This section keeps you up-to-date on the latest news and upcoming public appearances of Lavery professionals.
News
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Sébastien Vézina selected as independent arbitrator for the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
For the second consecutive year, Lavery partner Sébastien Vézina was selected to sit as an independent arbitrator for the Québec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), one of three major junior leagues in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). The three independent QMJHL arbitrators sit on an alternating basis in charge of hearing appeals against appealable official decisions by the QMJHL, its Commissioner or the Board of Governors. This nomination contributes to the good governance and integrity of the league by having an independent party intervene in decisions subject to appeal. Only individuals recognized for their expertise and reputation in sports business and governance are asked to take on this role.
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Pierre Marc Johnson tours Germany
In July 2016, Pierre Marc Johnson, chief negotiator for the Government of Quebec in the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), accompanied Premier Philippe Couillard and Claude Trudelle, Quebec General Delegate in Munich, on an economic mission to Germany. Mr. Johnson met with business representatives and members of the Quebec delegation in automation, energy, and publishing sectors that were participating in the trade mission. He met with the Management and board of Hapag at its Hamburg head office and at its state-of-the-art container terminal the Port of Hamburg: Hapag is a world leader in container management and is a major partner of the Montreal Harbour. Mr. Johnson also accompanied the premier in his travels throughout southern Germany, where he met with a large delegation of Quebec export firms, German industrialists, and Bavarian political authorities.
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Judith Houle-Couture Presents Lavery Award to Popupcamp at the Fondation Montréal Inc. 2016 Rendez-vous
On June 8, 2016, Business Law Group member Judith Houle-Couture presented the Lavery award to Popupcamp, a mobile drop-in day care centre for corporate events. Awards were presented during the start-up Rendez-vous Montréal inc., the annual award ceremony held by Fondation Montréal inc., whose mission is to support young Montreal entrepreneurs through bursaries and coaching services. Check out the photo album to see the successful evening that gathered a record 250 people!
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Caroline Harnois, Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers
Lavery is pleased to announce that on August 4, 2016, Caroline Harnois, partner in the Family Law, Personal and Estate Group, was named as a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL). The IAFL is an international organization that gathers experienced lawyers recognized for their skill, knowledge and exceptional performance in family law. Nominations for Fellow are by invitation only and must be made by other Fellows.
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Marc-André Verville, a notary at Lavery, oversees the payment of a major bequest to the Fondation Maison Dauphine for l’École de la Rue.
In the exercise of his profession, Marc-André Verville, a notary in the Business law group at Lavery’s Quebec City office, is called upon to act as succession liquidator. In this capacity, he and his co-liquidator remitted the first $500,000 installment of a testamentary donation of which the Fondation Maison Dauphine is beneficiary. This bequest is earmarked to support the continuing mission of l’École de la Rue, which is to help street youths aged 12 to 29 who wish to take up and pursue a high school education. In addition to planning and managing succession cases, Lavery’s notaries offer a wide range of services that include the drafting of real estate, civil and commercial contracts, including mortgage deeds, offers to purchase, deeds of conveyance, servitudes, deeds of superficies, and commercial leases. (Left to right): Marc-André Verville, notary, Lavery; Jacques Carrier, general manager, Fondation Maison Dauphine; Jacqueline Vézina, co-liquidator; and Daniel Bouchard, managing director, Lavery (Quebec City office)
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Sylvain Poirier named “2017 Lawyer of the Year” in Health Care Law by Best Lawyers
Lavery is pleased to announce that Mtre. Sylvain Poirier, partner and head of the Québec health policy and law team, has been named “2017 Lawyer of the Year” in the category of Health Care Law by Best Lawyers. “I would like to heartily congratulate our colleague for this distinction from Best Lawyers, which recognizes his long-standing commitment, expertise, professionalism and the quality of service he offers our clients,” said Don McCarty, the firm’s managing partner. For more information, please consult the Best Lawyers website.
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41 Lavery lawyers named in the 2017 The Best Lawyers in Canada
Lavery is pleased to announce that 41 of the firm’s lawyers have been recognized as leading lawyers in Canada in their respective practice areas in the 2017 edition of The Best Lawyers in Canada. “This recognition attests to the expertise, quality of work and dedication of these lawyers and the entire Lavery team. I would like to congratulate our 41 colleagues for their contribution to the success of our clients and the development of our services”, said Don McCarty, Lavery’s managing partner. Two lawyers among the Lavery lawyers recommended in this edition have been honoured for the first time: Caroline Harnois and Jean-Philippe Turgeon. Below is a complete list of Lavery lawyers and their field(s) of expertise. Note that the practice areas reflect those in Best Lawyers. 1. Pierre-L. Baribeau Labour and Employment Law 2. René Branchaud Mining LawNatural Resources Law 3. Jules Brière, Ad. E. Administrative and Public LawHealth Care Law 4. Richard Burgos Corporate Law 5. Marie-Claude Cantin Insurance Law 6. Louis Charette Aviation LawProduct Liability LawTransportation Law 7. Eugène Czolij Corporate and Commercial LitigationInsolvency and Financial Restructuring Law 8. Pierre Denis Equipment Finance Law 9. Raymond Doray, Ad. E. Administrative and Public Law 10. Louis-Martin Dubé Real Estate Law 11. Josée Dumoulin Employee Benefits Law 12. Nicolas Gagnon Construction Law 13. Michel Gélinas Labour and Employment Law 14. Marie-Andrée Gravel Mergers & Acquisitions Law 15. Caroline Harnois Family Law 16. Jean Hébert Insurance Law 17. Richard A. Hinse Corporate and Commercial Litigation 18. Pierre Marc Johnson, G.O.Q., MSRC International Arbitration 19. Bernard Larocque Class Action Litigation/Insurance Law 20. Guy Lavoie, CRIA Labour and Employment Law/Workers’ Compensation Law 21. Jean Legault Banking and Finance Law/Insolvency and Financial Restructuring Law 22. Guy Lemay, CRIA Class Action Litigation/Labour and Employment Law 23. Jean Martel, Ad. E. Corporate Governance Practice/Private Funds Law 24. Patrick A. Molinari, Ad.E., MSRC Health Care Law 25. Philip Nolan Tax Law 26. François Parent Employee Benefits Law 27. Luc Pariseau Tax Law 28. Jacques Paul-Hus Mergers & Acquisitions Law 29. Louis Payette, Ad. E. Banking and Finance Law 30. Élisabeth Pinard Family Law 31. Sylvain Poirier Health Care Law 32. Marc Rochefort Securities Law 33. Louis Rochette, Adm.A. Health Care Law 34. Ian Rose Director and Officer Liability Practice/Insurance Law 35. Jean Saint-Onge, Ad. E. Bet-the-Company LitigationClass Action Litigation 36. Raphaël H. Schachter , c.r., Ad. E. Criminal Defence 37. Jean-Yves Simard Corporate and Commercial Litigation/Insolvency and Financial Restructuring Law 38. Gerald Stotland Family Law 39. Philippe Tremblay Construction Law 40. Jean-Philippe Turgeon Franchise Law 41. André Vautour Corporate Law/Information Technology Law/Private Funds Law/Technology Law For more information, please consult the Best Lawyers website.
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Four Lavery lawyers write a guide to aviation finance in Canada
Pierre Denis, Étienne Brassard, Benjamin David Gross and Sibylle Ferreira, whose practices focus on business law, financing and aeronautics, contributed to the development of a Q&A guide entitled Aviation finance in Canada: overview and published in the first edition of Practical Law’s Aviation Finance Global Guide. The guide provides a high-level overview of key practical issues, including financing options for purchasing aircraft; registration and deregistration requirements; transfer of title; security, including aircraft mortgages; transfer of security; enforcement of security and repossession; and the application of the Cape Town Convention. To consult the guide, please click here.
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Sébastien Vézina represented Louis Robitaille, the new Head Coach of the Victoriaville Tigres, in the negotiations with the team
Mr. Louis Robitaille called upon Sébastien Vézina, a partner at Lavery, to represent him during the negotiation and conclusion of the agreement that lead to his nomination as Head Coach of the Tigres of Victoriaville, a hockey team of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Sébastien Vézina specializes in business law and he advises, among others, decision makers and executives in the sports industry on all questions pertaining to commercial and legal issues in their sphere of activities. Click here to read the full news release. (Available in French only)
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Gérard Coulombe, Q.C., Ad. E., Adm. A. (1947-2016) – Homage to a builder and a faithful partner of Québec Inc.
It is with profound sadness that Lavery announces the sudden passing of its partner, Me Gérard Coulombe, at the age of 68. “Me Coulombe was known to all, and recognized by the stalwarts of the business world. His energy was equalled only by his competence and his passion for the profession, a passion that he shared with all those who had the privilege of crossing his path and reaping the benefits of his sage advice. Lavery has lost a partner, a mentor and a friend, and the entire business community of Québec is in mourning today”, stated Don McCarty, Managing Partner of Lavery. In addition to the legal profession, which he practised for nearly five decades, Me Coulombe sat on many boards of directors, including, in particular, that of the National Bank of Canada for slightly over 20 years. At the time of his passing, he was still a director of Club de Hockey Canadien inc., National Bank Group Inc., National Bank Trust Inc., Casavant Frères, S.E.C., Fonds de solidarité FTQ and National Bank Funds Corporation. He was also a trustee of the Cominar Real Estate Investment Trust and had been appointed Lead Trustee of the Board of Trustees of this Fund in May 2016. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1992 and received the distinction of Lawyer Emeritus (Ad. E.) in 2013. Over the span of a career that was as prolific as it was inspiring, Me Coulombe earned a more than enviable reputation in Québec and throughout Canada, where his name is synonymous with integrity, competence and hard work. Lavery sends its most sincere condolences to the family and friends of Me Coulombe, as well as to all the colleagues and partners who had the privilege of working alongside him. Homage to a builder and a faithful partner of Québec Inc. --> It is with profound sadness that Lavery announces the sudden passing of its partner, Me Gérard Coulombe, at the age of 68. “Me Coulombe was known to all, and recognized by the stalwarts of the business world. His energy was equalled only by his competence and his passion for the profession, a passion that he shared with all those who had the privilege of crossing his path and reaping the benefits of his sage advice. Lavery has lost a partner, a mentor and a friend, and the entire business community of Québec is in mourning today”, stated Don McCarty, Managing Partner of Lavery. In addition to the legal profession, which he practised for nearly five decades, Me Coulombe sat on many boards of directors, including, in particular, that of the National Bank of Canada for slightly over 20 years. At the time of his passing, he was still a director of Club de Hockey Canadien inc., National Bank Group Inc., National Bank Trust Inc., Casavant Frères, S.E.C., Fonds de solidarité FTQ and National Bank Funds Corporation. He was also a trustee of the Cominar Real Estate Investment Trust and had been appointed Lead Trustee of the Board of Trustees of this Fund in May 2016. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1992 and received the distinction of Lawyer Emeritus (Ad.E.) in 2013. Over the span of a career that was as prolific as it was inspiring, Me Coulombe earned a more than enviable reputation in Québec and throughout Canada, where his name is synonymous with integrity, competence and hard work. Me Coulombe hailed from the region of Vaudreuil-Soulanges , where he still lived. Lavery sends its most sincere condolences to the family and friends of Me Coulombe, as well as to all the colleagues and partners who had the privilege of working alongside him. An exemplary and inspiring professional career Me Coulombe was first awarded a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) cum laude from the University of Montréal in 1965, and then a law degree (LL.L.) magna cum laude from the University of Ottawa in 1968. That same year, he was awarded a Certificate in Political Science from the University of Ottawa, and the following year, he was admitted to the Québec Bar. In 1969, he headed for Oxford in England as a Rhodes Scholar for the Province of Québec, where he pursued graduate studies in administrative and tax law at Balliol College. Upon returning to Canada in October 1971, he joined the Technical Interpretations Division of the National Revenue Department in Ottawa where he remained until June 1972, when he became Special Advisor for International Taxation Matters to the Department of Finance of Canada. In that capacity, he was responsible for negotiating agreements to avoid double taxation between Canada and more than forty countries, in addition to representing Canada on Working Party No. 1 of the Committee on Fiscal Affairs of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Paris. In March 1977, he joined the law firm of Desjardins Ducharme where he practised for some thirty years and chaired its Board of Directors from 2000 to 2007. In October 2007, he joined Lavery along with 34 other lawyers, and practised his profession tirelessly within this firm until the very end. Recognition of his contributions For many years, Me Coulombe has been listed in the Canadian Legal Directory published by Lexpert in the fields of corporate-commercial law and mergers and acquisitions, and he was also featured in the Best Lawyers in Canada directory in the field of business law (finance). In October 2012, Lexpert magazine awarded him its Zenith Award, in recognition of his exceptional contribution as a lawyer and agent of change for more than 40 years for his clients, his firm, businesses, law schools, the legal profession, his colleagues and the community. At the award ceremony, the following statement was made: “Many industrial conglomerates that operate internationally must regularly thank Gérard Coulombe. Not only was he a leading corporate practitioner but he played a pivotal role in creating tax policy. As a special advisor to the Minister of Finance from 1972-1977, he was responsible for negotiating agreements that avoided double taxation between Canada and more than 40 countries.” Me Coulombe was appointed Queen’s Counsel (Q.C.) in December 1992 and, in 2013, the Québec Bar awarded him the distinction of “Lawyer Emeritus” in recognition of an exceptional career that contributed to the influence of the legal profession. A Partner of Québec Inc. Me Coulombe, with his university education, his versatility and his experience, became closely associated for almost thirty years with the businesses making up Québec Inc. The various matters he was involved in led him to work throughout Canada and abroad, and to develop a unique practice that went beyond the strict confines of the legal profession. Hence, in 1979, he represented the Government of Québec as part of the nationalization of asbestos-producing corporations. He was involved in the merger between the Provincial Bank of Canada and the Bank Canadian National at the beginning of the 1980s. Towards the middle of the 1980s, on behalf of the Société générale de financement du Québec (SGF), he headed up the creation of the consortium charged with building the aluminum smelter of l’Aluminerie de Bécancour. Thereafter, he represented the SGF in the sale of its interest in the Bécancour aluminum smelter in 1995 and in the construction of the aluminum smelter of l’Aluminerie Alouette de Sept-Îles. During the 1990s, he spearheaded the acquisition of the business of several trust companies by the National Bank of Canada, including General Trust of Canada and the sale of National Bank Leasing to GE Capital, which thereby established a significant foothold in Canada. His professional activities continued throughout the 2000s, in particular in his capacity as Special Advisor to the Minister of Finance of Québec as part of the negotiation of the acquisition of Alcan by Rio Tinto. In 2009, he headed up the Lavery team that represented the consortium of Québec businesses that purchased the Montreal Canadiens. Passionate about international affairs All throughout his career, Me Coulombe remained interested in the international activities that he developed during the years he spent with the Department of Finance in Ottawa. From 1989 to 2005, he was very active within the Lex Mundi Association, a worldwide leader among associations of independent law firms with a head office in Houston, Texas. Me Coulombe sat on the Board of Directors of this Association for many years and was its Chairman of the Board from 1993-1994. Lex Mundi has one member per jurisdiction and the law firm of Desjardins Ducharme was the member for Québec until 2007. Finally, from 2008 until his passing, Me Coulombe acted as Honorary Consul for the Republic of Burkina Faso. Involved in his community Me Coulombe was a Governor of the Canadian Tax Foundation from 1983 to 1987, a member of the Board of Directors of the Québec section of the Fiscal and Financial Planning Association from 1983 to 1987 and a member of the Board of Directors of the Canadian section of the International Fiscal Association from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Ethics Committee of the Barreau du Québec since 2003 and, in 1996, he sat on the Committee established by the Québec Bar with respect to the Securities Act. Me Coulombe also devoted a great deal of his time to the field of the arts, primarily music, in particular as Chair of the Board of Directors of the I Musici Montreal Chamber Orchestra and Deputy Chair of the Canadian International Organ Competition for several years. Finally, Me Coulombe participated in several funding drives by the Faculty of Civil Law of his alma mater, the University of Ottawa. In 2005, while he was sitting on the campaign committee of the Civil Law Section of the University of Ottawa, he established a Fund at the University to award the Gérard Coulombe Scholarship, an entrance scholarship for candidates from Québec who apply for admission to the Civil Law Degree Program and who have an outstanding academic record or professional background.
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Lavery celebrates the Fête du Lac des Nations in Sherbrooke
On July 21, 2016, almost 190 of Lavery’s clients and business partners came to meet the Sherbrooke team and watch the evening’s fireworks in honour of the Fête du Lac des Nations on the Lavery office terrace. This special event, organized by Danielle Gauthier, a partner at the firm, together with the organizing committee, began with a cocktail and dinner that offered the perfect opportunity to discuss, network and have fun in a lively country-music ambiance while savoring the tasty dishes cooked up by Le Smoking BBQ food truck. The event was then capped off by the Fête’s spectacular firework display! -->
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Lavery joins the partners of the Barreau du Québec’s Panorama project
Lavery is a partner of the Panorama project, which promotes the recruitment, retention and advancement of lawyers from ethnocultural groups within Quebec law firms and company legal teams. The firm was represented by Don McCarty, the firm’s Managing Partner, Awatif Lakhdar, a partner and member of the Family law, personal law, and estate law group. The launch event, held June 9, 2016 at the Maison du Barreau, included members of various cultural communities as well as representatives and project managers of legal firms and departments. For her part, Zeïneb Mellouli, a lawyer and member of Lavery’s Labour and employment group, was involved in this committee The Panorama project is one of the seven items listed in the Barreau du Québec’s ethnocultural diversity action plan adopted in 2014 following the publication of the “Forum Project for a More Inclusive Profession” report. For three years, the firms and partner legal departments involved in the project commit to sharing best practices to achieve greater ethnocultural diversity and a true inclusion in their workplaces and in the profession.