News

On June 18, 2021, Avril Supermarché, an independent, Quebec-based health food store chain, announced the closing of a transaction under which Desjardins Capital became a minority shareholder in order to support the chain’s growth in Quebec. The financing obtained will support Avril’s development plan, which includes opening a dozen more supermarkets over the next five years. The transaction was preceded by a major corporate reorganization. Lavery Lawyers feels privileged that Avril Supermarché, a long-standing client, reaffirmed its confidence in the firm by allowing it to contribute to Avril’s growth and support its founders and managers, Sylvie Senay and Rolland Tanguay, in all stages of the transaction. The Lavery team that worked with Avril Supermarché was led by Christian Dumoulin and composed of Jean-François Bilodeau, Dave Bouchard, Sophie Goulet, Katy Pelletier and Catherine Voyer.

Lavery is pleased to welcome the following professionals as partners in the firm: Dave Bouchard, Labour and Employment Law Brittany Carson, Labour and Employment Law Stéphanie Destrempes, Franchising and Distribution Ali El Haskouri, Corporate Law Marie-Nancy Paquet, Litigation and Dispute Resolution These talented lawyers who are rising to the rank of partner have shown a strong commitment to the firm and the profession in recent years, and they brilliantly embody Lavery’s values: Excellence, Collaboration, Audacity and Entrepreneurship. We offer them our congratulations on this significant achievement in their legal careers. The diversity in background of these new partners is a testament to the depth of our 360° service offering and our desire to be a growth partner for companies doing business in Quebec.

On July 20, 2017, Novacap, a Canadian leader in private equity, has acquired an important stake in Bestar Inc. (“Bestar“), a leading designer and manufacturer of ready-to-assemble home and office furniture primarily sold online in Canada and the United States. Bestar Inc. was represented by a team at Lavery including Hubert Pépin (Mergers and acquisitions), Isabelle Mercure (Mergers and acquisitions) and Marilyn Paré (Mergers and acquisitions), Éric Lavallée (Intellectual property), Dave Bouchard (Labour and Employment) and Mylène Boisvert (Financing).

On September 23, two teams from the Sherbrooke office participated in the Relais du Lac Memphrémagog to raise money for the Fondation Christian Vachon, whose mission is to support school perseverance by helping children at risk. The two teams overcame the challenge, running 122.4 km and raising a combined total of $4,500, despite the sweltering heat. Participation in this activity confirms Lavery’s deep commitment to community engagement and the quality of its role as a corporate citizen. From left to right : Vincent Towner, Alain Heyne, Marie-Claude Lacaille, Angela Véronneau, Jordy Philippe Bernier, Isabelle P. Mercure and Dave Bouchard From left to right : Kay-Sandra Boyer, Yanick Vlasak, Nicolas Thibault-Bernier, Dzenan Zulji, Marika Couture-Houle et Frédérick Breton

The Sherbrooke edition of Lavery’s Major Symposium on Labour and Employment Law was held on June 14 at the Delta Hotel. Participants attended various workshops facilitated by Dave Bouchard, Geneviève Chamberland and Danielle Gauthier. The speakers discussed a variety of subjects, including how to successfully terminate an employment, recent developments in labour law, and managing violent behaviour and threats in the workplace.

Lavery’s 2017 Major Symposium on Labour and Employment Law held in Montréal was an unqualified success. About 500 people attended the event held June 7 at the Centre Mont-Royal to learn about recent developments in this area. The symposium was hosted by Nicolas Joubert and Guy Lavoie, partners of the Labour and Employment Law group. Participants also attended a number of workshops facilitated by Dave Bouchard, Élodie Brunet, Nicolas Courcy, Marie-Hélène Jolicoeur, Carl Lessard, Josiane L’Heureux, Zeïneb Mellouli and Véronique Morin. The speakers addressed a variety of subjects, including best practices when hiring and terminating employment, managing employees with difficult behaviour or in psychological distress, telework and renegotiating a collective agreement.

On November 1, 2016, Canopy Growth Corporation acquired Vert médical, a Quebec-based producer of medical marijuana. Lavery represented Vert médical in this file. Vert médical is a company that’s currently awaiting an authorized producer permit from Health Canada that will allow it to legally grow medical marijuana in its ultramodern plant in Saint-Lucien. In return for Vert médical’s shares, Canopy Growth assumed a debt of approximately $500,000 and acquired the lease and the right of purchase on 90 acres of land and a 7,000-sq.-ft. administrative center and indoor growing plant. Moreover, it will issue Canopy shares – close to 300,000, to be issued progressively as a function of reaching certain milestones – to former shareholders. Canopy also simultaneously acquired 75 % of the issued and circulating shares of Groupe H.E.M.P.ca, in return for a payment $300,000, the issuance of close to 260,000 capital shares and the assumption of certain debt obligations. Lavery’s team consisted of Marilyn Paré and Alicia De Praeter, lawyers in the Business law group. Over the course of the mandate, they were supported by Vincent Towner and Mylène Boisvert (Real estate), Dave Bouchard (Employment law) and Guillaume Synnott and Josianne Beaudry (Securities).

Lavery’s Sherbrooke office held the 2016 edition of its Conference in Labour and Employment Law and it was a great success. About 100 people made their way to the Delta Sherbrooke Hotel on September 27, 2016 where the event was held.  On this occasion, attendees assisted to several presentations from Geneviève Chamberland, Danielle Gauthier and Dave Bouchard. on the subjects of Experts testimony, Recent case law in labour and employment law and psychological harassment.

Lavery held the 2016 edition of its Major Symposium in Labour and Employment Law and it was a great success. About 300 people made their way to Centre Mont-Royal on June 8, 2016, to participate in the event. The plenary session was hosted by Nicolas Joubert and Guy Lavoie, partners in the Lavery’s Labour and Employment Law group. On this occasion, attendees got to participate in various workshops presented by Dave Bouchard, Jean Boulet, Élodie Brunet, Brittany Carson, Norman A. Dionne, Josée Dumoulin, Carl Lessard, Josiane L’Heureux, Zeïneb Mellouli, Véronique Morin and François Parent. Speakers addressed many different subjects, such as best practices in recruiting, in employment termination and in disability management; in psychological harassment, in pension plans and lessons we can learn about labour and employment law after forty years of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.