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Lavery is proud to announce that 20 partners are ranked among the leading practitioners in Canada in their respective practice areas in the 2017 edition of The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory. "These rankings of our partners among the most influential lawyers in their fields confirm our leadership role as the largest independent law firm in Quebec. The fact that they put their clients and partners at the heart of their practice gives them the necessary agility and audacity to excel in our market. Congratulations to all!", stated Anik Trudel, Chief Executive Officer. The following Lavery partners are listed in the 2017 edition of The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory : René Branchaud, Mining Louis Charette, Aviation/Litigation—Product Liability Marie Cossette, Ad. E., Litigation—Public Law Pierre Denis, Asset Equipment Finance/Leasing *Michel Desrosiers, Labour Relations (Management) *Norman A. Dionne, Labour Relations (Management) Nicolas Gagnon, Construction Law Michel Gélinas, Workplace Human Rights (Employer) Benjamin David Gross, Asset Equipment Finance/Leasing Josiane L’Heureux, Occupational Health & Safety Guy Lavoie, CIRC, Labour Relations (Management), Workers’ Compensation (Employer) *Jean Legault, Insolvency & Financial Restructuring Guy Lemay, Class Actions François Parent, Pensions & Employee Benefits (Employer) Louis Payette, Ad. E., Banking & Financial Institutions Élisabeth Pinard, Family Law Jean Saint-Onge, Ad. E., Class Actions/Litigation—Product Liability *Jean-Philippe Turgeon, Franchise Law (Franchisor) André Vautour, Corporate Commercial Law/Technology Transactions Sébastien Vézina, Mining *New posting 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://lexpert.ca/directory.

On March 2–3, 2017, Business Law Group partner André Vautour served as a panelist at the World Services Group Meeting of the Americas in Dallas. The panel was made up of Patrick Kelly from Fredrikson & Byron, P.A. in Minnesota, Juan Jose Lopez de Silanes Molina from Basham, Ringe y Correa, S.C. in Mexico, and Mr. Vautour. Entitled The Northern American Market in 2017 – Comparing the US, Canadian, and Mexican Perspectives, the panel gave stakeholders an opportunity to share their views on the upcoming challenges facing trade between North American countries and to identify possible solutions. For more information about the World Services Group, click here.

On December 8, 2016, during the CETHR’s 35th anniversary event, André Vautour, Édith Jacques, and Étienne Brassard, all partners from the Business law group, discussed the different aspects of the Canada-EU free-trade agreement (CETA). Among other things, they highlighted the agreement’s huge economic potential for Quebec businesses since it provides access to a new market with very few tariff constraints. Mr. Vautour also addressed the topic of Canada’s strategic geographical position: “This agreement, combined with NAFTA, could turn the Canadian territory into a portal for U.S. businesses that want to reach the European market as well as European businesses that want to access the U.S. market. It’s a significant competitive advantage that we must make the most of to fully benefit from CETA.”

André Vautour and Guillaume Lavoie, two partners from Lavery, co-authored  two articles published in the November 2016 issue of the International Journal for Financial Services in collaboration with lawyers from the French firm Jeantet Associés (a fellow member of the World Services Group). The articles were respectively titled “Impact of the Possible Extension of the European Passport Regime on Canadian Fund Managers” and “Options Available to Canadian Managers under the European AIF Marketing Rules”. The articles discuss the impact of European Union Directive 2011/61/EU on Canadian investment fund managers who want to raise funds from investors in EU member states. The authors, more specifically, address the conditions of a possible extension of the European passport regime to Canada, the obligations of Canadian managers who would like to take advantage of any such regime, and the options currently available to Canadian managers under private placement regimes in EU member states.

Lavery is proud to see five of its partners ranked on Lexpert’s “Canada’s Leading Infrastructure Lawyers” list in a special September 2016 edition. Marie-Claude Cantin Nicolas Gagnon Benjamin David Gross André Vautour Gérard Coulombe, recently deceased partner of the firm “This acknowledgment bears witness to the integrated, multidisciplinary approach the firm applies when it comes to leading-edge industries such as infrastructure. Our priority is to understand and meet this sector’s specific business needs.” says Don McCarty, the firm’s managing partner. To read this special edition of Lexpert, click here.

During June and July, the Institute for Governance of Private and Public Organizations (IGOPP) broadcasted the first video clips in its new series on the governance of SMEs. Two of these clips were presented by André Vautour, partner and chair of Lavery’s Board of Directors. The two clips are “Quand un administrateur est-il en conflit d’intérêts et que doit-il faire dans cette situation ?” and “Les pouvoirs du conseil d’administration peuvent-ils être restreints ou retirés ?”. Four other clips presented by Mr. Vautour on various topics dealing with SME governance will be broadcasted throughout the year and will be available for viewing on the IGOPP youtube channel. 

Lavery is pleased to announce that 41 of the firm’s lawyers have been recognized as leading lawyers in Canada in their respective practice areas in the 2017 edition of The Best Lawyers in Canada. “This recognition attests to the expertise, quality of work and dedication of these lawyers and the entire Lavery team. I would like to congratulate our 41 colleagues for their contribution to the success of our clients and the development of our services”, said Don McCarty, Lavery’s managing partner. Two lawyers among the Lavery lawyers recommended in this edition have been honoured for the first time: Caroline Harnois and Jean-Philippe Turgeon. Below is a complete list of Lavery lawyers and their field(s) of expertise. Note that the practice areas reflect those in Best Lawyers. 1. Pierre-L. Baribeau Labour and Employment Law 2. René Branchaud Mining LawNatural Resources Law 3. Jules Brière, Ad. E. Administrative and Public LawHealth Care Law 4. Richard Burgos Corporate Law 5. Marie-Claude Cantin Insurance Law 6. Louis Charette Aviation LawProduct Liability LawTransportation Law 7. Eugène Czolij Corporate and Commercial LitigationInsolvency and Financial Restructuring Law 8.  Pierre Denis Equipment Finance Law 9. Raymond Doray, Ad. E. Administrative and Public Law 10. Louis-Martin Dubé Real Estate Law 11. Josée Dumoulin Employee Benefits Law 12. Nicolas Gagnon Construction Law 13. Michel Gélinas Labour and Employment Law 14. Marie-Andrée Gravel Mergers & Acquisitions Law 15. Caroline Harnois Family Law 16. Jean Hébert Insurance Law 17. Richard A. Hinse Corporate and Commercial Litigation 18. Pierre Marc Johnson, G.O.Q., MSRC International Arbitration 19. Bernard Larocque Class Action Litigation/Insurance Law 20. Guy Lavoie, CRIA Labour and Employment Law/Workers’ Compensation Law 21. Jean Legault Banking and Finance Law/Insolvency and Financial Restructuring Law 22. Guy Lemay, CRIA Class Action Litigation/Labour and Employment Law 23. Jean Martel, Ad. E. Corporate Governance Practice/Private Funds Law 24. Patrick A. Molinari, Ad.E., MSRC Health Care Law 25. Philip Nolan Tax Law 26. François Parent Employee Benefits Law 27. Luc Pariseau Tax Law 28. Jacques Paul-Hus Mergers & Acquisitions Law 29. Louis Payette, Ad. E. Banking and Finance Law 30. Élisabeth Pinard Family Law 31. Sylvain Poirier Health Care Law 32. Marc Rochefort Securities Law 33. Louis Rochette, Adm.A. Health Care Law 34. Ian Rose Director and Officer Liability Practice/Insurance Law 35. Jean Saint-Onge, Ad. E. Bet-the-Company LitigationClass Action Litigation 36. Raphaël  H. Schachter , c.r., Ad. E. Criminal Defence 37. Jean-Yves Simard Corporate and Commercial Litigation/Insolvency and Financial Restructuring Law 38. Gerald Stotland Family Law 39. Philippe Tremblay Construction Law 40. Jean-Philippe Turgeon Franchise Law 41. André Vautour Corporate Law/Information Technology Law/Private Funds Law/Technology Law For more information, please consult the Best Lawyers website.

Six of our lawyers made a noteworthy contribution during the 2015-2016 campaign of the Fondation du Barreau du Québec. The Foundation warmly thanked our partners Magali Cournoyer-Proulx and Awatif Lakhdar for accepting its invitation to become new governors.  André Vautour and Louis Rochette became Governors emeritus by renewing their commitment for a fourth year; and Gérard Coulombe and Pierre Beaudoin became “lifetime governors” by renewing their mandate beyond five years. The Fondation du Barreau du Québec plays a key role in the field of legal research by supporting the work of legal professionals and providing legal publications to the general public.

Lavery is pleased to announce that 21 partners are ranked among the leading practitioners in Canada in their respective practice areas in the 2016 edition of Thomson Reuters’s The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory. “I congratulate our colleagues for this recognition and for their continued commitment to serving the needs of our clients. This recognition highlights the contribution of our exceptional lawyers and consolidate the expertise of our firm” said Don McCarty, Lavery’s Managing Partner.  The following Lavery partners are listed in the 2016 edition of The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory : René Branchaud, Corporate Finance & Securities/Mining *Marie-Claude Cantin, Litigation - Commercial Insurance Louis Charette, Aviation/Litigation — Product Liability *Marie Cossette, Ad. E., Litigation — Corporate Commercial Gérard Coulombe, Q.C., Ad.E., C.ADM., Corporate Commercial Law Magali Cournoyer-Proulx, Employment Law (Management) Pierre Denis, Asset Equipment Finance/Leasing Josée Dumoulin, Pensions & Employee Benefits (Management) Nicolas Gagnon, Construction Law Benjamin David Gross, Asset Equipment Finance/Leasing Jean Hébert, Litigation—Commercial Insurance *Josiane L’Heureux, Occupational Health & Safety Guy Lavoie, CIRC, Labour Relations (Management), Workers’ Compensation (Management) Robert W. Mason, Litigation/Commercial Insurance François Parent, Pensions & Employee Benefits (Management) Louis Payette, Ad. E., Banking & Financial Institutions Élisabeth Pinard, Family Law Ian Rose, Litigation-Directors & Officers’ Liability Jean Saint-Onge, Ad. E., Class Actions/Litigation—Product Liability André Vautour, Computer & IT Law/Corporate Commercial Law/Technology Transactions Sébastien Vézina, Mining *New posting 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://lexpert.ca/directory.

On May 5, Lavery’s  Integrity group hosted a business breakfast on issues related to corporate and business integrity. Attendees learned about integrity-related issues to be prioritized, specific ways to identify the internal and external risks facing them, and proven ways to manage those risks. A portion of the discussion also dealt with actions to take in case of a police search and seizure operation and media crisis management. This conference was lead by Marie Cossette, Lavery’s  partner heading the Corporate and business integrity group. The following partners were also invited to speak:  André Vautour and André Laurin, business law, Raymond Doray, administrative law, Philippe Frère, administrative and regulatory law litigation, and Isabelle Briand, criminal and penal law.

The Université de Sherbrooke’s Faculty of Law library will receive a makeover as a result of  several sponsors’ contribution including a generous $150,000 donation from Lavery. The renovations that are set to begin in May will be completed by December 2016. At that time, the law students will enjoy a new high-tech work space with amenities on the cutting edge of technology specifically adapted to encourage teamwork. In order to highlight this important contribution, the law Faculty inaugurated a new multimedia room on March 22, 2016, and named it the Lavery Room. The firm that already has privileged long-standing ties with the Université de Sherbrooke has also supported the development of the Faculty of law as well as the activities of the law students’ association (Association générale des étudiants de droit). They are also a partner of the Colloque annuel en politiques et droit de la santé. Members of the firm as well as Mr. André Vautour, Lavery’s Chairman of the board attended the inauguration and are very proud to accompany the Université de Sherbrooke in contributing to the education of the next generation of lawyers. To see more pictures, please click here.  

On June 3, 2016 at Montreal’s Intercontinental Hotel, André Vautour, the firm’s chairman of the board and a partner who practises particularly in investment funds and Guillaume Lavoie, a partner whose practice focuses on private equity and venture capital, will give a workshop entitled “Sword of Damocles or Scarecrow? To what extent can an investor in an investment fund get involved in the management of the fund without risking of losing its limited liability?” (“Épée de Damoclès ou épouvantail? Jusqu'où l'investisseur dans un fonds d'investissement peut s'impliquer dans ce fonds sans risquer de perdre sa responsabilité limitée?”) at the Barreau du Québec’s conference “Recent developments in business law (2016)” (“Les développements récents en droit des affaires (2016)”). They’ll touch on, among other topics, the issue of the potential liability of investors in private investment funds and will explain to what extent the setting up of an advisory committee made up of partners’ representatives or the conclusion of side letters is likely to make them lose their limited liability. To view the conference’s full program or to register, please click here.