Lavery is proud of the appointment, last October 5, of Mr. Justice Richard Wagner, a former lawyer of the firm, to the Supreme Court of Canada. After completing his law degree at the University of Ottawa in 1979, Justice Wagner practised for almost 25 years at Lavery. An articling student with the firm in 1980, he was hired as an associate the same year, and became a partner in February 1988.
A thorough and passionate jurist, Justice Wagner became an accomplished and recognized litigator in the areas of commercial litigation, professional liability and construction law. He was diligent in responding to the requirements of Lavery's clients, attentive to the needs of his colleagues, and also contributed as a mentor and educator to the success of many young lawyers at Lavery.
In addition to participating actively in several committees of the firm, Justice Wagner was always very involved in the legal community. Among other things, he was a founding fellow of the Canadian College of Construction Lawyers in 1998, and was elected as the bâtonnier of the Bar of Montreal for 2001-2002. He also sat on the board of directors of the Quebec Branch of the Canadian Bar Association, chairing the Construction Law Section in 2003-2004. In June 2005, he received the Quebec Bar's Award of Merit for his contribution to the legal profession.
In September 2004, he was appointed as a judge to the Québec Superior Court, a position he held until he was appointed to the Québec Court of Appeal in February 2011. For Lavery, the appointment of Justice Wagner to the highest court in the country is an honour that brings credit to the firm as a whole.