive Officer."
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Lavery hires five of its articling students
Lavery is pleased to announce that it has hired five of its articling students as associates. Alexandra Belley-McKinnon has joined the Litigation and Conflict Resolution group. She holds degrees in common law and civil law from McGill University as well as an LL.M. in International Law at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, Switzerland. Céleste Brouillard-Ross has joined the Litigation and Conflict Resolution group. Prior to law school, Céleste studied History and Women’s Studies at McGill University. Félix Germek-Michaud has joined the Labour and Employment Law group. He completed a Bachelor in Business Administration and a Bachelor of Law with honours from the Université du Québec à Montréal. Pierre-Olivier Valiquette has joined the Business Law group. He holds a Bachelor of Civil Law (B.C.L.) and a Bachelor of Law (LL.B.) from McGill University. Felicia Yifan Jin has joined the Business Law group. She completed her bachelor’s degree in civil law at the Université de Montréal and two internships in the Chinese legal system, one within the firm Tiantong & Partners, and the other at Guangdong International Business Law Firm. “We are very proud to welcome talent like Daphnée, Charles, Chantal, Yaoqi and Andrée-Anne into the Lavery family. They have distinguished themselves by their quality of work, dedication and ongoing pursuit of excellence,” commented Loïc Berdnikoff, Director of Professional Development.
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The Pierre-Basile-Mignault Moot Court Competition: five prizes for a team supervised by Lavery
On February 16 and 17, 2018, the 40th edition of the Pierre-Basile-Mignault moot court competition was held between students from six Canadian civil law faculties. Lavery has been involved for several years, alongside students of the competition. This year, Justin Gravel supervised students of the Université de Sherbrooke, while Myriam Brixi and Dominique Vallières supervised students of the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM). The UQAM team, which included Valérie Dupont, Vincent Grondin, Emmanuelle Arcand and Gabriel Sévigny-Ferland, set themselves apart by winning five of the nine prizes awarded in the competition: best team, best factum, tandem finalist of the finale (2nd best tandem), 2nd best litigator and best tandem of non-finalist litigators. The Lavery Cup for the 3rd best litigator was presented by Loïc Berdnikoff to Chloé Boisvenue of the University of Ottawa. For more information on the Pierre-Basile-Mignault Moot Court Competition, click here.