Gérard Coulombe appointed to the board of directors of the Fonds de solidarité FTQ

October 2, 2015

Mr. Gérard Coulombe, Q.C., Ad. E., a Business Law partner at Lavery, was appointed independent member of the board of directors of the Fonds de solidarité FTQ during the annual general meeting which was held on September 26, 2015.

Mr. Coulombe carries on a general practice in business and commercial law, focusing in particular on matters involving financial institutions and Crown corporations as well as the formation of financial and industrial conglomerates.

To read the press release of the Fonds de solidarité FTQ, click here.

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November 28, 2024

Lavery helps the Société du parc Jean-Drapeau adjust Canadian Grand Prix (F1) dates

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November 28, 2024

Lavery helps the Société du parc Jean-Drapeau adjust Canadian Grand Prix (F1) dates

Lavery was pleased to serve as legal counsel in a strategic initiative to revise the schedule of the Canadian Grand Prix. Under the new schedule, Canada’s most anticipated tourist event will be moved to the last two weekends of May starting in 2026, in order to meet various eco-responsibility objectives. Welcomed by key players in the tourism and events industry, the revised schedule will minimize the number of transatlantic flights required for F1 teams, thereby reducing the event’s carbon footprint. The initiative is part of a broader commitment to environmental and social responsibility, in line with Quebec’s efforts to promote sustainable tourism practices. In addition to bringing a boost to the local economy, the change in the Grand Prix’s dates will kick off the summer season earlier, enhancing Montréal’s and Quebec’s tourist appeal. Our team was actively involved throughout the review process, providing strategic advice and ensuring compliance with current regulations. The Lavery team was led by Sébastien Vézina, a partner in the firm’s Business Law group and the Head of the Sports and Entertainment Law team, with the support of Jean-Paul Timothée and Radia Amina Djouaher. Find out more here: 2026 Grand Prix: The funders are satisfied with the revised schedule Canadian Grand Prix to support F1 calendar rationalisation with scheduling change from 2026 | Formula 1® About Lavery Lavery is the leading independent law firm in Québec. Its more than 200 professionals, based in Montréal, Québec City, Sherbrooke and Trois-Rivières, work every day to offer a full range of legal services to organizations doing business in Québec. Recognized by the most prestigious legal directories, Lavery professionals are at the heart of what is happening in the business world and are actively involved in their communities. The firm’s expertise is frequently sought after by numerous national and international partners to provide support in cases under Québec jurisdiction.

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La Presse’s Big Gamble Pays Off

Pierre-Elliott Levasseur will always remember a conversation he had in 2010 with Guy Crevier, Editor of La Presse, who was also its president at the time. “The first iPad had just come out. We were both looking at the tablet and, although we didn’t know exactly what to think, we knew we had to do something with this new tool,” says Pierre-Elliott Levasseur, who has been President of La Presse since 2016. The rest, as they say, is history. La Presse’s titanic digital transformation and overhaul of its business model became a case study that has been making headlines for almost 15 years. The last major milestone in this evolution was its change of business model in 2018, when La Presse decided to adopt a not-for-profit structure. This allowed it to diversify its revenue streams by obtaining donations and assistance from the federal and provincial governments, in addition to advertising revenue. Power Corporation would no longer own La Presse, abandoning the business model adopted by the media industry for the past century. This new model also enabled La Presse to become one of the first news media in the country to obtain Registered Journalism Organization (RJO) status. Thanks to this, La Presse can now issue tax receipts to its donors, thus diversifying its income and ensuring its long-term survival. All this was a big gamble in uncharted territory, but La Presse was no stranger to risk taking over the years. Why the change in structure? In a difficult economic climate for media companies, marked by declining ad revenues and fierce digital competition, La Presse has chosen to remain faithful to the principle of free access, which is deeply rooted in its mission. Quality information is a public good, and a public good must serve the entire population, for free. We had to find another business model to increase and diversify our revenue streams. If La Presse hadn’t transformed itself, it wouldn’t have survived. We had no choice but to take the risk. Pierre-Elliott LevasseurPrésident, La Presse Six years later, the gamble has paid off handsomely. Since the launch of the philanthropic model, over 75,000 people have donated to La Presse. La Presse is the largest independent French-language media in North America, with over 500 employees, including 220 in the newsroom. Every month, La Presse reaches 4 million readers, or 60% of Quebec’s adult population. “The quality of the product remained at the heart of all our decisions: we never compromised on that,” says Pierre-Elliott. 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