Isabelle P. Mercure Partner, Lawyer

Isabelle P. Mercure Partner, Lawyer

Bureau

  • Sherbrooke

Phone number

819 346-6850

Fax

819 346-5007

Bar Admission

  • Québec, 1997

Languages

  • English
  • French

Profile

Co-Managing Partner, Sherbrooke office

Isabelle P. Mercure is a co-managing partner of the Sherbrooke office and a member of our Business transactions and Tax law groups. Her practice focuses mainly on corporate law, trust law, and tax law.

Ms. Mercure has extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions, corporate reorganizations (intergenerational transfers), integrating shareholders, protecting assets, as well as tax and estate planning. 

She is called upon to negotiate and draft various business agreements, including shareholder and partnership agreements, in the context of the purchase, sale, or combination of businesses of all sizes and in various economic sectors.

In recent years, Ms. Mercure’s expertise has been sought by many physicians, pharmacists, dentists, and other health professionals for the incorporation of professional practices, the implementation of trusts, asset protection, and the transmission of estates and assets. She is frequently called upon to assist with the organization, reorganization, and purchase/sale of pharmacies and medical or dental clinics. She also acts as legal counsel for many physician partnerships in Québec, each including between ten (10) and four hundred (400) physicians practicing in hospitals and clinics.

Ms. Mercure has been invited by the Association de planification fiscale et financière (APFF) to lecture on corporate law, shareholder agreements, and the incorporation of professionals. She is also a member of the Regional activities committee of the APFF for the Sherbrooke region. She co-authored an article titled Étude de cas – Incorporation des professionnels [Case study – Incorporation of professionals], which was published in the conference proceedings of the APFF.

 

Distinctions

  • Ones to Watch, The Best Lawyers in Canada in the field of Trusts and Estates Law, 2024

Education

  • M.Fisc., Université de Sherbrooke, 1996
  • LL.B., Université de Sherbrooke, 1994

Boards and Professional Affiliations

  • Association de planification fiscale et financière (APFF)
  • Canadian Tax Foundation
  1. Dr. Robot at your service: artificial intelligence in healthcare

    Artificial intelligence technologies are extremely promising in healthcare.1 By examining, cross-referencing and comparing a phenomenal amount of data,2 AI lets researchers work more quickly at a lower cost3 and facilitates doctors’ decision-making with regard to diagnosis, treatment and choice of prescription. The integration of AI into the healthcare field can take various forms:4 Management of electronic medical records (e.g., Omnimed) Direct patient care to improve decision-making with regard to diagnosis, prognosis and choice of treatment method Integration in the area of monitoring and medication (e.g., Dispill) The performance of robotic exams and surgeries Indirect patient care functions, such as: Optimization of workflow Better management of hospital inventory Home care applications, where portable devices and sensors would be used to assess and predict patient needs. Working to protect innovators, their clients and the public No matter what form AI takes when it is implemented into the healthcare field in Quebec, as with any innovation, we must adapt and work to protect the public, innovators and their clients. What is an innovator? An innovator is a developer, provider or distributor who is involved in the development and marketing of products that use artificial intelligence. 1 - Innovator protection As the future of healthcare lies in an increased integration of AI, innovators must be properly supported and protected, which means that they must be equipped with all of the appropriate tools for protecting their rights, especially intellectual property rights. At the time of product development: they must make sure that they obtain the necessary guarantees and commitments from their partners in order to be able to assert their rights in the event that their technology is appropriated by a third party.  At the time of product marketing: having taken care to properly protect their rights, they will avoid prosecution or claims, whether for patent infringement or otherwise. In addition, if the proposed technological solution implies that the data collected, transmitted or analyzed is stored and pooled or that it is shared with other stakeholders, innovators must ensure in particular that the patients’ personal information is protected in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations5 and that this data is not used for commercial purposes. If not, an innovator could be the target of a claim by professional organizations or by patient groups and, when certification is required, that certification could be withdrawn by the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux [health and human services ministry]. To learn more about innovator protection, we invite you to read the following article: Artificial intelligence: contractual obligations beyond the buzzwords. 2 - Protection of clients (buyers of artificial intelligence solutions) Artificial intelligence operations have several intrinsic limits, including the prioritization of quantity over quality of the data collected; systematic errors that are reproduced or amplified;6 and even human error in the entry of the data relied on by professionals and researchers. Accordingly, innovators must ensure that they properly warn their clients of the limits and risks tied to the use of their products in order to protect themselves against potential claims. They must therefore be objective in the way that they represent their products. For example, terms like “intelligent database” should be used rather than “diagnostic systems.” This word choice will avoid both potential civil liability claims and the possibility of being reprimanded for violating the Medical Act for performing functions reserved only for doctors.7 The innovator will also be required to enter into a contract with the client that is clear and detailed with regard to the use, access and sharing of data collected in electronic medical records (EMR). 3 - Protection of the public (Collège des médecins du Québec [“Quebec college of physicians”] regulation) All products using AI technology must allow doctors to respect their obligations with regard to creating and maintaining EMR. These obligations are included in Section 9 of the Collège des médecins draft regulation, which is expected to come into force in the near future and will make the use of EMR mandatory. The Collège also intends to specify in this regulation that collected data may not be used [TRANSLATION] “for any purpose other than to monitor and treat patients.”8 The Inquiries Division of the Collège has also recently cautioned its members that the technological tools that they use [TRANSLATION] “must be used exclusively within the context of their duties, meaning the administration of care.”9 The current position of the Collège des médecins and the Ministère de la Santé is that the marketing of data contained in EMR is prohibited even if the data is anonymous. Furthermore, according to Dr. Yves Robert, Secretary of the Collège, even if the shared data is anonymous, it may not be used either to promote a product, such as a less expensive medication in the case of an insurance company, or to influence a doctor’s choice when making a decision. 10 The Inquiries Division has also reminded members of their ethical obligation to “disregard any intervention by a third party which could influence the performance of their professional duties to the detriment of their patient, a group of individuals or a population.11”   The use of Big Data would create more than $300 billion USD in value, with two-thirds of that amount coming from reduced expenditures.  Big Data Analytics in Healthcare, BioMed Research International, vol. 2015, Article ID 370194; see also Top health industry issues of 2018, PwC Health Research Institute, p. 29. The American consortium Kaiser Permanente holds around 30 petabytes of data, or 30 million gigabytes, and collects 2 terabytes daily. Mining Electronic Records for Revealing Health Data, New York Times, January 14, 2013. For examples of the integration of AI in healthcare in Canada, see Challenge Ahead: Integrating Robotics, Artificial Intelligence and 3D Printing Technologies into Canada’s Healthcare Systems , October 2017. See in particular S. 20 of the Code of ethics of physicians, CQLR c. M-9, r. 17 and the Act respecting the protection of personal information in the private sector, CQLR c P-39. See When artificial intelligence is discriminatory. Medical Act, CQLR c. M-9, s. 31. Id., S. 9, par. 9. L’accès au dossier médical électronique : exclusivement pour un usage professionnel [“Access to medical records: exclusively for professional use”], Inquiries Division of the Collège des médecins du Québec, February 13, 2018. Marie-Claude Malboeuf, “Dossiers médicaux à vendre ” [“Medical records for sale”], La Presse.ca, March 2, 2018. Accès au dossier médical électronique par les fournisseurs [“Access to electronic medical records by providers”], Inquiries Division of the Collège des médecins du Québec, May 29, 2017, citing section 64 of the Code of Ethics of Physicians, supra, note 12.

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  2. Significant amendments to the Act Respecting Duties on Transfers of Immovable following the 2016-2017 provincial budget

    The use of a nominee corporation The Act Respecting Duties on Transfers of Immovables (the “Act”) imposes transfer duties (also known as the “welcome tax”) on the transfer of immovables in Quebec. Since transfer duties are only payable from the time the transfer is registered in the land register (section 6 of the Act), some property structures make it possible, in practice, to avoid paying them. One of these ownership structures consists in registering a nominee corporation as the owner in the land register, while the real owner is the corporation’s shareholder. This way, upon the sale of the property, it is not the nominee corporation who is a party to the transaction, but rather its shareholder who sells the property and the shares of the nominee corporation. The name of the owner of the immovable remaining unchanged in the land register, this makes it possible to avoid paying transfer duties. These transactions deprive municipalities of significant revenues, as was the case for Quebec City when the Hotel Le Concorde was sold in 2014. The 2016-2017 budget tabled on March 17, 2016 by Minister of Finance Carlos Leitão (the “Budget”) provides for significant amendments to the Act to end this practice. Therefore, effective from March 18, 2016, the Act will be amended to provide that the payment of transfer duties will be due from the date an immovable is transferred, irrespective of whether or not the transfer deed is registered in the land register. In the case of a transfer which is not registered in the land register, the transferee will be required to file a notice of disclosure within 90 days from the date of the transfer, failing which he will be required to pay to the Minister of Revenue supplementary duties equal to 150% of the transfer duties payable in respect of the transfer, as well as interest. The Budget also announces other, more technical changes to the Act, which are summarized hereinafter. Although most of the changes announced in the Budget also apply from March 18, 2016, it must be noted that no bill has been tabled. Pending the adoption of the Budget and the tabling of a Bill, it is recommended to rely on what is provided for in the Budget. Tightening of some exemptions Transfer between a legal person and a natural person who controls the shares: clarifications as to the concept of “control” Until the Budget, there was an exemption from transfer duties when the transfer of an immovable was made between, on the one hand, a natural person and, on the other hand, a legal person, 90% of the issued fully voting shares of whom were owned by the natural person immediately before the transfer. The Budget specifies the conditions for the exemption as to the 90% percentage which must henceforth be established by calculating the number of votes attached to the issued shares of the share capital of the legal person, irrespective of the number of shares held. This amendment does away with the ambiguity that existed in the case of multiple voting shares. Transfer between “closely related legal persons”: reduction in scope of this definition An exemption is also provided for when the transfer of an immovable occurs between two closely related persons. Until the Budget, legal persons were considered to be closely related, particularly when one of them held either (i) more than 90% of the fully voting shares of the other legal person or (ii) at least 90% of the fair market value (FMV) of all the shares issued and outstanding of the other legal person. The Budget restricts the scope of the definition of “closely related legal persons” by deleting the criterion based on the FMV of the shares because it was difficult in practice to verify compliance. It is to be noted that for the purpose of this definition, the obligation to hold 90% of the voting shares will also be replaced with an obligation for one of the legal persons to hold 90% of the voting rights attached to the issued shares of the share capital of the other legal person, irrespective of the number of shares held. New obligation to maintain the conditions for exemption for a minimum period of 24 months following or preceding the transfer Furthermore, in order to eliminate some schemes, the sole purpose of which is to momentarily satisfy the exemption condition related to the percentage of voting rights, the Act will be amended to introduce a minimum period during which the condition for exemption of exempted transfers will be required to be maintained. Thus, in the case of the exempted transfer of an immovable by a natural person to a legal person or between two closely related legal persons, compliance with the condition for exemption pertaining to the percentage of voting rights must maintain for a 24 month period following the transfer. In the case of the transfer by a legal person to a natural person, the exemption will only be granted if the condition has been complied with for a minimum period of 24 months preceding the transfer. If the legal person which transferred the immovable to a legal person has been incorporated for less than 24 months prior to the transfer, the exemption from the payment of the transfer duties will be granted provided that the condition of exemption has been satisfied from the date of the incorporation of the legal person until the moment immediately preceding the transfer. In the case where a transferee ceases to be entitled to the exemption, he will be required to pay the transfer duties. In such a case, a notice of disclosure will be required to be provided to the municipality within 90 days from the date on which such condition ceases being met, failing which the transferee will be required to pay to the Minister of Revenue supplementary duties equal to 150% of the transfer duties payable in respect of the transfer, as well as interest. Beware of some provisions of shareholder agreements and other agreements Furthermore, when, during the 24-month period preceding or following, as the case may be, the date of transfer of an immovable which allowed the transferee to benefit from the exemption from transfer duties, a person acquires the right to acquire or control the voting rights or require the legal person to redeem, acquire or cancel shares of its share capital held by other shareholders, it will then be deemed to have acquired the shares on which this right applies, except for some exceptions which will be found in the amendments to the Act. New exemption for transfer between former common-law partners The Act will be amended to introduce an exemption from the payment of the transfer duties when the transfer of an immovable is made between former common-law partners within 12 months following the breakup. Common-law partners are two persons who have been living together in a marital relationship for a 12-month period or are the father and mother of a same child. This amendment will apply in respect of the transfer of an immovable made after March 17, 2016.

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  1. Isabelle P. Mercure and Marie-Nancy Paquet take over as managers of the Sherbrooke office

    Lavery is pleased to announce that Isabelle P. Mercure and Marie-Nancy Paquet have been appointed to run the Sherbrooke office. Our two partners are taking over from Christian Dumoulin, who was Managing Partner for over eight years. Isabelle P. Mercure will also be joining the firm’s Management Committee. An engaging duo We are convinced that our two partners’ complementary skills will ensure that our Sherbrooke teams are fully engaged, our business grows and our firm is well-positioned in the Estrie region. Isabelle joined the firm in 2014, specializing in transactional and tax law. She focuses her practice mainly on corporate law, trusts and taxation, and has developed a sought-after expertise with a diverse clientele of healthcare professionals.   As for Marie-Nancy, she joined Lavery in 2018 and is a partner in the litigation group. She practices mainly in civil liability, health and social services law, personal insurance and contract management, in addition to leading large-scale class actions. About Lavery Lavery is the leading independent law firm in Québec. Its more than 200 professionals, based in Montréal, Québec City, Sherbrooke and Trois-Rivières, work every day to offer a full range of legal services to organizations doing business in Québec. Recognized by the most prestigious legal directories, Lavery professionals are at the heart of what is happening in the business world and are actively involved in their communities. The firm’s expertise is frequently sought after by numerous national and international partners to provide support in cases under Québec jurisdiction.

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  2. The Best Lawyers in Canada 2024 recognize 68 lawyers of Lavery

    Lavery is pleased to announce that 68 of its lawyers have been recognized as leaders in their respective fields of expertise by The Best Lawyers in Canada 2024. The following lawyers also received the Lawyer of the Year award in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in Canada: Josianne Beaudry : Mining Law Jules Brière : Administrative and Public Law Bernard Larocque : Professional Malpractice Law Carl Lessard : Workers' Compensation Law Consult the complete list of Lavery's lawyers and their fields of expertise: Josianne Beaudry : Mergers and Acquisitions Law / Mining Law Laurence Bich-Carrière : Class Action Litigation / Contruction Law / Corporate and Commercial Litigation / Product Liability Law Dominic Boivert : Insurance Law Luc R. Borduas : Corporate Law / Mergers and Acquisitions Law Daniel Bouchard : Environmental Law Elizabeth Bourgeois : Labour and Employment Law (Ones To Watch) René Branchaud : Mining Law / Natural Resources Law / Securities Law Étienne Brassard : Equipment Finance Law / Mergers and Acquisitions Law / Real Estate Law Jules Brière : Aboriginal Law / Indigenous Practice / Administrative and Public Law / Health Care Law Myriam Brixi : Class Action Litigation Benoit Brouillette : Labour and Employment Law Richard Burgos : Mergers and Acquisitions Law / Corporate Law / Commercial Leasing Law / Real Estate Law Marie-Claude Cantin : Insurance Law / Construction Law Brittany Carson : Labour and Employment Law Karl Chabot : Construction Law (Ones To Watch) Chantal Desjardins : Intellectual Property Law Jean-Sébastien Desroches : Corporate Law / Mergers and Acquisitions Law Raymond Doray : Privacy and Data Security Law / Administrative and Public Law / Defamation and Media Law Christian Dumoulin : Mergers and Acquisitions Law Alain Y. Dussault : Intellectual Property Law Isabelle Duval : Family Law Philippe Frère : Administrative and Public Law Simon Gagné : Labour and Employment Law Nicolas Gagnon : Construction Law Richard Gaudreault : Labour and Employment Law Julie Gauvreau : Intellectual Property Law / Biotechnology and Life Sciences Practice Audrey Gibeault : Trusts and Estates Caroline Harnois : Family Law / Family Law Mediation / Trusts and Estates Marie-Josée Hétu : Labour and Employment Law Édith Jacques : Energy Law / Corporate Law / Natural Resources Law Marie-Hélène Jolicoeur : Labour and Employment Law Isabelle Jomphe : Advertising and Marketing Law / Intellectual Property Law Guillaume Laberge : Administrative and Public Law Jonathan Lacoste-Jobin : Insurance Law Awatif Lakhdar : Family Law Bernard Larocque : Professional Malpractice Law / Class Action Litigation / Insurance Law / Legal Malpractice Law Éric Lavallée : Technology Law Myriam Lavallée : Labour and Employment Law Guy Lavoie : Labour and Employment Law / Workers' Compensation Law Jean Legault : Banking and Finance Law / Insolvency and Financial Restructuring Law Carl Lessard : Workers' Compensation Law / Labour and Employment Law Josiane L'Heureux : Labour and Employment Law Despina Mandilaras : Construction Law / Corporate and Commercial Litigation (Ones To Watch) Hugh Mansfield : Intellectual Property Law Zeïneb Mellouli : Labour and Employment Law / Workers' Compensation Law Isabelle P. Mercure : Trusts and Estates Patrick A. Molinari : Health Care Law Jessica Parent : Labour and Employment Law (Ones To Watch) Luc Pariseau : Tax Law / Trusts and Estates Ariane Pasquier : Labour and Employment Law Jacques Paul-Hus : Mergers and Acquisitions Law Audrey Pelletier : Tax Law (Ones To Watch) Hubert Pepin : Labour and Employment Law Martin Pichette : Insurance Law / Professional Malpractice Law / Corporate and Commercial Litigation Élisabeth Pinard : Family Law François Renaud : Banking and Finance Law / Structured Finance Law Judith Rochette : Insurance Law / Professional Malpractice Law Ian Rose FCIArb : Director and Officer Liability Practice / Insurance Law / Class Action Litigation Sophie Roy : Insurance Law (Ones To Watch) Chantal Saint-Onge : Corporate and Commercial Litigation (Ones To Watch) Ouassim Tadlaoui : Construction Law / Insolvency and Financial Restructuring Law Bernard Trang : Banking and Finance Law / Project Finance Law (Ones To Watch) Mylène Vallières : Mergers and Acquisitions Law / Securities Law (Ones To Watch) André Vautour : Corporate Governance Practice / Corporate Law / Information Technology Law / Intellectual Property Law / Technology Law / Energy Law Bruno Verdon : Corporate and Commercial Litigation Sébastien Vézina : Mergers and Acquisitions Law / Mining Law Yanick Vlasak : Corporate and Commercial Litigation / Insolvency and Financial Restructuring Law Jonathan Warin : Insolvency and Financial Restructuring Law These recognitions are further demonstration of the expertise and quality of legal services that characterize Lavery’s professionals. About Lavery Lavery is the leading independent law firm in Quebec. Its more than 200 professionals, based in Montréal, Quebec, Sherbrooke and Trois-Rivières, work every day to offer a full range of legal services to organizations doing business in Quebec. Recognized by the most prestigious legal directories, Lavery professionals are at the heart of what is happening in the business world and are actively involved in their communities. The firm’s expertise is frequently sought after by numerous national and international partners to provide support in cases under Quebec jurisdiction.

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  3. Lavery represents Bestar inc. in a transaction with Novacap

    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).

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  4. Two Lavery teams from Sherbrooke participate in the Relais du Lac Memphrémagog

    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

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