This section keeps you up-to-date on the latest news and upcoming public appearances of Lavery professionals.
News
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Jean Saint-Onge recognized as leading litigation lawyer by Lexpert
Mr. Jean Saint-Onge, Ad. E., a Litigation partner at Lavery, was recognized among “Canada’s leading litigation lawyers” in the Lexpert special supplement that was included in the November 29, 2013 issue of The Globe and Mail.Mr. Saint-Onge’s expertise as a leading litigation lawyer was acknowledged particularly in the areas of class actions and product liability. He is also listed in other Lexpert publications, such as The Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory and the Lexpert Guide to the Leading US/Canada Cross-Border Litigation Lawyers in Canada, as well as in Chambers Global and Best Lawyers in Canada.
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Éric Gélinas of Lavery, author of an article on the rules pertaining to “market-to-market property”
Mr. Éric Gélinas, a legal counsel practising in Lavery’s Business Law Group, is the author of an article entitled “Règles sur les "biens évalués à la valeur du marché" détenus par les institutions financières : Comment s’y retrouver”, which was published in Vol. 33, nº 4 of the Revue de planification fiscale et financière, a publication of the Association de planification fiscale et financière.In this paper, Mr. Gélinas reviews the specific tax rules set out in sections 142.2 to 142.6 of the Income Tax Act that pertain to “market-to-market property” held by financial institutions. The author also addresses the various exceptions under the Act which are applicable to certain financial institutions or to certain property held by financial institutions.
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Luc Thibaudeau launches a book on consumer law in Quebec
Mr. Luc Thibaudeau, a Litigation partner at Lavery, has authored the Guide pratique de la société de consommation, which was officially released at the Lavery Conference on November 26, 2013 in the presence of more than 100 guests.The book was published by Éditions Yvon Blais, a division of Thomson Reuters. All royalties from the books sold in 2013 will be donated by Mr. Thibaudeau to the Alzheimer Society of Montreal.In this work, Luc Thibaudeau analyzes the Quebec Consumer Protection Act, which governs the relationships entered into between a consumer and a merchant. Written in the context of the consumer society in which we all live, the book reviews the consumer protection mechanisms that are included in the act and the extent of that protection. Mr. Thibaudeau has successfully captured the duties and obligations of both the consumer and the merchant in a global perspective that emphasizes the economic importance of the consumer society.For more information, consult the press release for the event (in French) by clicking here.
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Gérard Coulombe, principal lecturer at a conference focused on the relationships between the Director, Legal Services and the board of directors
Mr. Gérard Coulombe, Q.C., Ad. E., a Business Law partner at Lavery, acted as principal lecturer during a two-day conference focused on “The relationships between the Legal Services Department and the board of directors”. Organized by Federated Press, this event, which was held in Montreal on November 21-22, 2013, was designed for the Directors, Legal Services and Corporate Secretaries who wish to improve corporate governance.During this conference, Mr. Coulombe chaired a session that dealt with the challenges related to shareholder activism, including the different types of activist shareholders, executive compensation, the election of directors and shareholder proposals.To consult the Conference Program (in French), click here.
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Leïla Yacoubi joins Lavery as an associate
Lavery is pleased to announce that Ms. Leïla Yacoubi has recently joined the firm as an associate. Called to the Quebec Bar in 2013, Ms. Yacoubi has worked at the firm from 2010 to 2013 as a summer student and as an articling student. She will practise within the firm’s Business Law Group, particularly in the areas of securities law as well as the distribution of financial products and services.Along with her relevant expertise with respect to Canada’s financial system and mutual fund monitoring, Ms. Yacoubi is also coauthor of the volume “Structure du système financier canadien” (The Structure of Canada’s Financial System), which was published in the Jurisclasseur Québec encyclopedia at LexisNexis Canada.
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Jean Saint-Onge of Lavery interviewed by Montréal_centre-ville magazine
Mr. Jean Saint-Onge, Ad. E., a Litigation partner at Lavery, was interviewed by Thibault Temmerman for an article appearing in the Winter 2014 issue of Montréal_centre-ville magazine, a publication celebrating the talent and success of Montrealers.To read this article, click here.
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Carl Lessard and Marie-Hélène Jolicoeur of Lavery, speakers on workplace absenteeism
Mr. Carl Lessard and Ms. Marie-Hélène Jolicoeur, Labour and Employment Law partner and associate at Lavery, respectively, acted as speakers at a Labour and Employment Law breakfast conference that was held at the Lavery Conference Centre on November 13, 2013.This event, which focused on workplace absenteeism, drew about 50 people from various sectors, particularly the insurance industry. Mr. Lessard and Ms. Jolicoeur discussed several issues, such as the duties of the employer and insurer with regards to long-term absenteeism as well as the medical certificates required in these circumstances.
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Evelyne Verrier of Lavery, panelist at the 2013 Insurance and Investment Convention
Ms. Evelyne Verrier, a Litigation partner at Lavery, will be a panelist at the 2013 Insurance and Investment Convention that will be held at the Palais des congrès de Montréal on November 27. Lavery is a partner of this event, which is organized by The Insurance and Investment Journal and will draw the different players from the industry.More precisely, Ms. Verrier will act as a panelist along with Ms. Marie-Élaine Farley, Vice-President, Legal and Corporate Affairs at the Chambre de la sécurité financière, and Mr. Michel Kirouac, Vice-President General Manager of Groupe Cloutier. Moderated by Mr. Alain Thériault, Director, Life Insurance and Investment at The Insurance and Investment Journal, the panel is entitled “Battle Royale of advisors vs. compliance: fact or fiction?” The panelists will address a host of relevant issues, such as the most frequent violations committed by advisors, designing a guide to good practices intended for clients and the best way to boost sales in full compliance with regulations.
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Marie-Claude Cantin of Lavery, speaker on building safety
Ms. Marie-Claude Cantin, a Litigation partner at Lavery, acted as speaker during the 2013 Conference, which took place on November 12 and focused on the modifications to the Safety Code. Organized by LVM, a large Canadian-based soil, materials and environmental engineering consulting group, this event drew more than 170 people, particularly building professionals, experts, owners and managers.During the conference, Ms. Cantin gave participants an overview of the new building provisions. She also discussed the responsibilities of the owners with regards to building façades, multi-storey garages and water-cooling towers as well as the penal sanctions set forth in the Building Act.To consult the Conference Program (in French) click here.
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Cominar Real Estate Investment Trust completes $250 million floating rate unsecured debentures financing
On October 10, 2013, Cominar Real Estate Investment Trust completed the offering of its Series 5 floating rate senior unsecured debentures due October 9, 2015 in the principal amount of $250 million. Cominar intends to use the net proceeds of the offering to repay amounts outstanding under its credit facility and for general trust purposes. The debentures were sold by a syndicate of agents co-led by National Bank Financial Inc. and BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc., including RBC Dominion Securities Inc., Desjardins Securities Inc., CIBC World Markets Inc., Scotia Capital Inc., TD Securities Inc., HSBC Securities (Canada) Inc. and Macquarie Capital Markets Canada Ltd. The syndicate of agents was represented by a team from Lavery consisting of Marc Rochefort, Michel Servant, Guillaume Lavoie and Maxime Bergeron (corporate and securities), and Philip Nolan (tax). Cominar is the third largest diversified real estate investment trust in Canada and currently remains the largest commercial property owner in the Province of Quebec.
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Gérard Coulombe of Lavery, panelist during an event organized by the Institute for Governance of Private and Public Organizations
Mr. Gérard Coulombe, Q.C., Ad. E., a Business Law partner at Lavery, acted as a panelist on November 13, 2013 during an event organized by the Young Directors of the Institute for Governance of Private and Public Organizations (YDIGPPO) with regards to its Incubator Training Program for Young Directors.The panel, entitled “The director’s duties and challenges”, drew more than 40 young directors enrolled in the Program. The two guest panelists, Mr. Coulombe and Ms. Paulanne Jushkevich, President and CEO of the Royal Victoria Hospital Foundation, shared their views on the duties of a corporate director (for-profit or non-profit organization) as well as their respective professional experiences.
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Luc Thibaudeau of Lavery, speaker at the Seminar of the Fondation Claude Masse
Mr. Luc Thibaudeau, a Litigation partner at Lavery, gave a conference entitled “L’application de la Loi sur la protection du consommateur au domaine immobilier”, that took place on November 7, 2013 during the Seminar of the Fondation Claude Masse under the theme Protecting the real estate consumer. Acknowledging that the housing sector accounts for 15% of all complaints filed with the Office de la protection du consommateur yearly, the conference speakers discussed the legal protections granted to real estate consumers and the extent of those protections.Established to recognize the exceptional contribution of a great legal scholar to consumer law, the mission of the Fondation Claude Masse is to support research, promote education and improve the administration of justice with regards to consumer protection.For more information about the Seminar (in French), click here. The Collected Papers of the Seminar will be published during the upcoming months.