Édith Jacques Partner, Lawyer

Édith Jacques Partner, Lawyer

Office

  • Montréal

Phone number

514 878-5622

Fax

514 871-8977

Bar Admission

  • Québec, 1995

Languages

  • English
  • French

Profile

Partner

Édith Jacques is Chairman of the Board of Directors of the firm and a partner in Montréal’s Business law group. She specializes in mergers and acquisitions, commercial law, as well as international law and acts as business and strategic consultant to mid- and large-size companies.

Ms. Jacques regularly represents private companies in a wide range of transactions, including the acquisition and sale of businesses and the negotiation of  distribution, supply, and manufacturing agreements for both the domestic and international markets. She also represents businesses in the implementation of structures and commercial agreements enabling them to expand into other countries.

Ms. Jacques also acts as strategic advisor to firms, helping them to implement business structures supporting their growth while managing and controlling risk. Her comprehensive vision of her clients’ corporate and commercial structure, risks, and objectives enables her to offer strategic advice adapted to their specific needs.

Ms. Jacques also supports clients in the development of new products and distribution networks and the management and implementation of projects.

She plays an active role in companies in the manufacturing and energy sectors.

Ms. Jacques is known for her versatility, common sense, and pragmatic approach to a wide variety of commercial matters.

Professional and community activities

  • Active in several sports, community, and social organizations

Distinctions

  • Chambers Canada in the field of Corporate and Commercial Law, 2025
  • The Canadian Legal LEXPERT® Directory in the field of Mergers and Acquisitions, since 2024
  • The Best Lawyers in Canada in the field of Natural Resources Law, 2024
  • The Canadian Legal LEXPERT® Directory in the field of Corporate Mid-Market, since 2023
  • The Canadian Legal LEXPERT® Directory in the field of Corporate Commercial Law, since 2022
  • The Best Lawyers in Canada in the field of Corporate Law since 2019
  • The Best Lawyers in Canada in the field of Energy Law since 2020
  • Appointed influential graduate of Université Laval in 2017 (1000 people out of 285 000 graduates are on this list
  • Cross-border transaction prize of the year in 2019 of the M & A Club for the Camso / Michelin transaction
  • Recognized as one of Canada's Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers in 2019 by Canadian Lawyer magazine
Best Lawyer of the Year 2021

Education

  • ICD-Rotman Directors Education Program (DEP), Insitute of Corporate Directors, 2021
  • Major in administration, Université Laval, 1998
  • LL.B., Université Laval, 1994

Boards and Professional Affiliations

  • Member of the Board of Directors of the firm (2013-2018) and (since 2023)
    • Chair (since 2024)
  • Chair and director of Manufacturiers et exportateurs du Québec
  • Director of Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters 
  • Member of Quebec caucus of CanWEA
  1. Announcement of U.S. Customs Tariffs: Repercussions and Trade Strategies for Canadian and Quebec Businesses

    Nearly four years after the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (the “CUSMA” or the “Agreement”) came into force, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump announced on November 25, 2024, that he would impose 25% tariffs on all products entering the U.S. from Canada and Mexico, starting on the first day of his presidency, that is, January 20, 2025. Mr. Trump added that the tariffs would remain in effect until Canada and Mexico strengthened their border policies, which he blames for the increase in illegal immigration and the trafficking of devastating drugs in the United States. As a reminder, under the current provisions of the CUSMA, most products made in Quebec and Canada can be sold on U.S. markets without tariffs applying. President Trump has repeated his intention to implement such customs tariffs on several occasions since his announcement at the end of November. However, no real measure has yet been taken to impose these customs tariffs. Still, should he choose to go ahead with his threat, there appears to be several legislative provisions on which his administration could rely to implement these tariffs. His administration could invoke the CUSMA’s essential security exception, which allows a party to the Agreement to apply any measure deemed necessary to protect its essential security interests, the national security exception in the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, which President Trump’s first administration used in 2018 to introduce tariffs on U.S. imports of certain steel and aluminum products, or the provisions of the National Emergencies Act. Needless to say, the announcement sent shockwaves through the political and business communities in Canada and Quebec what with the close commercial ties that the U.S. has with Canada, including with Quebec. In the first quarter of 2024 alone, Quebec’s merchandise exports to the U.S. reached CAN$21.2 billion, which accounts for nearly 74.6% of the province’s international merchandise exports and makes the U.S. Quebec’s main trading partner on the world stage. The imposition of 25% tariffs would therefore significantly affect Quebec businesses. It would make them less competitive on the U.S. market, on which they rely heavily to export their products. The measure could be particularly detrimental to the Canadian forestry industry, which is already severely affected by tariffs of nearly 15% on lumber. The U.S. economy would also be considerably affected by such protectionist tariffs. While in the short term, tariffs could benefit certain domestic manufacturers and producers, in the longer term, they are likely to harm the U.S. economy as a whole. Many U.S. manufacturers would face higher costs of inputs, and established supply chains would be disrupted, in particular in the automotive and steel industries. To continue to make profits, many U.S. companies could be forced to pass on the additional costs to their end consumers by raising the prices of their products, which would undoubtedly result in another wave of inflation. Worth mentioning also are the retaliatory measures that the Canadian government may want to implement in response to such tariffs, which could affect certain parts of the U.S. economy. Although the CUSMA provides for dispute resolution mechanisms, they are unlikely to lessen the impact of the measures that the Trump administration is considering in the short term, as a final decision under these mechanisms could take a long time to be issued. The new U.S. administration could use the announcement made on November 25 as leverage in future CUSMA renewal negotiations, the preparatory discussions for which are slated to begin next year, or in negotiations for a separate trade agreement between the U.S. and Canada that would exclude Mexico. Canadian businesses would do well to encourage their various trade associations to take steps to lobby both American decision-makers and their corporate customers in the U.S. and remind them of the harmful effects that the announced tariffs may have on American businesses. While we wait for a more detailed announcement with information concerning specific tariff exemptions in particular, we suggest that businesses choose their future trading partners with great care. In an increasingly protectionist global economic context, a strategy involving the diversification of trading partners is the best way for businesses to offset the risks associated with a particular country’s tariff policies. The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement signed by Canada and the European Union in 2017, which our firm helped to negotiate, may prove to be an interesting solution in this respect. Our team of commercial law and tax professionals is available to help you find solutions to the issues arising from this announcement. With our expertise, we can assist you in your commercial negotiations and help you develop strategies to mitigate the impact that the announced tariff increase may have on your business.

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  2. Exporting to the United States: C-TPAT Portal 2.0

    A few weeks ago now, "CBP" ("U.S. Customs and Border Protection") launched the new "C-TPAT" ("Custom-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism") Portal 2.0. For Canadian exporters who are members of C-TPAT, this requires that they bring themselves up to date without further delay so that they are in compliance on a timely basis with the new requirements and with the Portal's new method of operation. C-TPAT is a program launched by CBP in 2001 which today numbers more than 10,000 members, including American importers, Canadian, American and Mexican common carriers, American customs brokers, and Canadian and Mexican manufacturers, among others. When companies join this partnership, they must sign a cooperation agreement with CBP to control and protect their supply chain, identify problems and gaps in security and implement additional security measures, where required. Also, member companies must create a security profile which sets out the specific security measures that each company has put in place to supervise and coordinate its operations, particularly regarding the choice of business partners it works with, the security of the company's establishments (alarm system, video surveillance, control of access), the choice of its personnel, security training, and management of the information technology. In order to improve this system and meet the supplementary security requirements, C-TPAT has developed Portal 2.0 with the goal of offering its members more options, greater flexibility, and the ability to manage multiple accounts out of one main account. THE FOLLOWING ARE THE MAIN CHANGES FROM PORTAL 1.0: members must reset their passwords and include security questions; if the information in their account is incomplete, members must update it when they first log in to Portal 2.0; and failure to complete this information could prevent members from carrying out any actions or operations on their account. This exporting tool is expected to undergo further improvements and changes over the coming months and years. It is therefore essential for Canadian exporters, whether or not they are members of C-TPAT, to stay informed of the most recent developments. Lavery can help you with any questions you may have regarding C-TPAT.

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  1. Five partners named Canadian leaders in Infrastructure Law by Lexpert

    On April 30, 2025, Lexpert recognized the expertise of five of our partners in its 2025 Lexpert Special Edition:Infrastructure. Jean-Sébastien Desroches, Nicolas Gagnon, Édith Jacques, Marc-André Landry and André Vautour now rank among Canada’s leaders in supporting economic players in the infrastructure industry. Jean-Sébastien Desroches practises business law and focuses primarily on mergers and acquisitions, infrastructure, renewable energy and project development as well as strategic partnerships. He has had the opportunity to steer several major transactions—complex legal operations, cross-border transactions, reorganizations, and investments—in Canada and at an international level on behalf of Canadian, American, and European clients and international corporations and institutional clients in the manufacturing, transportation, pharmaceutical, financial, and renewable energy sectors. Nicolas Gagnon focuses his practice on construction law and suretyship. He counsels contractors, public and private sector clients, professional services firms as well as surety companies at every stage of construction projects. He advises clients on the public bidding and procurement processes and participates in the negotiation and drafting of contractual documents involving various project delivery methods, such as public-private partnership projects and design, construction, financing and maintenance contracts. In addition to advising various construction industry stakeholders on construction management and any claims that may arise, he also assists them with dispute resolution processes. Édith Jacques is a partner in the Business Law Group in Montréal. She specializes in mergers and acquisitions and commercial and international law. Édith acts as strategic business advisor for medium to large private companies. Marc-André Landry is a member of the Litigation and Conflict Resolution group and focuses his practice on commercial litigation. He frequently assists his clients in resolving their disputes through negotiation, mediation or arbitration, or before the various courts of law. Over the years, he has represented businesses in many sectors, including construction, real estate, renewable energy, conventional energy, new technologies, financial services and pharmaceuticals. André Vautour practises corporate law and commercial law, and is specifically interested in corporate governance, strategic alliances, joint ventures, investment funds, and mergers and acquisitions of private companies. He also practises technology law (drafting technology development and transfer agreements, licensing agreements, distribution agreements, outsourcing agreements, and e-commerce agreements). About Lavery Lavery is the leading independent law firm in Quebec. 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 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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  2. Seven partners named as Canadian leaders in finance and mergers and acquisitions by Lexpert

    On April 16, 2025, Lexpert recognized the expertise of seven of our partners in its 2025 Lexpert Special Edition: Finance and M&A. Josianne Beaudry now ranks among Canada’s leaders in the area of finance and Étienne Brassard, Jean-Sébastien Desroches, Édith Jacques, Paul Martel and André Vautour are among Canada’s leading lawyers in mergers and acquisitions. Finance Josianne Beaudry is a partner and a member of the firm’s Business Law group. Josianne is primarily focused on securities law, investment funds and mining law. She also advises financial sector participants on the application of regulations relating to securities and corporate governance. Mergers and Acquisitions Étienne Brassard practises business law, more specifically corporate financing, mergers and acquisitions and corporate law. He advises local and international businesses in relation to all forms of private financing, from traditional or convertible debt to equity investments. Jean-Sébastien Desroches practises business law and focuses primarily on mergers and acquisitions, infrastructure, renewable energy and project development as well as strategic partnerships. Édith Jacques is a partner in our Business Law Group in Montréal. She specializes in mergers and acquisitions, commercial law and international law. Édith acts as strategic business advisor for medium to large private companies. Paul Martel is a partner in the Business Law Group. He practises primarily in the area of corporate law, focusing on corporations, not-for-profit corporations and general partnerships. He is also an expert in commercial contracts. Paul is recognized for his ability to find effective, innovative solutions to the most complex legal issues in corporate law. André Vautour practises corporate law and commercial law, and is specifically interested in corporate governance, strategic alliances, joint ventures, investment funds, and mergers and acquisitions of private companies. About Lavery Lavery is the leading independent law firm in Quebec. 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 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. 33 partners from Lavery ranked in the 2025 edition of The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory

    Lavery is proud to announce that 33 partners are ranked among the leading practitioners in Canada in their respective practice areas in the 2025 edition of The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory. The following Lavery partners are listed in the 2025 edition of The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory: Advertising Isabelle Jomphe Aviation Étienne Brassard Asset Securitization Brigitte M. Gauthier Class Actions Laurence Bich-Carrière Myriam Brixi Construction Law Nicolas Gagnon Marc-André Landry Corporate Commercial Law Laurence Bich-Carrière Étienne Brassard Jean-Sébastien Desroches Christian Dumoulin Édith Jacques    Alexandre Hébert Paul Martel André Vautour    Corporate Finance & Securities Josianne Beaudry          René Branchaud Corporate Mid-Market Étienne Brassard Jean-Sébastien Desroches Christian Dumoulin Alexandre Hébert Édith Jacques    André Vautour Data Privacy Raymond Doray Employment Law Simon Gagné Richard Gaudreault Marie-Josée Hétu Guy Lavoie Josiane L’Heureux Family Law Elisabeth Pinard Infrastructure Law Nicolas Gagnon Insolvency & Financial Restructuring Jean Legault      Ouassim Tadlaoui Yanick Vlasak Jonathan Warin Intellectual Property Chantal Desjardins Alain Y. Dussault Labour (Management) Benoit Brouillette Simon Gagné Richard Gaudreault Marie-Josée Hétu Guy Lavoie Litigation - Commercial Insurance Dominic Boisvert Martin Pichette Litigation - Corporate Commercial Laurence Bich-Carrière Marc-André Landry Litigation - Product Liability Laurence Bich-Carrière Myriam Brixi Mergers & Acquisitions Josianne Beaudry    Étienne Brassard       Jean-Sébastien Desroches Christian Dumoulin Edith Jacques Mining Josianne Beaudry           René Branchaud Sébastien Vézina Occupational Health & Safety Josiane L'Heureux Workers' Compensation Marie-Josée Hétu Guy Lavoie Carl Lessard   The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, published since 1997, is based on an extensive peer survey process. It includes profiles of leading practitioners across Canada in more than 60 practice areas and leading law firms in more than 40 practice areas. It also features articles highlighting current legal issues and recent developments of importance. Congratulations to our lawyers for these appointments, which reflect the talent and expertise of our team. 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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