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Pierre Marc Johnson, former Premier of Quebec and counsel at Lavery recognized for his expertise in international trade and cross-border partnerships, participated in the 28es Entretiens Jacques Cartier as Chair of the board of Centre Jacques Cartier. During this event which was held in Lyon from Monday, November 16 to Thursday, December 3, 2015, Mr. Johnson presented a lecture on the negotiation of the Canada-European Union Agreement before an audience of scholars and business people interested in the implementation of this type of agreement for businesses. He also hosted a joint interview between Montreal’s and Lyon’s mayors at the city hall of Lyon, particularly on environmental issues and city development.

In Paris, on November 9, 2015, Mr. Pierre Marc Johnson, former premier of Quebec and counsel at Lavery recognized for his expertise in international trade and cross-border partnerships, delivered the closing address at a conference entitled “Mitigating methane emissions: From science to innovative solutions”. The conference was organized by the Veolia Institute, in collaboration with the Agence Française de Développement and the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, within the scope of preparatory activities leading up to the forthcoming COP21 on climate change. For more information and to view the conference’s programme, please click here. a

Lavery is pleased to announce that 45 of the firm’s lawyers have been listed as leading Canadian practitioners in their respective areas of expertise in The Best Lawyers in Canada 2016. "We are delighted that 45 lawyers of our firm are included in the 2016 edition of this prestigious directory. This recognition acknowledges the expertise, quality of work and dedication of these lawyers and the entire Lavery team. I would like to congratulate our 45 colleagues who have been singled out for their contribution to our clients’ success and the development of our service offering", said Don McCarty, Lavery’s Managing Partner. Among the Lavery lawyers listed in The Best Lawyers in Canada 2016, Richard Burgos, Jules Brière, Richard A. Hinse, Jean Legault, Jean Martel and Sylvain Poirier are first-time honourees. The following lists the names of all Lavery lawyers included in the directory as well as their practice area(s):  1. Pierre-L. Baribeau Labour and Employment Law 2. Yvan Biron Environmental Law 3. Michel Blouin Natural Resources Law 4. René Branchaud Natural Resources Law 5. Jules Brière, Ad. E. Health Care Law 6. Richard Burgos Corporate Law 7. Marie-Claude Cantin Insurance Law 8. Louis Charette Aviation Law; Product Liability Law; Transportation Law 9. Gérard Coulombe, c.r., Ad. E. Corporate Law 10. Eugène Czolij Corporate and Commercial Litigation; Insolvency and Financial Restructuring 11. Pierre Denis Equipment Finance Law 12. Raymond Doray, Ad. E. Administrative and Public Law 13. Louis-Martin Dubé Real Estate Law 14. Josée Dumoulin Employee Benefits Law 15. Nicolas Gagnon Construction Law 16. Michel Gélinas Labour and Employment Law 17. Marie-Andrée Gravel Mergers & Acquisitions Law 18. Jean Hébert Insurance Law 19. Richard A. Hinse Corporate and Commercial Litigation 20. Odette Jobin-Laberge, Ad. E. Insurance Law 21. Pierre Marc Johnson International Arbitration 22. Bernard Larocque Class Action Litigation; Insurance Law 23. Guy Lavoie Labour and Employment Law; Workers’ Compensation Law 24. Jean Legault Banking and Finance Law; Insolvency and Financial Restructuring Law 25. Guy Lemay Labour and Employment Law; Class Action Litigation 26. Jean Martel, Ad. E. Corporate Governance Practice 27. Robert W. Mason Director and Officer Liability; Insurance Law; Personal Injury Litigation; Product Liability Law 28. Patrick A. Molinari Health Care Law 29. Philip Nolan Tax Law 30. François Parent Employee Benefit Law 31. Luc Pariseau Tax Law 32. Jacques Paul-Hus Mergers & Acquisitions Law 33. Louis Payette, Ad. E. Banking and Finance 34. Jacques Perron Transportation Law 35. Élisabeth Pinard Family Law 36. Sylvain Poirier Health Care Law 37. Marc Rochefort Securities Law 38. Louis Rochette Health Care Law 39. Ian Rose Director and Officer Liability, Insurance Law 40. Jean Saint-Onge, Ad. E. Class Action Litigation 41. Raphaël H. Schachter, c.r., Ad. E. Criminal Defense 42. Jean-Yves Simard Corporate and Commercial Litigation; Insolvency and Financial Restructuring 43. Gerald Stotland Family Law 44. Philippe Tremblay Construction Law 45. André Vautour Corporate Law, Information Technology Law; Technology Law   For more information, please visit the Best Lawyers’ website at www.bestlawyers.com.

Currently travelling in Europe, Mr. Pierre Marc Johnson, former Premier of Quebec, learned of former Premier of Quebec and leader of the Parti Québécois, Mr. Jacques Parizeau’s passing. He wishes to publish the following release: « Upon learning of the death of Mr. Jacques Parizeau, former Premier of Quebec, my heart first goes out to his children, his family and his wife. I offer them my deepest condolences. Mr. Parizeau marked the province of Quebec in a significant way, through both his beliefs and his work. Governmental advisor and brilliant bureaucrat, he was — with a few others of his generation — one of the architects in projects aiming to turn Quebec into an interventionist and efficient state. In elective office and asMinister of Finance, as well as President of the Treasury Board, he often adapted his vision of the state to ever-changing circumstances relating to budget constraints and the free market. His uncompromised beliefs as a separatist made him the leader of those in the Parti Québécois who shared a more radical vision of Québec’s future. Adamant but always courteous, peremptory but open to debate, he managed to devote most of his life as a public figure to his beliefs, which he did to the very end. Once again, my deepest sympathies to his family and all those he loved dearly. »

On May 28th 2015 at Université Laval, Mr. Pierre Marc Johnson, of Counsel at Lavery and Québec’s Chief Negotiator for the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between Canada and the European Union, spoke on a distinguished panel whose members were invited to examine the relationship between the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of Diversity of Cultural Expressions and international trade agreements. The International Conference, which was organized by the Faculty of Law of Université Laval, the Fernand-Dumont Chair on Culture at INRS and the Coalition for Cultural Diversity, was attended by over a hundred participants from around the world. The importance of this anniversary and of the role played by MLAs, researchers and artists from Quebec in the inception and implementation of this agreement was highlighted at an evening reception held at the Legislative Assembly.

On May 14, 2015, Me Pierre Marc Johnson, of counsel at Lavery and Quebec’s Chief Negotiator for the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between Canada and the European Union, delivered an address at the Mount Royal Centre as part of a special breakfast conference titled “The Challenges of Quebec and Canada in Europe, Africa and Asia”. Three hundred participants gathered in support of Public Relations Without Borders, whose mission is to help its partner organizations that work with populations facing development challenges by reinforcing their ability to use public relations to leverage social and economic progress.

On March 31st, 2015 at the new Centrexpo Drummondville, Lavery’s Pierre Marc Johnson delivered a presentation before a capacity audience made up of key actors in the economy of Drummondville. During his remarks, Quebec’s Chief Negotiator for the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement outlined the terms of the agreement, its origins and steps remaining before its entry into force. He also highlighted key provisions and spelled out the advantages of the treaty for Quebec businesses.

In Montreal on March 24, 2015, Pierre Marc Johnson, former Premier of Quebec and counsel at Lavery recognized for his expertise in international trade and cross-border partnerships, spoke before the Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie Française au Canada on the topic of business opportunities offered by the Canada-European Union free trade agreement. During his remarks, Quebec’s Chief negotiator for the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement identified aspects of the agreement that should be of interest to businesses wishing to access the Canadian or EU market, including as regards the opening of public procurement, easing of trade in goods, and relaxation of investment review rules.

On December 11th in Sherbrooke, Mr. Pierre Marc Johnson, a former Premier of Quebec and counsel at Lavery recognized for his expertise in international trade and cross-border partnerships, spoke before a gathering of business leaders at an event organized by Carrefour Québec International. Québec’s chief negotiator for the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) spoke about the history and content of the agreement, as well as the opportunities it will make available to businesses from the Eastern Townships once it takes effect (expected in 2016). To learn more about CETA, please click here. 

On November 26 and 27, Mr. Pierre Marc Johnson, a senior advisor recognized for his expertise in international trade negotiations and cross-border business partnerships, and Ms. Marie-Hélène Jolicoeur, a lawyer specializing in Labour and Employment Law, both from Lavery, made presentations at Stratégies PME 2015, a unique, multiple-speaker event that seeks to contribute to the success of small-business leaders for the coming year. Mr. Johnson’s talk was entitled “Exporting to Europe: Why Take the Plunge Now?” while Ms. Jolicoeur’s presentation focused on “Dealing with a Problem Employee: Putting an End to the Frustration”. Stratégies PME 2015 was a great success, attracting over 5400 participants. To learn more about the Stratégies PME event, please click here.

Pierre Marc Johnson, G.O.Q, MSRC, legal counsel at Lavery, took part in a panel at the Fall Meeting of l’Association Nationale France-Canada, which was held on November 21 in Paris. The panel’s theme was « Accords de libre-échange entre le Canada et l’Europe. Quelles répercussions pour la France? » (Canada-EU Free Trade Agreement. What will be the impact in France?) For additional information, kindly click here.

Lavery is pleased to announce that 40 of the firm’s lawyers have been listed as leading Canadian practitioners in their respective areas of expertise in The Best Lawyers in Canada 2015. "We are delighted that 40 lawyers of our firm are included in the 2015 edition of this prestigious directory. This recognition acknowledges the expertise, quality of work and dedication of these lawyers and the entire Lavery team. I would like to congratulate our 40 colleagues who have been singled out for their contribution to our clients’ success and the development of our service offering", said Don McCarty, Lavery’s Managing Partner. Among the Lavery lawyers listed in The Best Lawyers in Canada 2015, Jean-Philippe Lincourt, François Parent and Philippe Tremblay are first-time honourees. The following lists the names of all Lavery lawyers included in the directory as well as their practice area(s): Pierre-L. Baribeau Labour and Employment Law Yvan Biron Environmental Law Michel Blouin Natural Resources Law René Branchaud Natural Resources Law Marie-Claude Cantin Insurance Law Louis Charette Aviation Law; Product Liability Law; Transportation Law Gérard Coulombe, c.r., Ad. E. Corporate Law Eugène Czolij Corporate and Commercial Litigation; Insolvency and Financial Restructuring Pierre Denis Equipment Finance Law Raymond Doray, Ad. E. Administrative and Public Law Louis-Martin Dubé Real Estate Law Josée Dumoulin Employee Benefits Law Nicolas Gagnon Construction Law Michel Gélinas Labour and Employment Law Marie-Andrée Gravel Mergers & Acquisitions Law Odette Jobin-Laberge, Ad. E. Insurance Law Jean Hébert Insurance Law Pierre Marc Johnson International Arbitration Bernard Larocque Class Action Litigation; Insurance Law Guy Lavoie Labour and Employment Law; Workers’ Compensation Law Guy Lemay Labour and Employment Law; Class Action Litigation Jean-Philippe Lincourt Class Action Litigation Robert W. Mason Director and Officer Liability; Insurance Law; Personal Injury Litigation; Product Liability Law Patrick A. Molinari Health Care Law Philip Nolan Tax Law François Parent Employee Benefit Law Luc Pariseau Tax Law Jacques Paul-Hus Mergers & Acquisitions Law Louis Payette, Ad. E. Banking and Finance Jacques Perron Transportation Law Élisabeth Pinard Family Law Marc Rochefort Securities Law Louis Rochette Health Care Law Ian Rose Director and Officer Liability, Insurance Law Jean Saint-Onge, Ad. E. Class Action Litigation Raphaël H. Schachter, c.r., Ad. E. Criminal Defense Jean-Yves Simard Corporate and Commercial Litigation; Insolvency and Financial Restructuring Gerald Stotland Family Law Philippe Tremblay Construction Law André Vautour Corporate Law, Information Technology Law; Technology Law For more information, please visit the Best Lawyers’ website at www.bestlawyers.com.