News

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.

On November 3, 2015, René Branchaud, partner at Lavery, was guest speaker at the RCGT half-day on issues in the mining industry. Organized by Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton in Montréal, this conference offered financial and tax information in the mining sector. Speakers discussed numerous subjects, namely: governance on issues in the mining sector; innovation funding and tax credits for mining companies; support with recruitment – growth capital. 

René Branchaud, Josée Dumoulin and Jean Saint-Onge, partners at Lavery, have been recognized as leaders in their respective fields, in the 2016 issue of Chambers Canada. The expertise of Mr. Branchaud is recognized in Corporate/commercial law and in energy and Natural Resources (Mining). Ms. Dumoulin is recognized in the field of Pension and Benefits, whereas Mr. Saint-Onge is in the category Dispute Resolution: Class Action (Defence). This prestigious recognition is the result of extensive peer surveys conducted in Canada. The lawyers and law firms profiled in Chambers Canada are selected following a rigorous process where numerous interviews are conducted with a vast range of lawyers and their clients, i.e. commercial users of legal services, by a number of full-time researchers. Moreover, the final selection is based on well-defined criteria, such as the quality of service provided to clients, legal expertise and commercial astuteness. For more information, click on the following links: René Branchaud Josée Dumoulin Jean Saint-Onge

Michel Blouin, René Branchaud, Yvan Biron, Sébastien Vézina and Benjamin David Gross, partners at Lavery, have been recognized as mining law leaders in Leading Canadian Lawyers in Global Mining, a new Lexpert publication released in September 2015. This prestigious recognition is the result of extensive peer surveys conducted not only in Canada but also worldwide. The expertise of these lawyers in the area of mining law is therefore recognized internationally. To consult this Lexpert publication, click here.

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.

Mr. Michel Blouin and Mr. René Branchaud, Business Law partners at Lavery, have been recognized as mining law leaders in Leading Canadian Lawyers in Global Mining, in the 2015 issue of Lexpert’s directory, Guide to the Leading US/Canada Cross-Border Corporate Lawyers in Canada. This prestigious recognition is the result of extensive peer surveys conducted not only in Canada but also worldwide. The expertise of Mr. Blouin and Mr. Branchaud in the area of mining law is therefore recognized internationally. To consult this Lexpert publication, click here.

Lavery is pleased to announce that 18 partners of the firm are ranked among the leading practitioners in Canada in their respective practice areas in the 2015 edition of Thomson Reuters’s Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory. The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory is the most comprehensive publication to legal talent in the country. It is a reference guide for Canadian and foreign corporate counsel and law firms in need of specialized legal services in Canada. The 2015 edition of The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory identifies the leading practitioners in more than 40 practice areas based on the results of a thorough annual peer-review survey completed by more than a thousand respected legal professionals and a wide range of well-informed clients. Lavery lawyers are recommended in a vast array of fields, including banking, asset finance, mining law, mergers and acquisitions, technology transactions, employment law and labour relations, pensions, class actions, construction law, family law, and commercial insurance litigation. "In the 2015 edition of this legal directory, 18 Lavery partners were recognized for their first-rate expertise. I congratulate our 18 colleagues for this recognition and for their continued commitment to serving the needs of our clients", said Don McCarty, Lavery’s Managing Partner. The following Lavery partners are listed in the 2015 edition of The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory : Michel Blouin | Mining René Branchaud | Mining Louis Charette | Aviation; Litigation – Product Liability *Magali Cournoyer-Proulx | Employment (Management) Pierre Denis | Asset Equipment Finance/Leasing Josée Dumoulin | Pensions (Management) Nicolas Gagnon | Construction *David Benjamin Gross | Asset Equipment Finance/Leasing Jean Hébert | Litigation – Commercial Insurance Guy Lavoie | Labour (Management) Guy Lemay | Class Actions Robert W. Mason | Litigation – Commercial Insurance François Parent | Pensions (Management) Louis Payette, Ad. E. | Banking Élisabeth Pinard | Family Jean Saint-Onge, Ad. E. | Class Actions; Litigation – Product Liability André Vautour | Technology Transactions Sébastien Vézina | Mining *New posting For more information, please visit Lexpert’s website at: http://lexpert.ca/directory.

On May 29, 2015, the Globe and Mail’s Report on Business Magazinepublished the 2015 Lexpert/ROB Corporate Special Edition on Canada's Leading Corporate Lawyers, in which Michel Blouin and René Branchaud, partners at Lavery, are recognized as leading lawyers in Canada in the area of business law. This special edition recognizes lawyers who have contributed very effectively in the field of corporate law, and also features articles on the legal aspects of Canadian business issues. To view this publication, please click here.

Lavery is pleased to announce it has acted as legal counsel for the Province of Québec to a consortium led by Magris Resources Inc. in the completion of the acquisition of Niobec Inc., a subsidiary of IAMGOLD Corporation (TSX : IMG, NYSE: IAG)  and one of the world’s three primary niobium producers. The total consideration of US$530 million was comprised of a US$500 million cash proceeds payable at closing, as well as an additional US$30 million payable upon commencement of commercial production from adjacent rare earths element properties. Lavery also acted as local counsel in connection with the financing of the acquisition. Lavery’s transactional and financing team was led by Mr. Sébastien Vézina (M&A and Mining Law) and Mr. Benjamin Gross (Financing), and included Mr. René Branchaud (Mining Law), Ms. Nicole Messier and Ms. Carole Gélinas (Real Estate Law and Mining Titles), Ms. Sophie Prégent (Environmental Law), Ms. Catherine Méthot and Mr. Raphaël Bacal (M&A), Mr. François Parent (Pension and Benefits), Ms. Catherine Maheu, Mr. Guy Lavoie and Ms. Valérie Korozs (Labour and Employement), Mr. Éric Gélinas (Tax Law), Mr. Pierre Denis and Ms. Anne-Sophie Lamonde (Financing).

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.

Mr. Michel Blouin and Mr. René Branchaud, Business Law partners at Lavery, have been recognized as mining law leaders in Leading Canadian Lawyers in Global Mining, in the 2014 issue of Lexpert’s directory, Guide to the Leading US/Canada Cross-Border Corporate Lawyers in Canada.This prestigious recognition is the result of extensive peer surveys conducted not only in Canada but also worldwide. The expertise of Mr. Blouin and Mr. Branchaud in the area of mining law is therefore recognized internationally.To consult this Lexpert publication, click here.

Lavery is pleased to announce that 20 partners of the firm are ranked among the most recommended lawyers in Canada in their respective practice areas in the 2014 edition of Thomson Reuters’s Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory. The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory is the most comprehensive publication to legal talent in the country. It is a reference guide for Canadian and U.S. corporate counsel and law firms in need of specialized legal services. The 2014 edition of the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory identifies the best lawyers in 64 practice areas based on the results of a thorough annual peer-review survey completed by more than a thousand respected legal professionals and a wide range of well-informed clients. Lavery lawyers are recommended in a vast array of fields, including banking, asset finance, mining law, mergers and acquisitions, employment law and labour relations, pensions, class actions, construction law, family law, and commercial insurance litigation. "In the 2014 edition of this legal directory, 20 Lavery partners were recognized for their first-rate expertise. I congratulate our 20 colleagues for this recognition and for their continued commitment to serving the needs of our clients", said Don McCarty, Lavery’s Managing Partner. The following Lavery partners are listed in the 2014 edition of the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory : Pierre-L. Baribeau - Labour (Management) Yvan Biron* - Environment Michel Blouin - Mining René Branchaud – Mining Louis Charette* - Aviation Gérard Coulombe, Q.C., Ad. E. – Corporate Commercial, Mergers & Acquisitions Pierre Denis - Asset Equipment Finance/Leasing Josée Dumoulin - Pensions (Management) Nicolas Gagnon - Construction Jean Hébert - Litigation – Commercial Insurance Odette Jobin-Laberge, Ad. E. - Litigation – Commercial Insurance Guy Lavoie* - Labour (Management) Guy Lemay – Class Actions Robert W. Mason - Litigation – Commercial Insurance François Parent* - Pensions (Labour) Louis Payette, Ad. E. – Banking Élisabeth Pinard* - Family Jean Saint-Onge, Ad. E. - Class Actions; Litigation – Commercial Insurance; Litigation - Product Liability André Vautour - Technology Transactions Sébastien Vézina* - Mining *New postingFor more information, please visit Lexpert’s website at: www.lexpert.ca/directory.