Two new members join Lavery’s ranks

May 24, 2022

Lavery is pleased to welcome two new members to its Montréal office and Business Law group: Christian Chidiac and Pamela Cifola.

Christian Chidiac

Christian joins the Business Law group. He will be supporting our partners and experienced members, working primarily in the areas of mergers and acquisitions and commercial law.

“From a professional standpoint, I wanted to work on major and complex cases, and the firm’s Business Law group seems to be very diverse. From a more personal and relational standpoint, my exchanges with each member of the firm have always been very cordial, and it seems to me that Lavery values the well-being of its employees. I think it’s a great place to learn and work” says Christian Chidiac, lawyer.

Pamela Cifola

Pamela was recently sworn in after completing her articling program at the firm. She joins the Business Law group. Pamela practices primarily in securities law and will be providing our clients and business partners with her expertise. Prior to joining Lavery, Pamela also completed an internship with the judiciary of the Superior Court of Québec.

“As soon as I joined Lavery, I had the opportunity to work with passionate and competent professionals on all kinds of cases! During my articling program, I was fortunate to have outstanding mentors who took the time to share their knowledge with me and who invested in my professional development, including my articling supervisor Jean-Sébastien Desroches and my mentor Jean-François Maurice. I'm blessed to be part of the Lavery family and I couldn’t be in a better place to start my business law practice,” says Pamela Cifola, lawyer.

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November 20, 2024

Laurence Bich-Carrière, a rising star in the Canadian legal profession

Lavery is proud to announce that on November 19, Laurence Bich-Carrière received the Rising Stars Leading Lawyers Under 40 award from Lexpert. This prestigious award honours lawyers under the age of 40 in Canada who distinguish themselves in the legal profession. The winners are selected by a jury of law firm managing partners and recognized corporate counsels, based on rigorously studied criteria like leadership, outstanding professional achievement and service to clients. As a litigation partner and a member of the Barreau du Québec and of the Law Society of Ontario, Laurence is an accomplished lawyer. Specializing in complex litigation, her expertise is especially valued in class actions and appeals. Her clients appreciate her efficiency, her stringent analyses and her ability to propose a range of solutions, often by thinking outside the box, to further her cases. Laurence is committed to her clients and her colleagues, and she is also a very active member of the legal community, proving her professional versatility. She is also involved with other legal institutions—she is a member of the civil procedure committee of the Barreau du Québec, a member of the executive committees of the Canadian Bar Association, Quebec Branch, including the Research and Knowledge Management section and the International section—and community organizations, such as the board of directors of the Fondation Claude Masse for the dissemination of consumer law knowledge. In addition to her solid practical experience, Laurence is also interested in research and training the next generation of lawyers. She is a sought-after speaker, the author of some forty publications, including several in scientific journals, she occasionally lectures and participates in the deliberation of various university research groups. Congratulations to Laurence on this well-earned recognition of her talent and expertise. For more information, read the article : 2024 Winners | Lexpert Rising Stars 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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November 4, 2024

La Presse’s Big Gamble Pays Off

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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. Human challenges Getting there wasn’t easy. “The expression we used in 2018 when Power Corporation was no longer our owner was ‘we’re leaving the nest.’ We had to find a solution together, because otherwise we’d have gone bankrupt together.” The culture of change that La Presse had developed in previous years as part of its digital transformation was the first step towards success. “It wasn’t our first transformation. But it certainly required a lot of communication to reassure people and convince them that we were heading in the right direction.” Its excellent relationship with the unions was another success factor. “The unions supported us and always acted with us.” In addition to a $50 million contribution to fund the transition, Power Corporation retained responsibility for past retirement plan obligations, which cushioned the risk and reassured employees. Legal challenges On top of the human challenges, there were legal obstacles. 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Committed donors In 2023, 56,000 donors contributed a total of $7.8 million to La Presse, an increase of 13% over 2022. “We started from zero and have now reached nearly $8 million in donations. This would not have been possible without our loyal donors,” says Pierre-Elliott. La Presse ended the 2023 fiscal year with a positive balance sheet and a $40 million reserve fund. “This fund is designed to ensure La Presse’s long-term future, allowing us to weather economic downturns or technological changes. The fund also allows us to reinvest in our mission and in journalism in Quebec.” Never stop innovating At the same time, La Presse has seen an increase in advertising revenue in a shrinking market. These results can be attributed, in part, to yearly innovations in its advertising product offerings. “Our advertising products are based on data and careful audience segmentation, in full compliance with the industry’s highest privacy standards. 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October 31, 2024

Lavery recognized in Best Lawyer's new directory of Canada's best law firms for 2025

We are pleased to announce that Lavery has been recognized as one of the top law firms in the new edition of Best Law Firms - Canada published by Best Lawyers for 2025. Our firm was ranked in 16 practice areas nationally and 50 practice areas regionally. These recognitions are further demonstration of the expertise and quality of legal services that characterize Lavery's professionals. Firms on the 2025 Best Lawyers - Canada list are recognized for their professional excellence through evaluations by their clients and peers. Areas of expertise in which Lavery is recognized: Tier 1 Administrative and Public Law (National / Regional) Banking and Finance Law (Regional) Class Action Litigation (Regional) Commercial Leasing Law (Regional) Construction Law (Regional) Corporate and Commercial Litigation (Regional) Corporate Law (Regional) Family Law (National / Regional) Information Technology Law (Regional) Insolvency and Financial Restructuring Law (Regional) Insurance Law (National / Regional) Intellectual Property Law (Regional) Labour and Employment Law (Regional) Mergers and Acquisitions Law (Regional) Mining Law (Regional) Natural Resources Law (Regional) Product Liability Law (Regional) Securities Law (Regional) Trusts and Estates (Regional) Workers' Compensation Law (Regional) Tier 2 Administrative and Public Law (Regional) Advertising and Marketing Law (Regional) Alternative Dispute Resolution (Regional) Biotechnology and Life Sciences Practice (Regional) Class Action Litigation (National) Corporate Governance Practice (Regional) Corporate Law (National / Regional) Director and Officer Liability Practice (Regional) Energy Law (Regional) Environmental Law (Regional) Family Law (Regional) Health Care Law (Regional) Insurance Law (Regional) Intellectual Property Law (National) Labour and Employment Law (National) Professional Malpractice Law (Regional) Real Estate Law (Regional) Tax Law (Regional) Trusts and Estates (National) Tier 3 Aboriginal Law / Indigenous Practice (Regional) Alternative Dispute Resolution (Regional) Banking and Finance Law (National) Construction Law (National) Corporate and Commercial Litigation (National) Defamation and Media Law (Regional) Employee Benefits Law (Regional) Equipment Finance Law (Regional) Family Law Mediation (Regional) Health Care Law (Regional) Insolvency and Financial Restructuring Law (National) Mergers and Acquisitions Law (National) Mining Law (National) Privacy and Data Security Law (Regional) Private Funds Law (Regional) Professional Malpractice Law (Regional) Project Finance Law (Regional) Securities Law (National) Workers' Compensation Law (National) About Lavery Lavery is the leading independent law firm in Quebec. Its more than 200 professionals, based in Montréal, Quebec, Sherbrooke and Trois-Rivières, work every day to offer a full range of legal services to organizations doing business in Quebec. 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 Quebec jurisdiction. About Best Lawyers Best Lawyers is the oldest and most respected lawyer ranking service in the world. For almost 40 years, Best Lawyers has assisted those in need of legal services to identify the lawyers best qualified to represent them in distant jurisdictions or specialized areas. Best Lawyers lists are published in leading local, regional, and national publications across the globe.

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October 28, 2024

Two new members join Lavery’s ranks

Lavery is pleased to announce that two recently sworn-in lawyers are joining Lavery following the completion of their articling within the firm. Éloïse Fortin Éloïse joins our Family, Personal and Estate Law group. She focuses her practice on family law, handling divorce, separation, division of property, parenting time, and child and spousal support cases. “What inspires me about Lavery is their ongoing commitment to excellence and innovation. The firm’s vision combines legal know-how with a deep understanding of client needs to create the perfect environment for collaboration and growth. I feel privileged to be part of this exceptional team. It motivates me to provide high-quality services with a human touch.” El Hadji Alioune Seck Alioune joins our Litigation and Dispute Resolution group. Since joining the firm as a student, Alioune has been involved in major civil, constitutional and administrative cases before various jurisdictions, including the Federal Court and the Court of Appeal of Quebec. “When you join the Lavery team, it doesn’t take long to realize that you are part of an incredible talent incubator where you can develop your full potential. Your colleagues will give you a leg up right from the start and won’t hesitate for a second to entrust you with major responsibilities once you’ve proven yourself. As a lawyer, you couldn’t ask for a better environment to grow your practice and steadily build your professional reputation.”

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