This section keeps you up-to-date on the latest news and upcoming public appearances of Lavery professionals.
News
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Lavery Lawyers represents MTY in the acquisition of the Yuzu Sushi franchise network
On July 16, MTY formalized the acquisition of Yuzu Sushi, a fast-growing franchise network with more than 100 sushi restaurants and counters in Quebec and New Brunswick. Representing our franchise expertise, a Lavery team spearheaded by Guillaume Synnott, Jean-Sébastien Desroches, Pierre-Olivier Valiquette and Chantal Desjardins was pleased to support MTY in this transaction by proposing a multi-service offer that included our business law and intellectual property groups. MTY owns a large number of restaurant chains including Scores, Mikes, Ben & Florentine, Thaï Express, Sushi Shop and Giorgio Ristorante. In total, these chains have approximately 6,000 franchised and corporate restaurants, mainly in Canada and the United States.
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Étienne Brassard and Guillaume Synnott mentors at the Parcours Entrepreneurial Rémi-Marcoux
Once again this year, Étienne Brassard and Guillaume Synnott, respectively a partner and a lawyer of the Business Law group, delivered two workshops on May 16 and June 19 to students participating in the Parcours Entrepreneurial Remi-Marcoux of the HEC Montréal on governance, financing, corporate law, and other issues for young entrepreneurs. Students were also offered one-on-one consulting time to discuss their specific cases and establish a solid legal base for both their business model and the future of their company.
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Sébastien Vézina, Guillaume Synnott and Guillaume Lavoie represent Quebec Silicon in signing an agreement with the Government of Quebec
Sébastien Vézina, Guillaume Synnott and Guillaume Lavoie, members of the Business Law Group, represented Quebec Silicon Limited Partnership in the signing of an agreement with the Government of Quebec that was announced on January 17, 2017. The agreement provides for shared risk energy pricing for Quebec Silicon in consideration of a commitment to operate its silicon production plant at maximum capacity and an investment of a minimum of $12.6 million over the next four years. This will enable Quebec Silicon to preserve 175 jobs in the Centre-du-Québec region. For more information, click here to read the Government of Quebec news release relating to this announcement.
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Guillaume Synnott and Marie Catherine Ducharme act as coaches at Startup Weekend Montreal 2016’s FinTech edition
Guillaume Synnott, lawyer, and Marie Catherine Ducharme, articling student, in Lavery’s Business Law Group acted as coaches at the Startup Weekend Montreal 2016 - FinTech an entrepreneurship competition that was held in November. Participants had 54 hours to develop a viable FinTech business proposal, which they then presented to a panel made up of industry professionals. In their role as coaches, Guillaume and Marie Catherine advised participating entrepreneurs on legal issues regarding their business concepts. Lavery also handed out a prize to the winning team.
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Louis Charette, Guillaume Lavoie, Judith Houle-Couture and Guillaume Synnott participate in the Fondation Montréal Inc.’s speed-coaching event
Louis Charette, Guillaume Lavoie, Judith Houle-Couture and Guillaume Synnott participated in a speed-coaching event on December 8 during which volunteers provided quick consultations to entrepreneurs. During the evening, our lawyers acted as coaches to answer questions related to business financing, commercial law, insurance law, commercial litigation and franchise law. This approach, suggested by the Fondation Montréal Inc., is greatly appreciated by all participants as it is tailored to their specific needs. The goal is to match the questions of one person with the relevant expertise of the other. Louis Charette Guillaume Lavoie Judith Houle-Couture Guillaume Synnott
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Lavery acts on behalf of Vert Médical within the scope of its acquisition by Canopy Growth Corporation
On November 1, 2016, Canopy Growth Corporation acquired Vert médical, a Quebec-based producer of medical marijuana. Lavery represented Vert médical in this file. Vert médical is a company that’s currently awaiting an authorized producer permit from Health Canada that will allow it to legally grow medical marijuana in its ultramodern plant in Saint-Lucien. In return for Vert médical’s shares, Canopy Growth assumed a debt of approximately $500,000 and acquired the lease and the right of purchase on 90 acres of land and a 7,000-sq.-ft. administrative center and indoor growing plant. Moreover, it will issue Canopy shares – close to 300,000, to be issued progressively as a function of reaching certain milestones – to former shareholders. Canopy also simultaneously acquired 75 % of the issued and circulating shares of Groupe H.E.M.P.ca, in return for a payment $300,000, the issuance of close to 260,000 capital shares and the assumption of certain debt obligations. Lavery’s team consisted of Marilyn Paré and Alicia De Praeter, lawyers in the Business law group. Over the course of the mandate, they were supported by Vincent Towner and Mylène Boisvert (Real estate), Dave Bouchard (Employment law) and Guillaume Synnott and Josianne Beaudry (Securities).
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Three lawyers of Lavery publish an article in the 2016-17 CCCA/ACCJE Corporate Counsel Directory and Yearbook
--> Mes Étienne Brassard, Guillaume Synnott and Sibylle Ferreira, from Lavery’s Business Law Group, published an article entitled “Early-Growth Financing and Capital Structure – Guiding Your Company to the Next Level” in the 2016-17 CCCA/ACCJE Corporate Counsel Directory and Yearbook. The article draws a portrait of a business’ stages of growth and the financing challenges that entrepreneurs must overcome in order to proceed to the next level. Please click here to access the electronic version of this article. .
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Société de développement de la Baie-James (SDBJ), Administration régionale Baie-James (ARBJ) and partners invest in BlackRock Metals Inc. to carry out a feasibility study for an open-pit mine
The Société de développement de la Baie-James (SDBJ), the Administration régionale Baie-James (ARBJ), the Cree Nation Government, and the Capital Mines Hydrocarbures fund, managed by Ressources Québec Inc., have invested more than $8 M in BlackRock Metals Inc. to finance a feasibility study for the development of an open-pit iron and titanium mine in the James Bay Territory. In this financing, René Branchaud and Guillaume Synnott, members of Lavery’s Business law group, acted as counsel for SDBJ and ARBJ.
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The Société du Plan Nord and two members of the Réseau Capital Baie-James announced an important investment in Innord to develop an innovative new rare earth elements separation process
The Société du Plan Nord, and two members of the Réseau Capital Baie-James, who are la Société de Développement de la Baie-James (SDBJ) and l’Administration régionale Baie-James (ARBJ), announced on March 3, 2016, an $500,000 investment in Innord Inc., a subsidiary of GéoMégA Resources inc. Sébastien Vézina, Guillaume Synnott and Éric Gélinas, three lawyers in the firm’s Business law group acted as legal counsel for the involved parties. The investment will be used to develop an innovative new process that will significantly improve the environmental performance of rare earth elements separation. Read the Société du Plan Nord press release here. Sébastien Vézina Guillaume Synnott Éric Gélinas
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Étienne Brassard and Guillaume Synnott offer a series of training sessions for HEC Montréal’s Rémi Marcoux Entrepreneurial Track
On March 3, Étienne Brassard and Guillaume Synnott, members of Lavery’s GO Inc. Program and business law group, will give the first of three training sessions on legal issues faced by startups to members of the third cohort of HEC Montréal’s Rémi-Marcoux Entrepreneurial Track. Lavery is proud to partner with the Rémi-Marcoux Entrepreneurial Track, a pre-accelerator program training and developing Quebec’s future entrepreneurs.
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Jean-Philippe Turgeon and Guillaume Synnott, authors of an article in Canadian Business Franchise
Mr. Jean-Philippe Turgeon and Mr. Guillaume Synnott, a Franchise and Distribution Law partner and associate at Lavery respectively, are the authors of an article entitled “Takeaways from the Dunkin’s Donuts Decision” published in the September 2015 issue of Canadian Business Franchise. In their article, Mr. Jean-Philippe Turgeon and Mr. Guillaume Synnott highlight the recent Dunkin’ Donuts judgment from the Court of Appeal of Quebec which clarifies the extent of the contractual implicit obligations of the franchisors toward their franchisees, such as the franchisor’s obligation to take reasonable measures in order to protect and enhance its brand and franchise system. To read this article, click here.
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Lavery hosts a conference on entrepreneurship in South Korea
On May 20, 2015, Lavery hosted a breakfast-conference on the subject of entrepreneurship in South Korea, organized by the Quebec-Asia Law & Business Association (QALBA) and presented by Mr. Michael Lee, founding member of G20 YEA (Young Entrepreneurs’ Alliance) and YES Korea (Young Entrepreneurs’ Society of Korea), and CEO of CreBiz Factory, a consulting firm. This conference, designed to be an introduction to the business culture and strategic areas of economic development in South Korea, was presented to 15 young entrepreneurs and professionals. Mr. Jin Hur, Consul General and Ambassador of the Republic of Korea, also attended the conference. QALBA is a forum for young professionals and entrepreneurs wanting to strengthen economic ties between Quebec and Asia and is presided by Guillaume Synnott, lawyer in Lavery’s Business Law Group.