This section keeps you up-to-date on the latest news and upcoming public appearances of Lavery professionals.
News
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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.
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Myriam Brixi spoke at the Congrès des Services de Première Ligne
The Congrès des Services de Première Ligne was held on February 22, 2018, at the Palais des Congrès de Montréal. Over 300 participants, including medical clinic managers, physicians, residents, nursing personnel and other healthcare professionals who work on the front line of the system came together for the occasion. Myriam Brixi, a lawyer with the Lavery litigation group, spoke at the conference. Her presentation dealt with class actions relating to accessory costs, which were abolished on January 26, 2017, when the Regulation abolishing accessory costs related to the provision of insured services and governing transportation costs for biological samples came into force. In her presentation, she reviewed the class actions then underway and clarified the situation as it relates to front-line professionals affected by the regulatory change.
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Lavery, still leading the pack
For the fifth consecutive edition, Lavery ranked first among regional law firms in the Top 10 Québec Regional Law Firms survey published by Canadian Lawyer magazine. The results of this survey, which is conducted across Canada with lawyers in private practice and in-house legal advisors, are testament to the reputation and breadth of our firm’s expertise. Our client service and the remarkable skills of our lawyers have contributed to keeping Lavery poised at the top of the rankings for the past decade. The legal services reference in Québec Lavery also earned the Regional Law Firm of the Year Award from Chambers Canada. The Chambers award is proof of the exceptional confidence members of the Canadian legal community have expressed for our firm. Moreover, our presence in the major business centres of Quebec combined with our ability to provide services to businesses of all sizes makes Lavery a business partner of choice for our clients. Our vision—being an agent of change in the transformation of legal services “The vision of our firm provides us with the agility needed to adapt to the changing needs of our clients, whether they are in Quebec, the rest of Canada or abroad. We have remained at the head of these rankings since their inception due to the comprehensive range of legal services that we provide, which is always rooted in a client experience that is adapted to their business reality”, said Anik Trudel, Lavery’s Chief Executive Officer.
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A new partnership between Lavery and La Factry
Lavery is proud to launch a new partnership with La Factry, following the official inauguration of their new campus. This collaboration between Lavery and La Factry is a concrete step in order to accelerate our firm’s efforts in realizing the vision of being a force leading the transformation of our industry and of the way legal services are provided in Quebec. La Factry is an international calibre school of creativity sciences that forges creative minds capable of finding innovative solutions to contemporary problems. With the conviction that creativity can be taught, La Factry offers training programs focused on developing creative competencies. The campus also offers training tailored specifically to professionals and companies that are looking to transform their business creatively. Click on the following link to learn more about what unites Lavery and La Factry.
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Lavery takes part in the 5th edition of Pro Bono Québec’s Grands Vins, Grands Noms benefit evening
On February 8, 2018, several partners and lawyers represented Lavery at Pro Bono Québec’s Grands Vins, Grands Noms benefit evening for access to justice for all. The cocktail dinner, hosted at the McCord Museum, brought together some 250 VIPs who helped collect more than $131 600 during a silent auction. Lavery, an ambassador and sponsor of this charity dinner since its very beginnings, also contributes to Pro Bono Québec’s mission through Bernard Larocque, a partner who serves as the Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors, Luc Thibaudeau and Maude Adam-Joly, respectively a partner and an associate with the Litigation and Conflict Resolution group. Proceeds from the Pro Bono Québec benefit evening will help with the renewal of its programs and the creation of new ones. Founded in 2008 at the behest of the Barreau du Québec, Pro Bono Québec is a non-profit organization, whose mission is to mobilize the legal community in providing expertise and offering their time to individuals and Quebec NPOs who lack the resources required for legal services.
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Brigitte Gauthier and Luc Thibaudeau provide training for counsel at the NBC
Brigitte Gauthier and Luc Thibaudeau, associates in the Business Law and Litigation groups, respectively, are providing a series of three training sessions for counsel at the National Bank of Canada on the impact of the Act mainly to modernize rules relating to consumer credit and to regulate debt settlement service contracts, high-cost credit contracts and loyalty programs (the “Bill”). At the sessions, Ms. Gauthier and Mr. Thibaudeau work with National Bank of Canada lawyers on analyzing the various issues that arise under the new provisions of the Consumer Protection Act in relation to consumer credit, and other amendments to the Act proposed in the Bill. The first two sessions were held this past December and January, and the next will take place on March 1. Other meetings are planned to take place after the Government publishes the new regulations that will be put in place once the Bill comes into force.
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Jean Boulet takes on new responsibilities at Lavery
Jean Boulet, Managing Partner of the Trois-Rivières office for many years, will now be taking an active role in Lavery’s business development efforts, while consolidating the firm’s customer approach across Quebec.
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Marie-Josée Hétu is appointed Managing Partner of Lavery's Trois-Rivières office
Lavery is proud to announce that Marie-Josée Hétu has been appointed managing partner of the Trois-Rivières office. As part of her new duties, she will also be a member of the firm’s Management Committee. Mtre Hétu joined Lavery in 2014 and has been practising in Trois-Rivières for close to 25 years. She knows the region extremely well and works with clients from the municipal, institutional and entrepreneurial sectors in Mauricie and the Centre-du-Québec. A woman connected to her region whose expertise is recognized by the business community Over the course of her career, Mtre Hétu has focused on labour law, labour relations and occupational health and safety. She also handled matters involving human rights, the protection of personal information and workers’ compensation. As part of her new role, Mtre Hétu wants to create winning conditions so that every member of her team can continue to offer impeccable client service. Her actions will be defined by openness, creativity, energy and thoroughness. “I undertake this new challenge among the Lavery team with pride and determination”, noted Mtre Hétu. “My practice, which I will continue in addition to these new duties, is based namely on my capacity to adapt to the changing realities of clients and act as their strategic advisor. The knowledge I’ve gained over the years will certainly serve me during this next step. Lavery, based 100% in Quebec, is known for its excellent services. This identity speaks to me and is one that our Trois-Rivières team proudly embodies each day.” In addition to her professional activities, Mtre Hétu is very active in a number of organizations. She has been chair of the regional committee of the Ordre des conseillers en ressources humaines agréés in Mauricie for several years. This committee is responsible for promoting the role of human resource management professionals in the region and advocating on behalf of regional interests to the Ordre. Leadership that is both visionary and anchored in our clients’ business reality “Marie-Josée is a seasoned lawyer with an impressive track record. She is known for her collaborative approach based on an in-depth knowledge of her clients and their needs. Her positive leadership, expertise and extensive understanding of the market in Trois-Rivières, Mauricie and the Centre-du-Québec are undeniable assets for Lavery. We are very proud and pleased that she is taking this next step in her career with us,” remarked Anik Trudel, Chief Executive Officer of Lavery Lawyers.