This section keeps you up-to-date on the latest news and upcoming public appearances of Lavery professionals.
News
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Michel Blouin and René Branchaud of Lavery, recognized for their expertise in corporate law
The June 2014 issue of the Globe and Mail’s Report on Business includes an insert entitled 2014 Lexpert/Report on Business Special Edition – Corporate (ROB Corporate) in which Michel Blouin and René Branchaud, both Business Law partners at Lavery, are recognized as leading practitioners in Canada. More precisely, this publication recognizes the scope of Mr Blouin and Mr. Branchaud’s mining law practice.To read this insert, please click here.
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Lavery, proud partner of Rendez-vous Relève Inc. TM
Québec is in danger of losing thousands of companies. This will be a growing problem in coming years, since 30% of business owners are planning to retire within the next decade, and half of them have no plans to sell or transfer ownership of their business.For this reason, the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal and the Fonds de solidarité FTQ have unveiled an important study and, from June 3 to 5, held a series of activities in three Quebec regions to raise awareness of, promote, and facilitate the transfer of businesses.Lavery, a proud partner of Rendez-vous relève Inc.TM, has dealt with the legal issues surrounding the various types of business transfer. In its June 5 edition, La Presse published a special feature on the subject. Click here to learn more about business succession.
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Loïc Berdnikoff, of Lavery, guest speaker at the 43rd Conference of the Association des archivistes du Québec (AAQ)
Loïc Berdnikoff, partner in administrative law at Lavery, was a guest speaker at the 43rd conference of the Association des archivistes du Québec. On May 29, he gave a conference entitled “Access to information and the protection of personal information: Ups and downs,” addressing the major obligations and constraints under the laws applicable to the public and private sectors. Mr. Berdnikoff also offered some practical advice when it comes to responding to access to information requests.In recent years, Mr. Berdnikoff has regularly advised and represented public agencies and private companies in cases related to the confidential nature of documents, professional privilege, and privacy, particularly within the context of proceedings before the Commission d’accès à l’information du Québec.
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Marie Cossette, of Lavery, guest speaker on business integrity at the Barreau de Québec
On May 29, Marie Cossette, litigation partner at Lavery and head of the firm’s Corporate and business integrity team, was guest speaker at an event organized by the Barreau de Québec. Some 80 people came to hear her take stock of the aftermath of the December 2012 passing of Bill 1 (the Integrity Act) aiming to introduce anti-corruption measures governing contracting by public bodies.After discussing the goal and scope of these measures, Ms. Cossette addressed the process of applying for authorization from the AMF and the challenges and issues legal advisors must deal with when guiding clients through this process. She also presented the penal provisions and amendments to the Act since its passage. She concluded her presentation with a summary of the impact of this new system on the fight against corruption and the pursuit of integrity.
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Jean-Simon Deschênes, of Lavery, guest speaker at the Centre d’études en droit économique of Université Laval
On May 28, Jean-Simon Deschênes, partner in Lavery’s Business law group, participated in a summer school session on the subject of “economic crime” organized by the Centre d’études en droit économique of Université Laval. The other guest panelists were Sébastien Bérard of the Financial National Bank and Julie Bernard of Groupe d’investissement responsable Canada. The round-table discussion - “Socially responsible investment of concern to lawyers: the solution?” - was lead by Charles-Emmanuel Côté, professor in the law faculty at Université Laval.
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Léa Maalouf and Zeïneb Mellouli of Lavery, elected to the Board of Directors of the Young Bar Association of Montreal (YBAM)
During its Annual General Meeting, held in Montreal on May 30, the YBAM announced the election results for various positions. Léa Maalouf and Zeïneb Mellouli, lawyers at Lavery, were elected as administrators on the YBAM Board of Directors for year 2014-2015. For Léa Maalouf it was a second mandate. Zeineb Mellouli was involved in a joint committee of the Bar of Montreal for over 2 years.Founded in 1898, the YBAM represents lawyers with 10 years or less of practice, registered in the Montreal area. The mission of the YBAM is to defend and promote its members’ interests. It also offers various segments of the population consulting and legal information on a volunteer basis, besides organizing charitable activities. Overall, the YBAM seeks to improve access to justice and to contribute to the well-being of the community.
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Katia Opalka at the 2014 Environmental, Energy and Resources Law Summit of the Canadian Bar Association (CBA)
Katia Opalka, a partner in the environmental law group at Lavery, delivered a presentation regarding air quality regulation in Québec at a CBA summit held at the Ottawa Convention Centre on May 29 and 30th. In her talk, Ms Opalka identified the prohibitions, regulations, enforcement powers and particularities of the Quebec air quality management framework.
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Accommodations for mental illness: what are your responsibilities?
On June 18, Marie-Hélène Jolicoeur, associate at Lavery, will lead a training workshop for company managers and executives as part of the summer HR workshops presented by ÉVÉNEMENTS LES AFFAIRES. Participants will gain a better understanding of the basic principles of accommodations that may be required for mental illness. Specifically, they will learn to identify accommodations related to mental illness, manage disability resulting from mental illness, and foresee necessary accommodations while recognizing the limitations of their responsibility to make them. For information and registration, click here.
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Jean Saint-Onge of Lavery, guest speaker at Canadian Bar Association
On May 28, Me Jean Saint-Onge, partner in Lavery’s litigation group, was guest speaker at a business luncheon organized jointly by the Class action and Dispute resolution sections of the Canadian Bar Association. The other guest panelists were the Honourable François Roland, chief justice, Superior Court of Quebec, and Me François Lebeau, of Unterberg, Labelle, Lebeau. The topic was the role of mediation and settlement conferences in class actions.
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Éric Gélinas, of Lavery, guest speaker at APFF seminar
Mr. Éric Gélinas, legal counsel in business law at Lavery and professor in the tax department of Sherbrooke University, was guest speaker at the “Income and death taxes” seminar organized by the Association de planification fiscale et financière (APFF), on May 22. Mr. Gélinas spoke about the legislative, regulatory, and administrative changes to the taxation on death of eligible capital property and resource property since the December 2006 updating of the book Les impôts sur le revenu et le décès.
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Lavery hosts IGOPP breakfast meeting
On May 23, a breakfast meeting organized by the Institute for governance of private and public organizations (IGOPP) was held in the Lavery Conference centre. The subject – How to add an institutional investor to your board – brought together 35 participants to hear the thoughts of Jacques Lécuyer, president and CEO of 5N Plus on this subject, and to discuss the subject with him. The breakfast meeting was hosted by André Vautour, chair of the board of Lavery, and Michel Nadeau of IGOPP.
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Pierre Marc Johnson, of Lavery, keynote speaker at the 39th Conference of the Association des économistes québécois
On May 14, Mr. Pierre Marc Johnson, GOQ, FRSC, former premier of Quebec and counsel at Lavery, was the keynote speaker at the 39th Conference of the Association des économistes québécois in Ottawa. The event attracted more than 250 renowned Quebec and international economists and specialists.In his speech, Mr. Johnson discussed the implications for Quebec of the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). First outlining the development of trade between Quebec and its major export markets over the past twenty years, he then explained the scope, benefits, and implementation mechanisms of a comprehensive agreement with the European Union.