This section keeps you up-to-date on the latest news and upcoming public appearances of Lavery professionals.
News
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Marie-Claude Cantin in Quebec City for the Conference on the Regulation to improve building safety
Ms. Marie-Claude Cantin, a Litigation partner at Lavery, acted as speaker during the Conference on the Regulation to improve building safety, which was held at the firm’s Quebec City office on May 1, 2013.This event was very successful. It drew more than 40 people from various professional sectors, including construction and engineering, real estate, education, health and insurance.The Conference, which was followed by a cocktail, dealt more specifically with the Regulation’s impact on the maintenance and inspection of façades and multistorey garages as well as on fire protection. In addition, this conference discussed the provisions with respect to water cooling towers that will become effective on May 12, 2013.
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Audrey Gibeault, author of an article in Canadian Tax Focus magazine
Ms. Audrey Gibeault, CPA, CA, Business Law associate at Lavery, has published an article entitled “Unexpected Application of Part XII.2 Tax to a Canadian Personal Trust” in the May 2013 issue of Canadian Tax Focus, a publication of the Canadian Tax Foundation.Ms. Gibeault’s article deals namely with the tax issues related to the application of Part XII.2 Tax to a trust that is a resident of Canada, in circumstances where the trust’s beneficiaries have become non-residents of Canada under the Income Tax Act.To read this article, click here.
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Gérard Coulombe, panelist at the Conference Breakfast of the Institute of Corporate Directors – Quebec Chapter
Mr. Gérard Coulombe, Q.C., Business Law partner at Lavery, was a panelist at a conference breakfast, entitled “Should boards fear or like activist investors?”, that was held on April 23, 2013 at the Ritz-Carlton Montreal.Organized by the Institute of Corporate Directors – Quebec Chapter, this event drew almost 300 people. The participants were very interested in hearing the panelists discuss the manner in which a board of directors should deal with activist shareholders.For more information, click here.
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Simon Lemay at the National Assembly of Québec for World Intellectual Property Day
Mr. Simon Lemay, Intellectual Property Law partner at Lavery, was part of a delegation comprising patent agents, trade-mark agents and intellectual property lawyers who were present at the National Assembly of Québec on April 25 to hear elected members recognize World Intellectual Property Day during a motion without notice.World Intellectual Property Day is an initiative that was launched in 2000 by the World Intellectual Property Organization. Mr. Lemay and other members of the delegation emphasized the important work accomplished by IP professionals who actively contribute to innovation, economic development and the creation of wealth in Quebec.For more information [French], click here.
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The contribution of Jean-Philippe Lincourt recognized by Pro Bono Québec
Pro Bono Québec salutes the contribution of Mr. Jean-Philippe Lincourt, associate in Lavery’s Litigation Group, in a Web page section entitled “In the Spotlight”. Mr. Lincourt is profiled in an article that is focused on a pro bono mandate he worked on for a client. After more than 200 hours, the mandate was successfully completed in accordance with the objectives set out by the client. Mr. Lincourt believes that his client’s situation demonstrates once again that access to justice is problematic for many Quebec citizens. To consult the text devoted to Mr. Lincourt, click here.
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Josianne Beaudry, Loïc Berdnikoff, Jean-Simon Deschênes and Nicolas Joubert appointed partners at Lavery
Lavery is pleased to announce the appointment of Josianne Beaudry (Montreal), Loïc Berdnikoff (Montreal), Jean-Simon Deschênes (Quebec City) and Nicolas Joubert (Montreal) as partners of the firm. Admitted to the Quebec Bar in 2000, Ms. Josianne Beaudry practises at our Montreal office in the area of business law with a focus on securities law. She advises financial sector participants on the application of regulations relating to securities and corporate governance. She assists clients carrying out public and private financings, corporate reorganizations, reverse takeovers and mergers and acquisitions. Ms. Beaudry also advises investment fund managers, dealers and portfolio managers for matters related to their registration and activities. Mr. Loïc Berdnikoff is a member of the firm's administrative law team at our Montreal office. His practice includes access to information, protection of personal information, privacy matters, defamation, the application of the Canadian and Quebec charters of human rights and freedoms, and constitutional law. He regularly advises and represents many public bodies and private businesses in connection with recourses before the Commission d'accès à l'information du Québec involving the confidential nature of documents, the application of professional privilege, and other privacy issues. A member of the firm’s Business Law Group practising in our Quebec City office, Mr. Jean-Simon Deschênes represents businesses, entrepreneurs and institutions with respect to mandates in a variety of areas of legal practice, including commercial transactions, technology law, entertainment and intellectual property as well as financing and financial services. He holds a Certificate on the Introduction to Chinese Law from the University of Political Science and Law in Beijing. Mr. Nicolas Joubert is a member of the Labour and Employment Law Group at our Montreal office. He advises large, medium and small businesses on labour law, particularly employment law, employment contracts, labour relations, occupational health and safety, discrimination and harassment. He regularly represents clients before the civil courts and administrative tribunals. Mr. Joubert also practises in the area of economic immigration and labour mobility, representing and advising various companies on the process of recruiting foreign workers and transferring key employees to Canada through intra-company transfers. “We are very proud to welcome Josianne, Loïc, Jean-Simon and Nicolas as Lavery partners. This appointment undoubtedly represents an important milestone in their career as well as a recognition of the quality of their work in representing our clients. Over the years, they have acquired comprehensive expertise in their respective areas of practice, making them among the best lawyers in their field”, said Don McCarty, Managing Partner of the firm.
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Marie-Claude Cantin and Louis-Martin Dubé take part in the second edition of the Conference on the Regulation to improve building safety
Ms. Marie-Claude Cantin, a Litigation partner at Lavery, and Mr. Louis-Martin Dubé, a Business Law partner at Lavery, acted as speakers during the second edition of the Conference on the Regulation to improve building safety, which was held at the Lavery Conference Centre on April 24. The event’s second edition was very successful. It drew more than 50 people from various professional sectors, including construction and engineering, real estate, education, health and insurance.The Conference, which was followed by a cocktail, dealt more specifically with the Regulation’s impact on the maintenance and inspection of façades, multistorey garages as well as on fire protection. In addition, this conference discussed the provisions with respect to water cooling towers that will become effective on May 12, 2013. From left to right: Ms. Marie-Claude Cantin and Mr. Louis-Martin Dubé
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Marie-Andrée Gagnon, author of an article in Synergie magazine
Ms. Marie-Andrée Gagnon, a Litigation associate at Lavery, is the author of the article entitled “Infections nosocomiales, hygiène et salubrité : Où est la frontière entre le clinique et le juridique ?” (Nosocomial infections, hygiene and sanitation: The fine line between clinical and legal considerations) that was published in the April-May 2013 edition of Synergie, a monthly publication of the Association québécoise d’établissements de santé et de services sociaux (AQESSS).Ms. Gagnon’s article is focused on civil, medical and hospital liability, the standards and guidelines with respect to the prevention of hospital-acquired infections as well as the establishment of a reliable system to ensure the proper planning, communication and implementation of hygiene and sanitation control measures.To consult this article (in French) click here.
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Michel Servant invited to chair the Prix Relève d’Excellence 2013 Committee of Réseau HEC Montréal
Michel Servant, a Business Law partner at Lavery, will be the Chairman of the Prix Relève d’Excellence 2013 Committee of Réseau HEC Montréal. This competition recognizes the professional achievements of HEC graduates, aged 35 and under, in four different categories: Large Company, Small and Medium Enterprise (SME), Entrepreneur and Young Professional. The award winners are selected by a jury of experienced business people.The awards will be handed out during a breakfast gala on Friday, May 17, 2013, at the Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth. The 28th edition of the Prix Relève d’Excellence will take place under the Honorary Chairmanship of Pierre J. Blouin, HEC 82, Chief Executive Officer of MTS Allstream and Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. MTS Allstream is one of Canada’s leading national communication solutions companies.With over one hundred years of history and three international accreditations, HEC Montréal is Canada’s leading business school and ranked among the best worldwide. For more information about the event, click here.
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In memory of Jean Bélanger
All of Lavery’s partners, associates and personnel would like to pay homage to Jean Bélanger, who passed away on April 15, 2013. Before his death, Mr. Bélanger was working at the firm Casavant Mercier, practising with Jean-Pierre Casavant, a former Lavery partner.A great legal mind, Jean Bélanger spent many years at Lavery. Each of us who had the privilege of working with Mr. Bélanger over the years was struck by his legal brilliance, his insatiable intellectual curiosity and his thorough knowledge of case law and the cases handled by the firm.He acted as a mentor and strategic advisor to many lawyers at Lavery, several of whom were later appointed to the bench. His patience, his generosity and his ability to help develop the personal strengths of his colleagues enabled them to achieve professional excellence.His proficiency as a teacher was recognized by the McGill University Faculty of Law where Mr. Bélanger taught insurance law for 10 years as well as by the Canadian Bar Association where he had been presenting for 26 years an annual review of important civil law cases.Throughout the years, many clients of the firm sought Jean Bélanger’s expert advice. Fond of culture, music lover, foodie at heart and a refined individual, Jean Bélanger was truly a man for all seasons.A great man has passed away but he will be remembered for his love for life and his loyalty to his family, colleagues, friends and a profession he has always cherished.
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Proxy fight: Lavery successfully advises Fancamp
Lavery, de Billy, L.L.P. acted as special advisor to the Board of Directors of Fancamp Exploration Ltd. ("Fancamp") with regards to a proxy fight launched by a dissenting shareholder, which involved replacing Fancamp’s current board members. A team headed by Michel Blouin and including Sébastien Vézina, Jean Tessier and Maxime Bergeron provided advice to the management of Fancamp on the best possible way to cope with the proxy fight. More specifically, the Lavery team provided to Fancamp legal and strategic advice focusing on hostile takeovers and regulations concerning good governance as well as the smooth functioning of the meeting. In addition, Lavery offered to help Fancamp perform proxy verification so as to ensure that the voting results comply with the requirements set out by the Securities Transfer Association of Canada. The dissenting shareholder’s attempt was rejected at Fancamp’s Annual Shareholders’ Meeting that was held on October 26, 2012 in Toronto. Michel Blouin, Sébastien Vézina and Jean Tessier were present at the Meeting to advise and assist the management of Fancamp and the Chairman of the Board. Sébastien Vézina acted as Secretary of the Meeting.
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Supreme Court decision on professional liability
On April 4, 2013, the Supreme Court of Canada dismissed the application for leave with respect to the Québec Court of Appeal rulings in Audet c. Transamerica Life Canada and Souscripteurs du Lloyds c. Alimentation Denis & Mario Guillemette. These judgments deal primarily with the professional liability of financial security advisors as well as the validity of specific provisions included in professional liability insurance contracts. For more information, consult the following newsletters: Liability insurance, professional activities and gross fault: the Québec Court of Appeal sets the record straightBy : Bernard Larocque - August 2012 Professional liability insurance and gross fault: the Court of Appeal sings a different tune (new version)By : Bernard Larocque - October 2012 Investment and Financial Security Advisors: Respect your clients’ goals and document your files!By : Dina Raphaël - October 2012