Partner
Evelyne Verrier is a partner at the firm's Montreal offices. She is a graduate of Laval University in both Actuarial Science and Law. Her practice is primarily focused on civil litigation and insurance, and for several years, she was the coordinator of the firm’s Civil Litigation and Insurance Group.

Ms. Verrier frequently appears before the courts in disputes concerning life and disability insurance, damage insurance and professional liability. She participated in several alternative dispute resolution processes which resulted in settlements to the satisfaction of the parties.

She drafted several opinions in the area of the distribution of financial products and services discussing the compliance of various insurance products marketed by Quebec and foreign insurers and the issues related to their method of distribution. She coordinates the firm’s distribution of financial products and services practice group.

She also advises clients in the area of professional liability of various participants in the financial services industry, particularly that of investment advisors, insurance representatives and insurance brokers.

Ms. Verrier regularly advises clients on various issues respecting their insurance policies, particularly as to the coverage, scope and interpretation of such policies.

Ms. Verrier regularly appears as a speaker at events pertaining to damage insurance litigation as well as life and health insurance.

Ms. Verrier participated in various training sessions on governance, particularly financial services governance provided by the Collège des administrateurs de sociétés.

Representative work

• Represented financial institutions in litigation pertaining to the liability of investment advisors and insurance representatives;
• Defended the interests of financial institutions in the context of claims related to various life and disability insurance policies, including universal life insurance;
• Was consulted by reinsurers requesting legal opinions respecting the application of contractual clauses contained in disability and critical illness policies;
• Represented insurers in litigation involving fraud, in the context of both damage insurance and life and health insurance;
• Conducted several statutory reviews in damage insurance;
• Provided several opinions specifically discussing the Act respecting insurance, the Regulation under the Act respecting insurance and the Act respecting the distribution of financial products and services;
• Advised insurers respecting beneficiary designation;
• Gave opinions on issues pertaining to the formation of the insurance contract on the Internet and other issues involving distribution, with or without representatives;
• Gave opinions respecting electronic signature;
• Defended insurers in court in the context of litigation involving life and disability claims under individual and group insurance;
• Drafted various opinions respecting the scope and interpretation of contractual clauses in the area of damage insurance and life and health insurance.

Presentations and conferences
Ms. Verrier is regularly invited as a speaker by various organizations such as the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association and the Canadian Institute. She gave several training sessions dealing with damage insurance, insurance of persons as well as the distribution of financial products and services.

Ms. Verrier’s presentations include the following:

• Review of 2012 damage insurance case law, November 2012;
• Insurance fraud: how to recognize it? – September 2012;
• Annual review of Quebec life and disability insurance case law, Legal Section of the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association, September 2012;
• Review of the 2011 – 2012 damage insurance case law, May 2012;
• Annual review of life and disability insurance case law, Claims Section of the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association, May 2012;
• Lavery Seminar: e distribution of insurance products, October 2011;
• Annual review of life and disability insurance case law, Claims Section of the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association, May 2011;
• Granting damages: last developments and actual impacts on your practices and management of disability files, Conference on the management of disability insurance claims and litigation of the Canadian Institute, January 2011;
• Recent modifications to the right of conversion and compulsory clauses, Regulation under the act respecting insurance, April 2010;
• Issues related to critical illness insurance claims, Conference on the management of disability insurance claims and litigation of the Canadian Institute, September 2009;
• Managing the concept of accident: a challenge for insurers, October 2008;
• Legal liabilities of group insurance advisers, May 2008;
• Investigating fraud: a worthwhile process, November 2007;
• Management of claims respecting pre-existing conditions and practical advice, Conference on the management of disability claims and litigation of the Canadian Institute, March 2006;
• The preparation of the change of definition in disability insurance: legal aspects, December 2005;
• The governance of group insurance plans, Regional conference of Quebec of the Canadian Pension & Benefits Institute, October 2005
• Strategy for finding and appointing an objective and competent expert for preparing your files and settling your disputed cases, Conference on the management of disability claims and litigation of the Canadian Institute, April 2005;

Professional and community activities

• Member of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Pension & Benefits Institute (CPBI), 2004-2008
• Member of the Board of Directors and of the ethics committee of an insurance company
• Member of the Board of Directors and of the committee of the causes of the Fondation Noël au printemps (FNAP), 2010-2012