This section keeps you up-to-date on the latest news and upcoming public appearances of Lavery professionals.
News
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Guillaume Lavoie winner of the 2015 Rising Star Award
Lavery is pleased to announce that Mr. Guillaume Lavoie, a business law partner at the firm, has received the Rising Star Award given out by the Legal Lexpert Directory, during a gala that was held in Toronto on November 19, 2015. This Canada-wide contest pays tribute to lawyers under 40 who are considered rising stars in the legal profession in Canada. The winners are selected based on rigorous and well-delineated criteria: professional accomplishments, leadership, contribution to firm profitability, business acumen, vision, education and awards, and teamwork. Guillaume Lavoie’s practice focuses on private equity and venture capital. He has developed considerable expertise in setting up investment funds and specializes in structuring complex international funds. He regularly acts as lead legal counsel to fund managers in their fundraising efforts and their investments in Canada, the United States, Europe, and elsewhere in the World. "Guillaume Lavoie has excellent professional and human qualities that make him a legal expert respected by his clients and colleagues. Lexperthas acknowledged these qualities by giving him the Rising StarAward. Guillaume is truly an example of professionalism and thoroughness in a demanding profession while still giving back to the community through his numerous involvements in foundations and non-profit organizations, which make him a great asset to Lavery", said Don McCarty, Lavery’s Managing Partner. For more information, please visit the Lexpert Rising Starswebsite at www.lexpert.ca/rising-stars/award-winners.
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Pier-Olivier Fradette speaks on the contractual freedom of municipalities
On November 16, 2015, at Lavery’s Quebec City office, Pier-Olivier Fradette, a municipal law associate, gave a conference entitled “La liberté contractuelle des municipalités” (Contractual freedom of municipalities). Presented to Lavery clients from the municipal sector, this conference was designed to expose simple mistakes frequently made when drafting municipal contracts, which ultimately cause interpretation issues or lead to legal actions before the courts. Tools were given to municipal writers to help them avoid these mistakes and therefore diminish the risks of legal disputes in their municipalities.
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Awatif Lakhdar, panelist at a YALA conference
On November 10, 2015, Ms. Awatif Lakhdar, a Lavery lawyer specialized in Family Law, Personal Law and Estate Law, was a guest panelist invited by the Young Arab Law Association (YALA) at a conference entitled “Breaking Barriers: Arab Canadians & the Legal Profession”. On this occasion, Ms. Lakhdar shared her experience and career path while emphasizing the various aspects of private international law practice with regards to matrimonial issues.
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Lavery takes part in the Salon des ressources en entreprenariat 2015
On November 19, 2015, the Quebec campus of CÉGEP Limoilou held the Salon des ressources en entreprenariat 2015, an event part of the Canada - Global Entrepreneurship Week. On this occasion, Ms. Anthonie Vézina-Crawford and Mr. Sylvain Pierrard of Lavery held a stand to present and inform the entrepreneurial community on the firm and the Lavery GO inc. Program. Click here to view the list of other participants (in French only).
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Lavery’s Élodie Brunet, speaker at “La Tournée Pensons Prévention” organized by SPI Santé Sécurité
On December 2, 2015, Élodie Brunet, an associate in the Labour and Employment Law Group at Lavery, will give the opening presentation of “La Tournée Pensons Prévention”, organized by SPI Santé Sécurité on the South Shore of Montreal. This event, which is free of charge, is addressed to all those who value occupational health and safety in their workplace, namely managers and business executives. Ms. Brunet’s presentation entitled “Le succès d’une défense de diligence raisonnable passe inévitablement par la prévention” (“A successful due diligence defence necessarily begins with prevention”) seeks to: raise awareness regarding the practical elements an employer must implement in order to deal with a CSST inspection, a statement of offence alleging a violation of the Act Respecting Occupational Health and Safety or a charge of criminal negligence; discuss certain practical elements of a due diligence defence, which essentially consists in taking the necessary measures to protect the health and safety of the various stakeholders. This event will take place at 8 a.m. at the Holiday Inn Montreal-Longueuil, on 900, St-Charles East Street, in Longueuil. Other topics relating to occupational health and safety will be discussed throughout the day, namely during an Experience Sharing Panel, a conference on enclosed spaces and assessment workshops (protection against falls or lockouts). For more information or to register, click here. Please note that this event will take place in French.
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Jean-François Lévesque appointed Chief Client Officer (CCO) at Lavery
Committed to placing clients at the centre of all its actions, Lavery – the leading independent law firm in Quebec – recently appointed Jean-François Lévesque as Chief Client Officer for all its operations. Working closely with the managing partner and the board of directors, Mr. Lévesque will play a leadership role in the firm’s client-focused approach, business development, marketing, and communications. “The creation of the position of Chief Client Officer (CCO) was inspired by the firm’s strategic plan, which places client service at the focus of all Lavery’s concerns,” explained Don McCarty, managing partner. “Client needs and interests are at the heart of all our initiatives, so we decided to make it the primary responsibility of one of our executive officers.” With degrees in both law and literature, and resolutely focused on the business of law, Mr. Lévesque is known for his ability to find creative solutions to the specific challenges facing companies in the B2B sector. In fact, he will be a panelist at the “Sommet marketing B2B” organized by Les Affaires newspaper on November 24.
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Lavery represents the Chambre des notaires du Québec before the Supreme Court of Canada
On November 3, 2015, Raymond Doray, Ad. E., and Loïc Berdnikoff represented the Chambre des notaires du Québec before the Supreme Court of Canada to obtain a declaration of unconstitutionality regarding various provisions of theIncome Tax Act (ITA) which authorize the Minister of National Revenue, by means of a simple letter, to require that any person provide information or documents that might be of assistance in the administration or enforcement of the ITA, including lawyers and notaries. According to the Chambre, the provisions in question, when applied to a notary, violate the right to “solicitor-client privilege” and restrict the freedom of notaries in a manner that is not in accordance with the principle of fundamental justice relating to the legal counsel’s duty of committed representation. Mr. Guillaume Laberge and Ms. Laurence Bich-Carrière actively took part in the preparation of this case. To read a summary of the case, please click here.
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Pierre Marc Johnson delivers the closing address at a conference on methane in the lead-up to COP21
In Paris, on November 9, 2015, Mr. Pierre Marc Johnson, former premier of Quebec and counsel at Lavery recognized for his expertise in international trade and cross-border partnerships, delivered the closing address at a conference entitled “Mitigating methane emissions: From science to innovative solutions”. The conference was organized by the Veolia Institute, in collaboration with the Agence Française de Développement and the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, within the scope of preparatory activities leading up to the forthcoming COP21 on climate change. For more information and to view the conference’s programme, please click here. a
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Lavery lunch and learn: Business law and sports
On November 17, 2015, Mtre Sébastien Vézina and Mtre Benjamin David Gross, partners in the business law team of Lavery, will share their experiences as counsel in the field of sports law at a lunch and learn with the Comité droit des affaires et gestion (CDAG) of the Faculty of Law of the University of Montreal. For more information or to register, click here.
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René Branchaud, guest speaker at the RCGT half-day on issues in the mining industry
On November 3, 2015, René Branchaud, partner at Lavery, was guest speaker at the RCGT half-day on issues in the mining industry. Organized by Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton in Montréal, this conference offered financial and tax information in the mining sector. Speakers discussed numerous subjects, namely: governance on issues in the mining sector; innovation funding and tax credits for mining companies; support with recruitment – growth capital.
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Awatif Lakhdar speaks on unjust enrichment
On October 28 and November 6, 2015, Ms. Awatif Lakhdar, a Lavery lawyer specialized in Family Law, Personal Law and Private International Law, presented a conference entitled « L’enrichissement sans cause: Où en sont nos tribunaux en 2015 ? » (Unjust enrichment : Where do our courts of law stand in 2015?) to over 75 participants during a seminar organized by the Bar’s Continuing Education Department in Montreal and during a training day for the Richelieu Bar. During this conference, Mtre. Lakhdar presented the landmark decisions and trends of 2015 on the issue of unjust enrichment.
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Louis Rochette on the board of directors of the Société du Grand Théâtre de Québec
On November 11, 2015, the Quebec Cabinet proceeded to numerous nominations, including Louis Rochette’s, a Lavery partner, as independant member and Chair of the board of directors of the Société du Grand Théâtre de Québec. Founded in 1971, the Société du Grand Théâtre de Québec corporation is mandated to manage the Grand Théâtre de Québec and present, create and produce shows.