News

October 18, 2021 – Eric Thibaudeau and Lavery have been named as a reference in Occupational Health and Safety by Canadian Occupational Safety – 5-Star Safety Lawyers & Law Firms. To determine the best lawyers and law firms catering to the safety industry, Canadian Occupational Safety sourced feedback from safety leaders over a period of 15 weeks. COS’s research team began by conducting a survey with a wide range of safety officers to determine what companies value in the law firms they collaborate with.

Lavery is pleased to announce that Simon Clément, managing partner of the Québec City office practising in Business Law and Litigation, has been elected President of the board of Les Créations Pyro. Les Créations Pyro is the producer of the Grands Feux Loto-Québec. Created in 1995, this event offers large-scale pyromusical shows from the St. Lawrence River and has been free since 2012. These world-class performances create a bridge between Québec City and Lévis and attract hundreds of thousands of people along both shores every year. “After a two-year forced break, this series of firework events on the magnificent St. Lawrence River will return in force, to the delight of tourists and residents of Quebec’s National Capital Region. The entertainment industry’s contribution to the economic vitality of the region is obvious to me and I feel privileged to be able to contribute to it through Les Créations Pyro, accompanied by expert board members and people of action,” says Simon Clément. This appointment will be an opportunity to contribute to the upcoming Grands Feux Loto-Québec in 2022, which will be held against the backdrop of the tourism industry’s recovery. For more information, visit les Créations Pyro website:Here

Lavery is pleased to announce that Beatrice Ngatcha, a partner in the Intellectual Property group, has recently been appointed to the Board of Directors for 2021-2022 by the IPIC Annual General Meeting. IPIC is the professional association for patent agents, trademark agents and lawyers specializing in all areas of intellectual property law. Beatrice has been involved in IPIC's development and outreach since 2003, and this appointment is a reflection and recognition of the strength of her expertise in the field of intellectual property. For more information, see IPIC's Board of Directors page: Read here

Lavery is pleased to announce the arrival of one new associate to the firm.  Debbie Thibodeau Debbie Thibodeau joined our Business Law group and will practise mainly in the fields of corporate finance and corporate reorganizations. Debbie began her career in corporate and commercial law and corporate financing. Prior to that, she practised as a paralegal. " It’s important to me to work in a healthy environment where the person behind the professional is just as important and where mutual support and collaboration are a given. At Lavery, I was instantly charmed by the firm’s human values. Right from the start, I felt everyone’s collaborative spirit and a business culture that really speak to me and that will certainly help me to grow both professionally and personally within this beautiful and great new professional family." – Debbie Thibodeau

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).

On September 22, the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) announced Saint John as the host city for the 2022 Memorial Cup. At the CHL’s request, Sébastien Vézina, partner in the Business Law group, sat on the selection committee tasked with analyzing the cities’ applications to host the tournament alongside: Dan MacKenzie, President, CHL Colin Campbell, Senior Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations, NHL Nathalie Cook, Vice President, TSN/RDS at Bell Media Nancy Orr, Chief Judge of the Provincial Court of Prince Edward Island Sébastien Vézina is a partner in Lavery Lawyers’ Business Law group and has extensive experience in the sports and entertainment industry. He provides business and regulatory advice to sports teams, players, agents, owners, senior managers, sponsors, agencies, event promoters, team members and athletes. He frequently assists league operators and team owners with strategic issues relating to their governance.

Lavery is pleased to announce the arrival of two new associates who will bring their wide-ranging expertise to the firm.   Marie-Diane Ngom Marie-Diane Ngom joins our Labour and Employment as well as our Litigation and Dispute Resolution groups. Marie-Diane began her career practising mainly in insurance law and civil and commercial litigation.  During her studies, Marie-Diane was very socially involved and was awarded a leadership and sustainable development scholarship two years in a row.  “I consider Lavery to be a big family where you feel at home and where you can grow both professionally and personally. What convinced me was the professional quality of the lawyers, the firm’s values, and the human approach.” – Marie-Diane Ngom   Vivianne Pierre-Sigouin Vivianne Pierre-Sigouin joins our Health Law Group. Vivianne has completed several mandates representing syndics and professionals before the disciplinary and appeal bodies of various professional orders and other regulatory organizations. Previously, Vivianne also acted as legal counsel and as an investigator, mainly in the financial field. “What convinced me to join Lavery was the possibility of pursuing my practice in professional liability and disciplinary law, in a field that has always especially attracted me, which is health care. Not only that, but the fact that I can offer clients a full range of services in a multitude of areas of law is also one of the factors that convinced me to join Lavery.” - Vivianne Pierre-Sigouin

Lavery is pleased to announce the return of Carole Gélinas as a partner. Carole, who practiced law at Lavery from 2012 to 2019 on the real estate team, is returning to her roots. She has more than 30 years of experience in this field and is known for assisting corporations with mandates relating to the leasing, acquisition, sale and financing of real estate assets. She also has extensive experience in mining law. “I am delighted to be back with the Lavery family. The firm’s strength lies in its ability to offer a complete range of services, to manage major cases and to maintain a proximity to the business reality of its clients. I am pleased to once again be able to put my expertise in real estate and mining law,” says Carole Gélinas.

Lavery has been recognized in the following fields as a leader in the 2022 edition of the Chambers Canada guide: Corporate/Commercial (Québec Band 1, Highly Regarded) Employment and Labour (Québec Band 2) Energy and Natural Resources: Mining (Nationwide Band 4) Intellectual Property (Nationwide Band 4) Our Professionals Demonstrate Once Again They Are Leaders in Chambers Canada Guide 2022 René Branchaud, Guy Lavoie, Jean-Philippe Turgeon and Sébastien Vézina have been recognized as leaders in their respective areas of practice in the 2022 edition of the Chambers Canada guide. Areas of expertise in which they are recognized: René Branchaud: Energy and Natural Resources: Mining Guy Lavoie: Labour and Employment Law Jean-Philippe Turgeon: Franchising Sébastien Vézina: Energy and Natural Resources: Mining The lawyers and law firms profiled in Chambers Canada are selected following through a rigorous process of research and interviews with a broad spectrum of lawyers and their clients. The final selection is based on clearly defined criteria such as the quality of client service, legal expertise, and commercial astuteness.

Lavery is pleased to announce that Caroline Harnois’s expertise in Family Law Mediation was recognized with the Lawyer of the Year award as part of The Best Lawyers in Canada 2022. Ms. Caroline Harnois is a member of the Family law, Personal law and Estate law team. Her practice is focused on all aspects of family and estate law, which comprises private international family law, including international child abduction. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Harnois worked as a lawyer with the Children, Person and Family Law team at The Hague Conference on Private International Law in the Netherlands, where she developed an expertise in extraterritorial conflicts and the application of international conventions, in particular regarding international child abduction, recovery of maintenance abroad, intercountry adoption and international protection of children and vulnerable adults. During her last years with this international organization, Ms. Harnois took part in international negotiations meetings, organized and conducted training sessions for lawyers, judges, civil servants and representatives of other international organizations, and worked towards the implementation of conventions. She was also invited in several countries as a guest lecturer in her areas of practice. Ms. Harnois has written several articles on family law including La Convention de La Haye du 25 octobre 1980 sur l’enlèvement international d’enfants : la nécessité d’agir de façon rapide et efficace and Débiteurs alimentaires récalcitrants à vos gardes, la planète rétrécit respectively published in Les Développement récents en droit familial of 2008 and 2010. Ms. Harnois also written an article in the Canadian Family Law Quarterly entitled 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction : the Impact of a Refugee Claim or the Grant of Refugee Status on a Hague Return Application. She has also appeared as a guest lecturer at the Quebec Bar Continuing Education Workshops.

Lavery is pleased to announce that Bernard Larocque’s expertise in Professional Malpractice was recognized with the Lawyer of the Year award as part of The Best Lawyers in Canada 2022. Bernard Larocque is a partner in the Litigation and Conflict Resolution group whose practice focuses primarily on civil litigation, including defamation law, insurance law, class actions, professional liability, and administrative disputes. He frequently appears before the courts, including the Supreme Court of Canada and the Quebec Court of Appeal. Mr. Larocque regularly speaks at conferences on various subjects such as insurance law, liability, and civil procedure. In addition to being a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, his expertise is also recognized by The Canadian Legal LEXPERT® Directory in the field of Litigation and Commercial insurance.

On August 26, 2021, Best Lawyers in Canada released the results of a new initiative to recognize the rising stars in the Canadian legal profession. The results of the Ones to Watch survey that was held among the Canadian legal community identified three Lavery lawyers as rising stars in their respective fields of expertise: Dominic Boisvert: Insurance Law Charles Ceelen-Brasseur: Corporate Law Chloé Fauchon: Municipal Law These recognitions are further demonstration of the expertise and quality of legal services that characterize Lavery’s professionals.