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Lavery is pleased to announce that André Vautour, Partner of the firm, has been elected Secretary of the World Services Group (WSG) 2022-2023 Board of Directors. Mr. Vautour will serve as Secretary a one-year term where he will work collaboratively with WSG leadership in assessing the strategic future and progress of the WSG mission and objectives."World Services Group is one of the largest networks of professionals in the world and has benefited greatly from the work of its leaders over the past several years. I am very pleased to serve as secretary of this organization, as are its members. WSG is an important part of our strategy in that it allows Lavery's clients to benefit from valuable legal services not only in Quebec, but in more than 150 countries and territories around the world through the leading firms that are World Services Group members." Says André Vautour. About World Services Group (WSG)World Services Group is the most prominent global network of independent firms that provides an exclusive setting and platform to connect its members to the most elite legal firms and their multinational clients worldwide. WSG provides cross industry access to a select few investment banking and accounting firms creating more expansive opportunities to service clients. The network is comprised of over 120 firms worldwide. Members act in over 150 jurisdictions with over 23,000 professionals globally.

Lavery is pleased to announce that 67 of its lawyers have been recognized as leaders in their respective fields of expertise by The Best Lawyers in Canada 2023. The following lawyers also received the Lawyer of the Year award in the 2023 edition of The Best Lawyers in Canada: René Branchaud : Natural Resources Law Chantal Desjardins : Intellectual Property Law Bernard Larocque : Legal Malpractice Law Patrick A. Molinari : Health Care Law   Consult the complete list of Lavery's lawyers and their fields of expertise: Josianne Beaudry : Mergers and Acquisitions Law / Mining Law Laurence Bich-Carrière : Class Action Litigation / Corporate and Commercial Litigation / Product Liability Law Dominic Boivert : Insurance Law (Ones To Watch) Luc R. Borduas : Corporate Law / Mergers and Acquisitions Law Daniel Bouchard : Environmental Law Laurence Bourgeois-Hatto : Workers' Compensation Law René Branchaud : Mining Law / Natural Resources Law / Securities Law Étienne Brassard : Equipment Finance Law / Mergers and Acquisitions Law / Real Estate Law Jules Brière : Aboriginal Law / Indigenous Practice / Administrative and Public Law / Health Care Law Myriam Brixi : Class Action Litigation Benoit Brouillette : Labour and Employment Law Richard Burgos : Mergers and Acquisitions Law / Corporate Law Marie-Claude Cantin : Insurance Law / Construction Law Brittany Carson : Labour and Employment Law Eugene Czolij : Corporate and Commercial Litigation France Camille De Mers : Mergers and Acquisitions Law (Ones To Watch) Chantal Desjardins : Intellectual Property Law Jean-Sébastien Desroches : Corporate Law / Mergers and Acquisitions Law Raymond Doray : Privacy and Data Security Law / Administrative and Public Law / Defamation and Media Law Christian Dumoulin : Mergers and Acquisitions Law Alain Y. Dussault : Intellectual Property Law Isabelle Duval : Family Law Chloé Fauchon : Municipal Law (Ones To Watch) Philippe Frère : Administrative and Public Law Simon Gagné : Labour and Employment Law Nicolas Gagnon : Construction Law Richard Gaudreault : Labour and Employment Law Danielle Gauthier : Labour and Employment Law Julie Gauvreau : Intellectual Property Law Michel Gélinas : Labour and Employment Law Caroline Harnois : Family Law / Family Law Mediation / Trusts and Estates Marie-Josée Hétu : Labour and Employment Law Alain Heyne : Banking and Finance Law Édith Jacques : Energy Law / Corporate Law Pierre Marc Johnson, Ad. E.  : International Arbitration Marie-Hélène Jolicoeur : Labour and Employment Law Isabelle Jomphe : Intellectual Property Law Guillaume Laberge : Administrative and Public Law Jonathan Lacoste-Jobin : Insurance Law Awatif Lakhdar : Family Law Bernard Larocque : Professional Malpractice Law / Class Action Litigation / Insurance Law / Legal Malpractice Law Myriam Lavallée : Labour and Employment Law Guy Lavoie : Labour and Employment Law / Workers' Compensation Law Jean Legault : Banking and Finance Law / Insolvency and Financial Restructuring Law Carl Lessard : Workers' Compensation Law / Labour and Employment Law Josiane L'Heureux : Labour and Employment Law Despina Mandilaras : Construction Law / Corporate and Commercial Litigation (Ones To Watch) Hugh Mansfield : Intellectual Property Law Zeïneb Mellouli : Labour and Employment Law Patrick A. Molinari : Health Care Law André Paquette : Mergers and Acquisitions Law Luc Pariseau : Tax Law Ariane Pasquier : Labour and Employment Law Jacques Paul-Hus : Mergers and Acquisitions Law Hubert Pepin : Labour and Employment Law Martin Pichette : Insurance Law / Professional Malpractice Law Élisabeth Pinard : Family Law François Renaud : Banking and Finance Law / Structured Finance Law Judith Rochette : Insurance Law / Professional Malpractice Law Ian Rose FCIArb : Director and Officer Liability Practice / Insurance Law Chantal Saint-Onge : Corporate and Commercial Litigation (Ones To Watch) Éric Thibaudeau : Workers' Compensation Law André Vautour : Corporate Governance Practice / Corporate Law / Information Technology Law / Intellectual Property Law / Technology Law Bruno Verdon : Corporate and Commercial Litigation Sébastien Vézina : Mergers and Acquisitions Law Yanick Vlasak : Corporate and Commercial Litigation Jonathan Warin : Insolvency and Financial Restructuring Law These recognitions are further demonstration of the expertise and quality of legal services that characterize Lavery’s professionals.

On June 13, 2022, Resonetics announced the purchase of the entirety of the shares of Agile MV, a Montréal-based medical device design and development contract manufacturing company. The transaction was motivated by the quality of expertise that Agile MV's team of engineers, scientists, and technicians possess throughout the entire production cycle, from initial concept consolidation to mass production. Our partner, Audrey Gibeault, had the privilege of representing the company in this major transaction that involved complex tax planning, among other things. In business law, this transaction was led by our partner Étienne Brassard. Ms. Gibeault and Mr. Étienne Brassard were mainly assisted in this transaction by Gabrielle Ahélo. They were assisted by Luc Pariseau, Sonia Guérin, France Camille De Mers, Brittany Carson, Éric Gélinas, André Vautour, Michael Pageau, Maxime Chabot and Charles-Hugo Gagné. —Agile MV is a Quebec-based medical device design and development contract manufacturing company. It specializes in the development of minimally invasive diagnostic and therapeutic medical devices in the following areas: cardiac electrophysiology, interventional cardiology, interventional radiology, interventional pulmonology, interventional gastroenterology, interventional pain management and interventional neurology.Resonetics specializes in advanced engineering and manufacturing solutions for the life sciences industry, laser cutting, centerless grinding, nitinol processing, thin-wall stainless steel and precious metal tubing, photochemical machining, microfluidics, sensor solutions and medical energy.

On June 2, 2022, Calypso-Valcartier Group announced the sale of all of the shares of its two amusement parks, Village Vacances Valcartier located near Quebec City and Calypso, near Ottawa, and more specifically of the shares of the two parks’ operating corporations and their  asset holding corporations. The assets of the two parks are now indirectly owned by EPR Properties, and they are operated by a Canadian subsidiary of Premier Parks, LLC. Our partners, André Vautour and France Camille De Mers, and their team assisted Premier Parks LLC in the due diligence of the parks’ assets and operations. They participated in structuring the new parks’ operating corporations, in the drafting of the share acquisition documentation of both the asset holding and operating corporations, and in the negotiation of all associated terms. The transaction was realized in collaboration with the Tennessee-based law firm Waller, a member, as is Lavery, of World Services Group, a worldwide network of premier law and other professional firms.

On June 16, 2022, Lexpert recognized the expertise of two of our partners in its 2022 Lexpert Special Edition: Infrastructure. Nicolas Gagnon and André Vautour now rank among Canada’s leaders in the area of infrastructure law. Nicolas Gagnon specializes in construction law and surety law. He counsels public and private sector clients, professional services firms and contractors as well as surety companies at every stage of construction projects. He advises clients with respect to the public bidding and procurement process, and is involved in the drafting of contract documents and the management of the work and any claims resulting therefrom. André Vautour practices in the fields of corporate and commercial law and is particularly interested in corporate governance, strategic alliances, joint ventures, investment funds and mergers and acquisitions of private corporations. He practises also in the field of technology law (drafting technology development and transfer agreements, licensing agreements, distribution agreements, outsourcing agreements, and e-commerce agreements).

On June 16, 2022, Lexpert recognized the expertise of two of our partners in its 2022 Lexpert Special Edition: Technology. Chantal Desjardins and André Vautour now rank among Canada’s leaders in the area of technology law. Chantal Desjardins is a partner, lawyer and trade-mark agent in Lavery’s intellectual property group. She contributes actively to the development of her clients’ rights in this field, which includes the protection of trade-marks, industrial designs, copyright, trade secrets, domain names and other related forms of intellectual property, in order to promote her clients’ business goals. André Vautour practices in the fields of corporate and commercial law and is particularly interested in corporate governance, strategic alliances, joint ventures, investment funds and mergers and acquisitions of private corporations. He practises also in the field of technology law (drafting technology development and transfer agreements, licensing agreements, distribution agreements, outsourcing agreements, and e-commerce agreements).

On October 1, 2021, Lexpert recognized the expertise of two of our partners in its 2021 Lexpert Special Edition: Energy. René Branchaud and André Vautour now rank among Canada’s leaders in the area of energy René Branchaud practises in the fields of securities, mergers and acquisitions, as well as corporate law. With more than thirty years’ experience, he advises companies on matters such as incorporation and organization, the drafting of shareholder agreements, private placements, public issues, going public, dispositions, and takeovers. André Vautour practises in the fields of corporate and commercial law and is particularly interested in corporate governance, strategic alliances, joint ventures, investment funds and mergers and acquisitions of private corporations. He frequently advises various clients on major infrastructure construction projects. He practises in the field of technology law (drafting technology development and transfer agreements, licensing agreements, distribution agreements, outsourcing agreements, and e-commerce agreements).

Lavery is pleased to announce that 68 of its lawyers have been recognized as leaders in their respective fields of expertise by The Best Lawyers in Canada 2022. Lawyer of the Year   The following lawyers also received the Lawyer of the Year award in the 2022 edition of The Best Lawyers in Canada: Caroline Harnois: Family Law Mediation Bernard Larocque: Professional Malpractice Law   Consult the complete list of Lavery's lawyers and their fields of expertise: Josianne Beaudry : Mining Law / Mergers and Acquisitions Law Dominique Bélisle : Energy Law Laurence Bich-Carrière : Class Action Litigation René Branchaud : Mining Law / Natural Resources Law / Securities Law Étienne Brassard : Mergers and Acquisitions Law / Real Estate Law / Equipment Finance Law Dominic Boisvert: Insurance Law (Ones To Watch) Luc R. Borduas : Corporate Law Daniel Bouchard : Environmental Law Jules Brière : Administrative and Public Law / Health Care Law Myriam Brixi : Class Action Litigation Benoit Brouillette : Labour and Employment Law Richard Burgos : Corporate Law / Mergers and Acquisitions Law Marie-Claude Cantin : Construction Law / Insurance Law Charles Ceelen-Brasseur : Corporate Law (Ones To Watch) Eugène Czolij : Corporate and Commercial Litigation / Insolvency and Financial Restructuring Law Chantal Desjardins : Intellectual Property Law Jean-Sébastien Desroches : Corporate Law / Mergers and Acquisitions Law Michel Desrosiers : Labour and Employment Law Raymond Doray, Ad. E : Administrative and Public Law / Defamation and Media Law / Privacy and Data Security Law Christian Dumoulin : Mergers and Acquisitions Law Alain Y. Dussault : Intellectual Property Law Isabelle Duval : Family Law Chloé Fauchon: Municipal Law (Ones To Watch) Philippe Frère : Administrative and Public Law Simon Gagné : Labour and Employment Law Nicolas Gagnon : Construction Law Richard Gaudreault : Labour and Employment Law Danielle Gauthier : Labour and Employment Law Julie Gauvreau : Intellectual Property Law Michel Gélinas : Labour and Employment Law Caroline Harnois : Family Law / Family Law Mediation / Trusts and Estates Marie-Josée Hétu : Labour and Employment Law Alain Heyne : Banking and Finance Law Édith Jacques : Corporate Law / Energy Law Pierre Marc Johnson, Ad. E., G.O.Q., MSRC : International Arbitration Marie-Hélène Jolicoeur : Labour and Employment Law Isabelle Jomphe : Intellectual Property Law Guillaume Laberge: Administrative and Public Law Jonathan Lacoste-Jobin: Insurance Law Awatif Lakhdar: Family Law Bernard Larocque: Class Action Litigation / Insurance Law / Professional Malpractice Law Myriam Lavallée: Labour and Employment Law Guy Lavoie: Labour and Employment Law / Workers’ Compensation Law Jean Legault: Banking and Finance Law / Insolvency and Financial Restructuring Law Carl Lessard: Labour and Employment Law / Workers' Compensation Law Josiane L'Heureux: Labour and Employment Law Hugh Mansfield : Intellectual Property Law Zeïneb Mellouli : Labour and Employment Law Patrick A. Molinari, Ad.E., MSRC : Health Care Law André Paquette: Mergers and Acquisitions Law Luc Pariseau : Tax Law Jacques Paul-Hus : Mergers & Acquisitions Law Ariane Pasquier : Labour and Employment Law Hubert Pepin : Labour and Employment Law Martin Pichette : Insurance Law / Professional Malpractice Law Élisabeth Pinard : Family Law François Renaud : Banking and Finance Law Marc Rochefort : Securities Law Judith Rochette : Professional Malpractice Law Ian Rose : Director and Officer Liability Practice / Insurance Law Éric Thibaudeau: Workers' Compensation Law Philippe Tremblay : Construction Law / Corporate and Commercial Litigation Jean-Philippe Turgeon : Franchise Law André Vautour : Corporate Law / Energy Law / Information Technology Law / Intellectual Property Law / Private Funds Law / Technology Law Bruno Verdon : Corporate and Commercial Litigation Sébastien Vézina : Mergers and Acquisitions Law Yanick Vlasak : Corporate and Commercial Litigation Jonathan Warin : Insolvency and Financial Restructuring Law

On August 5, 2021, Lexpert recognized the expertise of four of our partners in its 2021 Lexpert Special Edition: Infrustructure. The partners, Jean-Sébastien Desroches, Nicolas Gagnon, Éric Thibaudeau and André Vautour now rank among Canada’s leaders in the area of infrastructure law. Jean-Sébastien Desroches practices business law and focuses primarily on mergers and acquisitions, infrastructure and project development as well as strategic partnerships. He frequently steers 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 in the manufacturing, transportation, pharmaceutical, financial, and energy sectors. Nicolas Gagnon specializes in construction law and surety law. He counsels public and private sector clients, professional services firms and contractors as well as surety companies at every stage of construction projects. He advises clients with respect to the public bidding and procurement process, and is involved in the drafting of contract documents and the management of the work and any claims resulting therefrom. Éric Thibaudeau is a member of the Labour and Employment Group. He has special expertise in the area of occupational health and safety, regarding issues within the jurisdiction of the Administrative Labour Tribunal (ALT) as well as penal infractions prosecuted by the CNESST that are heard in the Court of Québec’s Criminal and Penal Division. He also acts for employers in grievance arbitrations, labour-relations matters and collective agreement decrees. In addition, he advises construction contractors and project owners on all matters within the jurisdiction of the construction industry regulatory authorities, such as the Commission de la construction du Québec and the Régie du bâtiment du Québec. André Vautour practises in the fields of corporate and commercial law and is particularly interested in corporate governance, strategic alliances, joint ventures, investment funds and mergers and acquisitions of private corporations. He frequently advises various clients on major infrastructure construction projects. He practises in the field of technology law (drafting technology development and transfer agreements, licensing agreements, distribution agreements, outsourcing agreements, and e-commerce agreements).

On May 4, 2021, the Government of Canada, the Government of Québec, the Fonds de solidarité FTQ and Ivanhoé Cambridge announced the formation of a consortium of investors that will make $120 million available to co-ops, non-profit organizations (NPOs) and housing agencies for the construction or renovation of affordable housing. The Lucie and André Chagnon Foundation, Fondaction, the Mirella and Lino Saputo Foundation and the J. Armand Bombardier Foundation collectively added $31 million to the sum. The strategic partnership will be managed by the Association des groupes de ressources techniques du Québec (AGRTQ) starting in the fall of 2021.  Lavery Lawyers advised and assisted the project partners with the drafting and implementation of the legal structure and documentation necessary to create and start up the consortium of investors. Lavery is pleased to have put its expertise and professional and financial resources to work for the project, and to thereby contribute to an initiative that benefits both families and the economic vitality of Quebec. The Lavery team, led by Brigitte Gauthier, was composed of Jean-Sébastien Desroches, Jean-François Maurice, François Renaud, Bernard Trang and André Vautour.

Lavery is proud to announce that 29 partners are ranked among the leading practitioners in Canada in their respective practice areas in the 2021 edition of The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory. The following Lavery partners are listed in the 2021 edition of The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory: Asset Securitization Brigitte Gauthier Aviation (Regulation & Liability) Louis Charette Class Actions Myriam Brixi Louis Charette Construction law Nicolas Gagnon Corporate Commercial law Jean-Sébastien Desroches Yves Rocheleau André Vautour Corporate Finance & Securities Josianne Beaudry René Branchaud Corporate Tax Audrey Gibeault Employment Law Marie-Josée Hétu, CIRC Guy Lavoie Family Law Elisabeth Pinard Infrastructure Law Jean-Sébastien Desroches Intellectual Property Chantal Desjardins Isabelle Jomphe Alain Y. Dussault Insolvency & Financial Restructuring Yanick Vlasak Labour Relations Michel Desrosiers Richard Gaudreault Simon Gagné Danielle Gauthier, CHRP Michel Gélinas Marie-Josée Hétu, CIRC Guy Lavoie Zeïneb Mellouli Litigation - Commercial Insurance Bernard Larocque Judith Rochette Litigation - Product Liability Louis Charette Mergers & Acquisitions Jean-Sébastien Desroches Mining Josianne Beaudry René Branchaud Sébastien Vézina Occupational Health & Safety Éric Thibaudeau Property Leasing Richard Burgos Workers' Compensation 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.

On February 19, 2021, Lexpert recognized the expertise of two of our partners in its 2021 Lexpert Special Edition: Technology. Chantal Desjardins and André Vautour now rank among Canada’s leaders in the area of technology law. Chantal Desjardins is a partner, lawyer and trade-mark agent in Lavery’s intellectual property group. She contributes actively to the development of her clients’ rights in this field, which includes the protection of trade-marks, industrial designs, copyright, trade secrets, domain names and other related forms of intellectual property, in order to promote her clients’ business goals.   André Vautour practices in the fields of corporate and commercial law and is particularly interested in corporate governance, strategic alliances, joint ventures, investment funds and mergers and acquisitions of private corporations. He practises also in the field of technology law (drafting technology development and transfer agreements, licensing agreements, distribution agreements, outsourcing agreements, and e-commerce agreements).