This section keeps you up-to-date on the latest news and upcoming public appearances of Lavery professionals.
News
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Maude Lafortune-Bélair gives a presentation on law and psychiatry
On February 22, Maude Lafortune-Bélair gave a presentation called “Droit et psychiatrie : analyse pratique de la notion de quérulence” at a breakfast-conference organized by Lavery and the Collège des médecins du Québec.Dr. Gilles Chamberland, Psychiatrist, also participated in this presentation examining predominantly the pathological and medical aspects of the querulous phenomenon.This continuing education seminar animated by Jean Saint-Onge was intended for managers and leaders of professional orders in the health sector.
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Lavery Welcomes Marc Beauchemin, a Commercial and Financial Institutions Law specialist
Montreal, February 24, 2011 – Lavery is pleased to announce that Mr. Marc Beauchemin, a lawyer specialising in commercial and financial institutions law is joining our Montreal office as a member of Lavery’s Distribution of Financial Products and Services team. Fifteen (15) experienced lawyers will now constitute this unit, making it one of Montreal’s most important legal teams in the field of the distribution of financial products and services. Marc Beauchemin has accumulated over 25 years of experience in commercial and financial institutions law. He primarily advises and represents financial institutions, including Canadian and foreign-based banks, savings banks, credit unions, trust companies, insurance companies and securities brokers. His advice and services are sought after particularly in major transactions involving the purchase or sale of companies or financial product portfolios or corporate organisations and reorganisations. He has also represented several financial institutions in matters related to the enactment of laws or bylaws aimed at regulating their structure or activities. “Marc Beauchemin’s competence, experience and track record reinforce the expertise that our Distribution of Financial Products and Services team can offer to all of our clients whether it be in the form of preventive counsel or representation before authorities that regulate the administration and distribution of financial services,” Élise Poisson, Managing Partner, declared.
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2010: Another Active Year for Lavery’s Securities Law Team
Montreal, February 23, 2011 – Lavery is pleased to announce that its Business and Securities Law team was involved in a number of notable transactions valued at over $1.7 billion in 2010 which included the following transactions: Cominar Real Estate Investment Trust completed a $86.25 million public offering of convertible unsecured subordinated debentures. Marc Rochefort, Michel Servant, Philip Nolan and Guillaume Lavoie advised the syndicate of underwriters led by National Bank Financial Inc. and BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc. Pharmaxis Ltd., a publicly-traded Australian company, acquired Topigen Pharmaceutical Inc., a clinical-stage Canadian biopharmaceutical company, in a share exchange transaction. Benoit Morel, Luc Pariseau, Phillipe Asselin and Catherine Rioux advised Pharmaxis Ltd. in this transaction valued at approximately $25 million. Industrial Alliance, Insurance and Financial Services Inc., completed a $200 million public offering of common and preferred shares. The shares were sold to a syndicate of underwriters led by BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc. and RBC Dominion Securities Inc. Marc Rochefort, Michel Servant, Philip Nolan and Guillaume Lavoie acted on behalf of Industrial Alliance. TSO3 Inc. completed a $16 million public offering of common shares. The shares were sold to a syndicate of underwriters led by Canaccord Adams and Versant Partners Inc. Claude Lacroix, René Branchaud, Josianne Beaudry and Marie-Eve Clavet represented TSO3 Inc. Cominar Real Estate Investment Trust completed a $115 million public offering of units. The units were sold to a syndicate of underwriters led by National Bank Financial Inc. and BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc. Marc Rochefort, Michel Servant, Philip Nolan and Guillaume Lavoie advised the underwriters. Richmont Mines Inc. completed a $16.5 million public offering of common shares. The shares were sold to a syndicate of underwriters led by Desjardins Securities Inc. René Branchaud and Josianne Beaudry represented the underwriters. OMERS Private Equity Inc. acquired Logibec Groupe Informatique Ltd. for a consideration of approximately $235.5 million. Lavery acted as Quebec counsel to OMERS with a team comprised of Michel Servant, François Renaud, Benjamin Gross, Édith Jacques, Catherine Maheu and Guillaume Lavoie. IAMGOLD Corporation completed a $41.5 million private placement of flow-through shares. Michel Servant, Philip Nolan and Guillaume Lavoie acted for IAMGOLD. Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc. executed a share purchase agreement with LJVH Holdings Inc., a subsidiary of Littlejohn & Co., LLC, in connection with its acquisition of Van Houtte Inc. for a cash purchase price of $915 million. Lavery acted as Quebec counsel on behalf of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc. Lavery’s team consisted of Carl M. Ravinsky, Melanie Chartrand, Jean Tessier, Sive Burns, Chantal Joubert, Catherine Rioux, France Legault, Catherine Maheu, Yvan Biron and Sophie Prégent. Golden Goose Resources Inc. and Kodiak Exploration Ltd. agreed to combine business operations by way of a plan of arrangement. Benoît Morel, Josianne Beaudry, Philippe Asselin and Jocelyne Gagné represented Golden Goose Resources Inc. in this share exchange transaction valued at over $20 million. “Our Business and Securities Law team was once again very active throughout 2010,” declared Marc Rochefort. “Lavery is major player in corporate finance and mergers and acquisitions in Quebec and, given the current climate, we look forward to an equally active year in 2011.”
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Jocelyne Gagné on the Advising Council of the Fondation Paul Gérin-Lajoie
Lavery is proud to mention that Ms. Jocelyne Gagné, partner at the firm, was named to the Advising Council of the Fondation Paul Gérin-Lajoie. Her expertise in business law will be an asset to the development of the Fondation over the course of the next few years. In this role, Ms. Gagné also joined the Organizing Committee of the Grande Soirée P.G.L. 2011, which will be held on April 14, 2011 at the Delta Hotel in Montreal. This event will feature comedian Yvon Deschamps. Tickets can be purchased from members of the Organizing Committee and the Fondation Paul Gérin-Lajoie at 514 288-3888, extension 244. For more information, click here. The form to purchase tickets or to make a donation is available by clicking here.
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Lavery hosts the Honorable Peter Van Loan and the Manufacturiers et Exporteurs du Québec
On February 14, Lavery held a conference with the Honorable Peter Van Loan, Minister of International Commerce, and the Manufacturiers et Exporteurs du Québec, which revealed the Harper government’s plan with regard to free trade such as targeting new markets and creating more jobs and prosperity in Canada.This conference hosted nearly 30 executives from the business industry in Lavery’s new Montreal offices.
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Michel Servant invited to preside the Prix Relève d’Excellence 2011 Committee of Réseau HEC Montreal
Michel Servant, a partner at Lavery, will be the President of the Prix Relève d’Excellence 2011 Committee of Réseau HEC Montréal. This competition recognizes the professional success of HEC’s graduates, aged 35 and under, in four different classes: Large Enterprises, Small and Medium Enterprises (SME), Entrepreneur and Young Professional. Prize-winners are selected by a jury of experienced business people.This event will take place as a Gala-Breakfast on Friday, May 20, 2011, at the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal.It will be the 26th anniversary of the Prix Relève d’Excellence in 2011 and Louis R. Chênevert, HEC 79, Chairman and CEO of United Technologies Corporation (Pratt & Whitney, Otis, Carrier, Sikorsky, etc.), the 37th largest company in the United States according to the Fortune 500 list, will be the Honorary President.HEC Montreal is the first business school in Canada and arguably Canada’s leading business school with over one hundred years of history and three international accreditations.
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Alexandre Despatie two-time gold medal winner at Canadian Winter Nationals
Proud sponsor of Alexandre Despatie, Lavery is pleased to recognize this champion’s two gold medal wins, one for the men’s three-metre synchronized event with his partner, Reuben Ross, and the other for the men’s three-metre dive, at the Canadian Senior Winter National, which was held from February 3rd to February 6, 2011.Moreover, Lavery congratulates Alexandre Despatie for being selected to lead the 2011 Canadian diving team as headlined by Diving Canada. The national diving team will focus on the two major international competitions this year: the FINA World Aquatic Championships in Shanghai, China from July 16th to July 31st and the Pan Am games in Guadalajara, Mexico from October 14th to Octobert 30th.
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Louis Charette and Bernard Larocque, Speakers at a Canadian Fire Alarm Association Seminar
On February 3, 2011, Mr. Louis Charette and Mr. Bernard Larocque, both partners at Lavery, will be speakers at the Canadian Fire Alarm Association’s technical seminar, Quebec section. This seminar offers presentations on various technical, legal and practical aspects of the codes in effect and more than 200 members of the Association will attend.The seminar will be held (in French only) Quality Hotel Olympic Parc in Montreal as of 7:30 a.m.
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Evelyne Verrier, Speaker at the 10th Edition of the Canadian Institute’s Conference on the Management of the Claims and Proceedings in Insurance Disability
On January 27 and 28, Evelyne Verrier, partner at Lavery, was a speaker at the Canadian Institute’s conference on the management of the claims and proceedings in insurance disability. Ms. Verrier’s presentation, entitled “L’octroi de dommages : derniers développements et impacts concrets sur vos pratiques et votre gestion des dossiers d’invalidité,” assessed the latest jurisprudence pertaining to the award of damages.
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4th Edition of “Les sûretés réelles dans le Code civil du Québec” by Louis Payette, Ad. E., Considered a Benchmark
Lavery is proud to mention that the 4th edition of “Les sûretés réelles dans le Code civil du Québec” by Louis Payette, Ad. E. was published in May 2010. Mr. Payette first published this book in 1994 following the coming into force of the Quebec Civil Code and he has updated it three times. The first and second editions of the book were awarded The Foundation of Legal Research’s Walter Owen Book Prize, which recognizes “excellent legal writing and to reward outstanding new contributions to Canadian legal literature.” This book has become an essential point of reference for lawyers in this field as well as for courts hearing cases on the subject. The new edition has become essential following legislative amendments made in 2009 with respect to the creation and the maintaining of pledges, the sections added to the Quebec Civil Code relating to the obtainment of security on securities and security entitlements, as well as the evolution of interpretations in doctrine and case law. “We are very proud of the exceptional contribution to banking law and commercial law Louis Payette offers our clients, his colleagues and the entire legal community,” said Élise Poisson, Managing Partner at Lavery. “His reputation, expertise and commitment contribute to quality of Lavery’s service offering.” The Best Lawyers in Canada and The Canadian Legal LEXPERT® Directory list Mr. Payette as a leading practitioner in the field of banking law in Canada.
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Jean Martel on the front page of Finance et Investissement
Jean Martel, partner at Lavery, gave an interview to the Finance et Investissement magazine for an article called “Les défis de la finance québécoise sont nombreux” (The Quebec Economy Faces Many Challenges) written by journalist Jean-François Parent. Seen on the cover page of this publication, Mr. Martel shared his expertise in financial law by answering various questions pertaining to the Quebec economy.The full article (in French only) is available by clicking here.
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Nadine Landry and Nicolas Joubert author an article in the magazine Industrie & Commerce
Nadine Landry et Nicolas Joubert, lawyers at Lavery, wrote an article entitled “Devoirs et obligations des employeurs qui font appel à de la main-d’œuvre étrangère et modifications à venir” (The Rights and Obligations of Employers that Call on a Foreign Workforce and Future Amendments) published in the magazine Industrie & Commerce. In this article, Ms. Landry and Mr. Joubert discuss a growing importance of foreign workers in the labour market and the vulnerability of some of these workers who will be affected by the recent amendments to the Canadian government’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program, which will come into force on April 1, 2011.The full article (in French only) is available on page 22 of the latest edition by clicking here.