News

On March 29, 2022, ImmunoPrecise Antibodies Ltd (IPA) announced that it acquired BioStrand BV, BioKey BV, and BioClue BV (together, “BioStrand”), a group of Belgian entities pioneers in the field of bioinformatics and biotechnology. With this €20 million acquisition, IPA will be able to leverage BioStrand’s revolutionary AI-powered methodology to accelerate the development of therapeutic antibody solutions. In addition to creating synergies with its subsidiaries, IPA expects to develop new markets with this revolutionary technology and strengthen its position as a world leader in biotherapeutics. Lavery was privileged to support IPA in this cross-border transaction by providing specialized expertise in cybersecurity, intellectual property, securities and mergers and acquisitions. The Lavery team was led by Selena Lu (transactional) and included Eric Lavallée (technology and intellectual property), Serge Shahinian (intellectual property), Sébastien Vézina (securities), Catherine Méthot (transactional), Jean-Paul Timothée (securities and transactional), Siddhartha Borissov-Beausoleil (transactional), Mylène Vallières (securities) and Marie-Claude Côté (securities). ImmunoPrecise Antibodies Ltd. is a biotherapeutic, innovation-powered company that supports its business partners in their quest to discover and develop novel antibodies against a broad range of target classes and diseases.

Olivier Boileau – Associate Lavery is pleased to announce that an associate and a paralegal have joined the firm Olivier Boileau is an associate and member of the firm’s Litigation and Conflict Resolution Group, and his practice focuses primarily on civil, commercial and corporate litigation. « What convinced me to join the Lavery team was the organic opportunity to continue my practice in commercial law within a team of experienced lawyers. Working at Lavery means joining a team that wants to provide the best practical solutions to their clients without ever compromising the excellence of their legal advice. » Emile Goethals – Paralegal Emilie is a paralegal in the Business Law group. She assists notaries and lawyers with the start-up, reorganization, transfer and financing of companies. “Lavery has a modern and fresh identity. Coming from a corporate background that included multinational corporations, and having recently moved to another province, it was important for me to find a solid foundation and a foothold to feel like I was in somewhat familiar territory. A gentle balance between precision, thoroughness, high standards and customer satisfaction. I think I found these values when I joined the teams at this major firm.”

Lavery is pleased to announce that two recently sworn-in lawyers are joining Lavery following the completion of their articling within the firm. Siddhartha Borissov-Beausoleil Siddhartha is joining our Business Law group and practices mainly in transactional and commercial law. He obtained his law degree at McGill University with a major in Commercial Negotiation and Dispute Resolution. « I joined Lavery's team in 2019 and my team members have proven to be welcoming, competent and driven by a strong spirit of collaboration. I begin my business law practice with confidence, knowing that I am surrounded by polyvalent experts, all ready to support me in my development. Indeed, I am well equipped to pursue my professional growth! » Béatrice Bull Béatrice is joining our Business Law group and practices primarily in the area of transactional law, particularly in the area of venture capital. Béatrice obtained a dual degree in civil and common law at McGill University. « My team members have been the most determining element in my decision to join the firm. Being surrounded by passionate, determined and friendly professionals is also being in a stimulating work environment and this is definitely what motivates me to give my 100% in what I undertake! »

Once again, Lavery is ranked number one in Canadian Lawyer magazine’s list of the Top 10 Quebec Regional Law Firms. Lavery remains the benchmark in Quebec when it comes to delivering legal services, according to the many private practice and in-house lawyers who responded to this Canada-wide survey. The firm’s professionals stood out among their peers for their analytical minds, business savvy, and solution-oriented approach. This distinction highlights the excellent services and deep expertise that our firm has built its reputation on. Additionally, Lavery’s presence in the province’s four main business centres reflects our commitment to serving businesses of all sizes that contribute to Quebec’s economic development. This recognition is a testament to our ability to adapt to the serious challenges that our clients have faced over the past two years. It shows that we are continuing to distinguish ourselves by offering 360° legal services that meet the expectations and requirements of key players in the Quebec economy. For more information on the survey results, please visit the Canadian Lawyer website https://www.canadianlawyermag.com/rankings/top-10-quebec-regional-firms/364636

This March 8, we celebrate International Women’s Day. This is an opportunity for Lavery to not only spotlight the women who make us shine daily but also the actions we take in favour of equality and diversity. International Women’s Day is a time to recognize and promote unity and defend women’s rights around the world and, especially, to collectively honour the progress we made for gender equality in the workplace to inspire future generations. Here's a breakdown of the number of women who work and lead in our firm. Despite the progress, we still have much to do and we must never give up!

Lavery is proud to announce that 40 partners are ranked among the leading practitioners in Canada in their respective practice areas in the 2022 edition of The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory. The following Lavery partners are listed in the 2022 edition of The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory:   Asset and Equipment Finance Étienne Brassard Class Actions Myriam Brixi Construction Law Nicolas Gagnon Corporate Commercial Law Étienne Brassard Jean-Sébastien Desroches Christian Dumoulin Édith Jacques André Vautour Corporate Finance & Securities René Branchaud Employment Law Richard Gaudreault Marie-Josée Hétu, CRIA Guy Lavoie Environmental Law Daniel Bouchard Family Law Caroline Harnois Awatif Lakhdar Intellectual Property Chantal Desjardins Isabelle Jomphe Alain Y. Dussault Insolvency Litigation Jean Legault Yanick Vlasak Jonathan Warin Insolvency & Financial Restructuring Yanick Vlasak Labour Relations Benoit Brouillette Michel Desrosiers Simon Gagné Richard Gaudreault Danielle Gauthier, CRHA Michel Gélinas Marie-Josée Hétu, CRIA Marie-Hélène Jolicoeur Myriam Lavallée Guy Lavoie Zeïneb Mellouli Litigation - Corporate Commercial Laurence Bich-Carrière Litigation - Commercial Insurance Marie-Claude Cantin Bernard Larocque Martin Pichette Judith Rochette Litigation - Product Liability Laurence Bich-Carrière Mergers & Acquisitions Jean-Sébastien Desroches André Vautour Mining Josianne Beaudry René Branchaud Sébastien Vézina Occupational Health & Safety Josiane L’Heureux Éric Thibaudeau Property Leasing Richard Burgos Workers' Compensation Laurence Bourgeois-Hatto Marie-Josée Hétu, CRIA Guy Lavoie Carl Lessard Éric Thibaudeau The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory is the most comprehensive publication to legal talent in the country and it identifies leading practitioners in over 60 separate practice areas and leading law firms in over 40 practice areas. It is a reference guide for Canadian and foreign corporate counsels and law firms in need of specialized legal services in Canada. For more information, please visit Lexpert’s website at: http://www.lexpert.ca/directory.

Lavery is pleased to announce that two lawyers are joining the firm, in the Montreal office. Charles-Hugo Gagné Charles-Hugo is a lawyer in the Business Law group and a member of the firm’s tax law team. In the course of his practice, Charles-Hugo participates in planning, analyzing and implementing tax structures and strategies as part of major commercial transactions, both in Canada and abroad. “Both local businesses and international companies turn to Lavery when they need solutions to their most complex issues. For a young lawyer, this translates into a remarkable diversity of mandates and makes it possible to work on major cases while staying grounded in the business reality of entrepreneurs. It is this plurality of exposure combined with the partners’ commitment to the advancement of their junior peers that convinced me to join Lavery. Such proximity to exceptional mentors fosters better transmission of knowledge, forges more competent lawyers and ultimately makes the firm stronger.” When I joined this team, which places great emphasis on competence and excellence but values collegiality and collaboration just as much, I immediately knew that I was in the right place and that I aspired to grow within Lavery. When starting a career, it’s important to surround yourself with accomplished professionals, but also with people who inspire you. That’s what I found at Lavery.   Stephanie-Ann Morgan Stephanie-Ann is a member of the firm’s Business Law Group, and her practice focuses primarily on real estate, transactional and financing law. She represents owners, financial institutions, government entities, landlords and tenants in purchasing and selling, real estate financing and leasing transactions. “I was looking for a stimulating professional environment that values collaborative work and individual initiative. Working at Lavery Lawyers will be an opportunity to contribute to a large firm with a long-standing reputation in the legal industry and to be able to serve a diverse and prominent client base.”

Lavery is pleased to announce that Nicolas Gagnon, a partner in construction law and surety law, was elected to the board of directors of the Corporation des entrepreneurs généraux du Québec for a second term at its 25th annual general meeting held on January 27, 2022. CEGQ is a corporation that defends the interests of general contractors and the construction industry by contributing to Quebec’s development, particularly as regards the economy and sustainability. For more information, please visit CEGQ’s board of directors page: https://www.cegq.com/fr/conseil-dadministration

Lavery is pleased to welcome the following professionals as partners in the firm: Dominic Boisvert France Camille De Mers Catherine Deslauriers Chloé Fauchon Pier-Olivier Fradette Marie-Eve Pomerleau These talented lawyers who are rising to the rank of partner have shown a strong commitment to the firm and the profession in recent years, and they brilliantly embody Lavery’s values: Excellence, Collaboration, Audacity and Entrepreneurship. “We offer them our congratulations on this significant achievement in their legal careers. The diversity in background of our new partners is a testament to the depth of our 360° service offering and our desire to be a growth partner for companies doing business in Quebec”, said Anik Trudel, Lavery’s Chief Executive Officer.

The Court of Appeal upheld the dismissal of the class action against our client Bel-Air Laurentien Aviation. In a lengthy judgment rendered in 2019, the Superior Court had found no fault on the part of Bel-Air Laurentien Aviation and no neighborhood disturbance to speak of. The Court of Appeal upheld this conclusion. Myriam Brixi and Laurence Bich-Carrière, who led the defence of the appeal, are relieved for their client who was facing a class action estimated at several tens of millions of dollars. This case was named one of the cases to watch in 2018 by l'Actualité magazine.