This section keeps you up-to-date on the latest news and upcoming public appearances of Lavery professionals.
News
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Lavery helps the Société du parc Jean-Drapeau adjust Canadian Grand Prix (F1) dates
Lavery was pleased to serve as legal counsel in a strategic initiative to revise the schedule of the Canadian Grand Prix. Under the new schedule, Canada’s most anticipated tourist event will be moved to the last two weekends of May starting in 2026, in order to meet various eco-responsibility objectives. Welcomed by key players in the tourism and events industry, the revised schedule will minimize the number of transatlantic flights required for F1 teams, thereby reducing the event’s carbon footprint. The initiative is part of a broader commitment to environmental and social responsibility, in line with Quebec’s efforts to promote sustainable tourism practices. In addition to bringing a boost to the local economy, the change in the Grand Prix’s dates will kick off the summer season earlier, enhancing Montréal’s and Quebec’s tourist appeal. Our team was actively involved throughout the review process, providing strategic advice and ensuring compliance with current regulations. The Lavery team was led by Sébastien Vézina, a partner in the firm’s Business Law group and the Head of the Sports and Entertainment Law team, with the support of Jean-Paul Timothée and Radia Amina Djouaher. Find out more here: 2026 Grand Prix: The funders are satisfied with the revised schedule Canadian Grand Prix to support F1 calendar rationalisation with scheduling change from 2026 | Formula 1® 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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Lavery involved in the construction of the new Île-aux-Tourtes bridge
Following a qualification process, the Ministère des Transports et de la Mobilité durable du Québec (MTMD) issued a call for tenders in 2022 for the construction of the new Île-aux-Tourtes bridge pursuant to the project delivery method known as design-build-finance (DBF). Since this was a DBF, the financing of this project had to be included in the proposals made by the selected candidates. Lavery represented the successful consortium made up of Dragados Canada Inc., Roxboro Excavation Inc. and Construction Demathieu & Bard Inc. Our role required expertise in the following areas: (a) Governance and corporate law (b) Project financing (banking and securities) (c) Public procurement (d) Construction law (e) Commercial agreements (f) Taxation Lavery represented the consortium from the call for proposals to the financial close, including the drafting phase leading up to the awarding of the contract to the consortium. The financing was the most complex part of this transaction. Under the hybrid approach retained for that project, a major credit facility to be granted by a bank syndicate had to be set up, as well the private placement of two tranches of bonds. This involved adjusting the rights and obligations of creditors on both sides within a sophisticated intercreditor agreement. The financing also required parent company guarantees, including from French and Spanish corporations, which required us to find common ground to accommodate the typical requirements of a North American financing and the specific corporate and commercial features applicable in France and Spain. To meet this challenge, we put together a multidisciplinary team, divided up the work in accordance with our professionals’ diverse expertises, and dedicated a team member exclusively to interactions with the MTMD, its lawyers and the issuers of performance bonds typical for this kind of projects. Sound project management practices were essential to the success of this team effort. It is a privilege for Lavery to have participated in this essential project allowing the people of Quebec to obtain a new bridge linking the regions of Montérégie and Montréal. The Lavery team was led by Josianne Beaudry, Nicolas Gagnon, Édith Jacques, David Tournier and André Vautour, and included Véronik Bonneville-Pesant, Katerina Kostopoulos, Jean-François Maurice, Joseph Gualdieri, Siddhartha Borissov-Beausoleil, Alexandre Turcotte, Luc Pariseau, Charles Hugo Gagné, Mickaël Pageau, Jean-Vincent Prévost-Bérubé and Yohann Lévy.