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Lavery is proud to announce that 21 partners are ranked among the leading practitioners in Canada in their respective practice areas in the 2018 edition of The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory. “The fact that they are ranked amongst some of the most influential lawyers simply confirms their leading role in a competitive market. This distinction recognizes the depth of their expertise and the fact that they put their clients and partners at the forefront of their practice. Congratulations to all!”, stated Anik Trudel, Chief Executive Officer. The following Lavery partners are listed in the 2018 edition of The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory: Asset Equipment Finance/Leasing Pierre Denis Benjamin David Gross Aviation (Regulation & Liability) Louis Charette Banking & Financial Institutions Louis Payette, Ad.E. Computer & IT Law André Vautour Construction law Nicolas Gagnon Corporate Commercial law André Vautour Corporate Finance & Securities René Branchaud Family Law *Caroline Harnois Elisabeth Pinard *Gerald Stotland Franchise law Jean-Philippe Turgeon Labour Relations *Pierre-L. Baribeau Michel Desrosiers Norman A. Dionne Michel Gélinas Guy Lavoie, CIRC Litigation - Commercial Insurance *Bernard Larocque Litigation - Product Liability Louis Charrette Mining René Branchaud Benjamin David Gross Sébastien Vézina Occupational Health & Safety Josiane L’Heureux Property Development *Louis-Martin Dubé Property Leasing *Richard Burgos *Louis-Martin Dubé Technology Transactions André Vautour Workers' Compensation Guy Lavoie, CIRC Workplace Human Rights Michel Gélinas *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://www.lexpert.ca/directory.

On February 8, 2018, several partners and lawyers represented Lavery at Pro Bono Québec’s Grands Vins, Grands Noms benefit evening for access to justice for all. The cocktail dinner, hosted at the McCord Museum, brought together some 250 VIPs who helped collect more than $131 600 during a silent auction. Lavery, an ambassador and sponsor of this charity dinner since its very beginnings, also contributes to Pro Bono Québec’s mission through Bernard Larocque, a partner who serves as the Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors, Luc Thibaudeau and Maude Adam-Joly, respectively a partner and an associate with the Litigation and Conflict Resolution group. Proceeds from the Pro Bono Québec benefit evening will help with the renewal of its programs and the creation of new ones. Founded in 2008 at the behest of the Barreau du Québec, Pro Bono Québec is a non-profit organization, whose mission is to mobilize the legal community in providing expertise and offering their time to individuals and Quebec NPOs who lack the resources required for legal services.

Lavery is pleased to announce that 42 of the firm’s lawyers have been recognized as leading lawyers in Canada in their respective practice areas in the 2018 edition of The Best Lawyers in Canada. "The ranking of our partners among the most influential lawyers in their fields confirms 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. Five lawyers among the Lavery lawyers recommended in this edition have been honoured for the first time: Josianne Beaudry, Norman A. Dionne, Nadine Landry, François Renaud and Yanick Vlasak. Below is a complete list of Lavery lawyers and their field(s) of expertise. Note that the practice areas reflect those in Best Lawyers. Pierre-L. Baribeau : Labour and Employment Law Josianne Beaudry : Mining Law René Branchaud : Mining Law / Natural Resources Law / Securities Law Jules Brière, Ad. E.. :  Administrative and Public Law / Health Care Law Richard Burgos : Corporate Law Marie-Claude Cantin : Construction Law / Insurance Law Louis Charette : Aviation Law / Product Liability Law / Transportation Law Eugène Czolij : Corporate and Commercial Litigation / Insolvency and Financial Restructuring Law Pierre Denis : Equipment Finance Law Norman A. Dionne : Entertainment Law Raymond Doray, Ad. E. : Administrative and Public Law Louis-Martin Dubé : Real Estate Law Nicolas Gagnon : Construction Law Michel Gélinas : Labour and Employment Law Caroline Harnois : Family Law Jean Hébert : Insurance Law Richard A. Hinse : Corporate and Commercial Litigation Pierre Marc Johnson, Ad. E, G.O.Q., MSRC : International Arbitration Bernard Larocque : Class Action Litigation / Insurance Law Nadine Landry : Immigration Law Guy Lavoie, CIRC : Labour and Employment Law / Workers’ Compensation Law Jean Legault : Banking and Finance Law / Insolvency and Financial Restructuring Law Guy Lemay, CIRC : Class Action Litigation / Labour and Employment Law Jean Martel, Ad. E. : Corporate Governance Practice / Private Funds Law Patrick A. Molinari, Ad.E., MSRC : Health Care Law Philip Nolan : Tax Law François Parent : Employee Benefits Law Luc Pariseau : Tax Law Jacques Paul-Hus : Mergers & Acquisitions Law Louis Payette, Ad. E. : Banking and Finance Law Élisabeth Pinard : Family Law Sylvain Poirier : Health Care Law François Renaud : Banking and Finance Law Marc Rochefort : Securities Law Ian Rose : Director and Officer Liability Practice / Insurance Law Raphaël  H. Schachter , c.r., Ad. E. : Criminal Defence Jean-Yves Simard : Corporate and Commercial Litigation / Insolvency and Financial Restructuring Law Gerald Stotland : Family Law Philippe Tremblay : Construction Law Jean-Philippe Turgeon : Franchise Law André Vautour : Corporate Law / Information Technology Law / Intellectual Property Law / Private Funds Law / Technology Law Yanick Vlasak : Corporate and Commercial Litigation For more information, please consult the Best Lawyers website.

On March 23, Bernard Larocque, a partner in the Litigation and Dispute Resolution group, was a panel member at the 14th annual National Conference on Class Actions held by the Barreau du Québec at the Palais des Congrès in Montréal. The purpose of the presentation, entitled Action collective en matière environnementale (class actions in environmental law), was to discuss various issues that arise in hearings on the merits of class actions relating to environmental problems. 

Jonathan Lacoste-Jobin et Bernard Larocque, partners of our Litigation and Dispute Resolution Group, presented the 2016 review of insurance law jurisprudence at the Chambre de l’assurance de dommages (ChAD) on February 21 and at the Canadian Insurance Claims Manager Association (CICMA)on February 23. These two events, which brought together more than 60 attendees, highlighted the 2016 key decisions in the field of insurance law.

On February 8 and 9, 2017, Jonathan Lacoste-Jobin and Bernard Larocque, partners and members of the Litigation and Dispute Resolution Group, presented the 2016 annual review of insurance law jurisprudence. The presentation took place in our Montreal office as our Québec City and Sherbrooke offices joined through video-conference. This event brought together over 150 attendees where our speakers summarized and exchanged on the main judgments rendered in Quebec during the year 2016.

On January 31, 2017, Jonathan Lacoste-Jobin and Bernard Larocque, partners of our Litigation and Dispute Resolution Group, presented the 2016 review of insurance law jurisprudence at the Jean Bélanger Conference of the Canadian Bar Association, Quebec division (ABC-Quebec). This event, which brought together more than 75 attendees, highlighted the 2016 key decisions in the field of insurance law.

On February 9, 2017, several partners and lawyers represented Lavery at Pro Bono Québec's Grands Vins, Grands Noms benefit evening for access to justice, which took place at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. The event brought together some 200 people and raised more than $77 750. Ambassador and sponsor of this benefit evening since its inception, Lavery also contributes to Pro Bono Québec's mission through Bernard Larocque, partner of our Litigation and Dispute Resolution Group who serves as Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors. Funds raised during the evening will provide legal services to the Montreal Children's Hospital; To organize legal information sessions for newcomers, including Syrian refugees, and to hold a legal clinic in Quebec's Far North in March 2017. Click here for more information on Pro Bono Québec.

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.

Bernard Larocque, and Jonathan Lacoste-Jobin, both members of the litigation group at Lavery,presented a comprehensive year in review of insurance law jurisprudence for 2015 at four separate events in early February 2016, more specifically on February 3 and 5 at the Lavery Conference Center, on February 4 at the Canadian Bar Association, Quebec Branch, Jean Bélanger Conference and on February 10 before members of the Canadian Insurance Claims Managers Association. The presentations elicited a great deal of interest from the over 200 participants who had the opportunity to attend any one of these events. 

On January 7, 2016, the Superior Court of Quebec refused to grant an authorization to submit a class action on behalf of the linemen having worked for a federal undertaking and who, since the establishment of the Commission de la construction du Québec ("CCQ"), paid different assessments and contributions under the Act Respecting Labour Relations, Vocational Training and Workforce Management in the Construction Industry, CQLR c. R-20. The representative of the proposed group requested, amongst other conclusions, the reimbursement of the assessments deducted by the CCQ. In Caron c. Fraternité provinciale des ouvriers en électricité-section locale 1676, 2016 QCCS 25,  justice Chantal Lamarche, j.s.c. found that the conditions for the exercise of a class action were not met. More specifically, she rejected the application for authorisation because of the complexity of the evidence which would have to be administered to determine if the employers of the members of the proposed group were under federal or provincial jurisdiction and because the refund of the assessments raised issues that were not common to all members of the group. Lavery has successfully represented the CCQ against who the application for authorization to submit a class action was specifically directed. The team was composed of Mr. Raymond Doray, Ad.E. and Mr. Bernard Larocque assisted by Mr. Guillaume Laberge. Raymond Doray Bernard Larocque Guillaume Laberge

Bernard Larocque of Lavery gave a conference entitled “La proposition d’assurance par internet : où en sommes-nous?” (The online insurance application: where do we stand?), on October 2, 2015 at the Conference on Recent Developments in Insurance Law, organized by the Continuing Education Department of the Quebec Bar. Following an overview of the applicable rules, he discussed the impact the application has on the insurer and insured’s obligations. He also covered the issue of proving the application when completed online. A text was also written and distributed to participants of the seminar, authored by Mr. Jonathan Lacoste-Jobin and Ms. Leïla Yacoubi, both lawyers at Lavery, as well as Bernard Larocque. Ms. Léa Pelletier Marcotte, a student at the firm, also took part in its drafting.