News

Lavery is delighted to welcome two new partners, David Tournier and Benoit Yelle, to the Business Law and Intellectual Property groups respectively. They bring cutting-edge expertise in these fast-growing sectors and a practice approach based on technological innovation. David Tournier joins the Business Law group and will focus on corporate financing. His extensive experience in private practice, in particular, bank financing, infrastructure projects, insolvency and private equity, has led him to deal with lenders and borrowers in the context of syndicated and cross-border loans, acquisition and project financings (including PPPs). David has a wide-ranging portfolio, having represented both start-ups and multinationals, as well as investors involved in engineering, green industrial projects and new technology, which is one of his passions. "Lavery has a reputation for excellence in the provincial and national markets. When combined with its independence, this reputation puts it in a good position to serve a wide range of clients in different areas of business law. The lawyers from the firm that I already knew showed me the human side of this great organization, and easily convinced me to join their wonderful team," said David Tournier. His experience in well-known law firms and as a company director will undoubtedly benefit our clients. Benoit Yelle joins the Intellectual Property group. A registered patent agent in Canada and the United States with a background in computer engineering, Benoit has developed an expertise over the years in everything from mechanical inventions to quantum technologies, hand tools, medical devices, network protocols, telecommunications, mobile applications and quantum computing. Within the Lavery network, he will focus his practice on drafting and prosecuting patent and industrial design applications. Thanks to his considerable experience in analyzing the patentability and commercial potential of invention disclosures, Benoît worked as a patent engineer and agent for a multinational telecommunications company. "Lavery's Intellectual Property group needs no introduction. We share a common vision on how best to practice IP. It also seemed to me that Lavery was the most innovative and best-suited platform to leverage current and future changes to the practice of law. I think I found the right place to harness my passion for innovation!" said Benoit Yelle. By becoming a partner and patent agent at Lavery, Benoit will be able to adapt his approach and provide services that help achieve his clients' objectives.

Today, Lavery is proud to unveil its new brand image. This significant transformation embodies our firm’s desire to drive the growth of organizations that do business in Quebec. Both warm and accessible, the result of this initiative attests to the firm’s uniqueness and its desire to break industry norms by adopting a human and innovative approach based on personalized support. The new visual platform, created by BrandBourg in collaboration with the internal team, was designed to communicate Lavery’s mission, which focuses on partnership with its clients and its closeness to the business community. It combines its current distinctive colours with the contemporary imagery of renowned Quebec illustrator Sébastien Thibault, whose work is featured in prestigious publications such as The New York Times, The Guardian and The Economist. “Our completely renewed signature is both a more accurate reflection of what our firm is today and what it aspires to embody even more in the coming years,” says Anik Trudel, Lavery’s Chief Executive Officer. “This reaffirms our commitment to our clients’ success, which is based on the personalized approach of a competent team that is integrated in a 360-degree approach and is truly attentive to their needs.” Visually expressing the Lavery promise Lavery’s colour palette now plays with the shades of green that already distinguish the firm in the industry. The coral colour brings contrast, originality and warmth. The updated logo retains the friendly, approachable feel of the brand and creates a timeless, strong character.  The green line that accompanies the name Lavery recalls the line on which we affix a signature and thus symbolizes our commitment. The new handwritten signature “Signed Lavery” refers to Lavery’s human side and the personalization of its service.  Furthermore, the removal of the descriptor “Lawyers” that was a part of the previous logo reflects both the presence of a growing number of legal professionals complementary to the practice of law, and the firm’s confidence in its positioning in the business community. “Our visual identity reflects the dynamic nature of our firm and the uniqueness of our positioning. It will help us to leverage digital codes even more effectively, in addition to offering us new options for communicating in an engaging and visual way with our target audiences, both internally and externally,” says Joanne Lajeunesse, Director, Communications and Marketing. The clients surveyed in the course of the project emphasized the innovative, professional, artistic and sophisticated nature of the final result.  A positioning reflecting the image of today’s Lavery Our brand image is based on commitment, experience, added value and growth, the four main pillars that guide our actions and give meaning to each of the firm’s interventions. Lavery’s promise is a guarantee of loyalty and excellence that is shared for the benefit of our clients, key players in the economy. It is a promise to leverage our talent for their benefit.

Chanel CalabroChanel is a member of the Business Law group. She works primarily in corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate law."Lavery is at the centre of developing companies in Quebec. It is for me an excellent opportunity to work with inspiring professionals in a work environment that encourages development and initiative. I am very enthusiastic about working in a practice that offers me the opportunity to use my past experiences to provide added value to our clients." Simon Gagné-CarrierSimon is joining our Labour and Employment Law group. He also practices in Municipal Law. He joined the Lavery team as a student in 2022. He completed his bachelor's degree in civil law and a master's degree in business administration at the Université de Sherbrooke. "The team of professionals who make up the firm and who have guided me are committed to strong and important values such as mentoring, professional development and collaboration between peers. It is an ideal environment for a young lawyer." Ghiles HelliGhiles is joining our Business Law Group. He is a member of our mergers and acquisitions team. He assists our partners in advising clients on the legal impacts of the implementation of new technologies and on cybersecurity. "I chose to do my internship at Lavery because of their expertise in technology law and in mergers and acquisitions law, my two legal passions. It is also a great opportunity for me to pursue my professional development with mentoring that is second to none." Kabrina PéronKabrina is joining our Labor and Employment Law group. She joined the Lavery team as a student in the winter of 2021. "Throughout my experience at Lavery, I have had the opportunity to collaborate with passionate and highly experienced professionals on various cases, who were especially committed to ensuring my professional development. It is ideal guidance at the beginning of my career." Daphné Pomerleau-NormandinDaphné is a member of the Litigation and Conflict Resolution group and focuses her practice on commercial and civil litigation. "Joining Lavery involves being part of an environment that is an ideal combination of autonomy and team spirit." Jean-Vincent Prévost-BérubéJean-Vincent is joining our Business Law Group and practises mainly in transactional and commercial law. He has joined the Lavery team for his articling term in the winter of 2022. "Team collaboration and unity are definitely the firm’s strengths. For me, Lavery was the choice of a firm, but above all of a team. I appreciate being able to collaborate on challenging cases as well as the trust and confidence that we are quickly given in the management of these cases."  

Lavery is pleased to announce that 67 of its lawyers have been recognized as leaders in their respective fields of expertise by The Best Lawyers in Canada 2023. The following lawyers also received the Lawyer of the Year award in the 2023 edition of The Best Lawyers in Canada: René Branchaud : Natural Resources Law Chantal Desjardins : Intellectual Property Law Bernard Larocque : Legal Malpractice Law Patrick A. Molinari : Health Care Law   Consult the complete list of Lavery's lawyers and their fields of expertise: Josianne Beaudry : Mergers and Acquisitions Law / Mining Law Laurence Bich-Carrière : Class Action Litigation / Corporate and Commercial Litigation / Product Liability Law Dominic Boivert : Insurance Law (Ones To Watch) Luc R. Borduas : Corporate Law / Mergers and Acquisitions Law Daniel Bouchard : Environmental Law Laurence Bourgeois-Hatto : Workers' Compensation Law René Branchaud : Mining Law / Natural Resources Law / Securities Law Étienne Brassard : Equipment Finance Law / Mergers and Acquisitions Law / Real Estate Law Jules Brière : Aboriginal Law / Indigenous Practice / Administrative and Public Law / Health Care Law Myriam Brixi : Class Action Litigation Benoit Brouillette : Labour and Employment Law Richard Burgos : Mergers and Acquisitions Law / Corporate Law Marie-Claude Cantin : Insurance Law / Construction Law Brittany Carson : Labour and Employment Law Eugene Czolij : Corporate and Commercial Litigation France Camille De Mers : Mergers and Acquisitions Law (Ones To Watch) Chantal Desjardins : Intellectual Property Law Jean-Sébastien Desroches : Corporate Law / Mergers and Acquisitions Law Raymond Doray : Privacy and Data Security Law / Administrative and Public Law / Defamation and Media Law Christian Dumoulin : Mergers and Acquisitions Law Alain Y. Dussault : Intellectual Property Law Isabelle Duval : Family Law Chloé Fauchon : Municipal Law (Ones To Watch) Philippe Frère : Administrative and Public Law Simon Gagné : Labour and Employment Law Nicolas Gagnon : Construction Law Richard Gaudreault : Labour and Employment Law Danielle Gauthier : Labour and Employment Law Julie Gauvreau : Intellectual Property Law Michel Gélinas : Labour and Employment Law Caroline Harnois : Family Law / Family Law Mediation / Trusts and Estates Marie-Josée Hétu : Labour and Employment Law Alain Heyne : Banking and Finance Law Édith Jacques : Energy Law / Corporate Law Pierre Marc Johnson, Ad. E.  : International Arbitration Marie-Hélène Jolicoeur : Labour and Employment Law Isabelle Jomphe : Intellectual Property Law Guillaume Laberge : Administrative and Public Law Jonathan Lacoste-Jobin : Insurance Law Awatif Lakhdar : Family Law Bernard Larocque : Professional Malpractice Law / Class Action Litigation / Insurance Law / Legal Malpractice Law Myriam Lavallée : Labour and Employment Law Guy Lavoie : Labour and Employment Law / Workers' Compensation Law Jean Legault : Banking and Finance Law / Insolvency and Financial Restructuring Law Carl Lessard : Workers' Compensation Law / Labour and Employment Law Josiane L'Heureux : Labour and Employment Law Despina Mandilaras : Construction Law / Corporate and Commercial Litigation (Ones To Watch) Hugh Mansfield : Intellectual Property Law Zeïneb Mellouli : Labour and Employment Law Patrick A. Molinari : Health Care Law André Paquette : Mergers and Acquisitions Law Luc Pariseau : Tax Law Ariane Pasquier : Labour and Employment Law Jacques Paul-Hus : Mergers and Acquisitions Law Hubert Pepin : Labour and Employment Law Martin Pichette : Insurance Law / Professional Malpractice Law Élisabeth Pinard : Family Law François Renaud : Banking and Finance Law / Structured Finance Law Judith Rochette : Insurance Law / Professional Malpractice Law Ian Rose FCIArb : Director and Officer Liability Practice / Insurance Law Chantal Saint-Onge : Corporate and Commercial Litigation (Ones To Watch) Éric Thibaudeau : Workers' Compensation Law André Vautour : Corporate Governance Practice / Corporate Law / Information Technology Law / Intellectual Property Law / Technology Law Bruno Verdon : Corporate and Commercial Litigation Sébastien Vézina : Mergers and Acquisitions Law Yanick Vlasak : Corporate and Commercial Litigation Jonathan Warin : Insolvency and Financial Restructuring Law These recognitions are further demonstration of the expertise and quality of legal services that characterize Lavery’s professionals.

On August 25, 2022, 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 four Lavery lawyers as rising stars in their respective fields of expertise: Dominic Boisvert : Insurance Law France Camille De Mers : Mergers and Acquisitions Law Chloé Fauchon : Municipal Law Despina Mandilaras : Construction Law / Corporate and Commercial Litigation Chantal Saint Onge : Corporate and Commercial Litigation These recognitions are further demonstration of the expertise and quality of legal services that characterize Lavery's professionals.

Lavery is pleased to announce that René Branchaud's expertise in Natural Resources Law was recognized with the Lawyer of the Year award as part of The Best Lawyers in Canada 2023. René Branchaud, partner and member of the Board of Directors of the firm, 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. His services are in demand with European entrepreneurs and investors, primarily in France, wishing to set up companies in Canada. René has acquired extensive experience in this area and the specific challenges facing companies moving to Québec. He advises businesses in all sectors of economic activity on the legal and regulatory aspects of doing business in Québec and Canada, identifying the business services they will need and assembling multidisciplinary teams to facilitate their efforts. Over the years, he has built a strong business network (bankers, financial advisers, tax experts, and accountants) that he calls upon when carrying out the mandates entrusted to him. René sits on the boards of directors and acts as secretary of several publicly traded companies; he also serves on corporate governance committees and special committees established to address specific issues (mergers, takeovers).

Lavery is pleased to announce that Chantal Desjardins's expertise in Intellectual Property Law was recognized with the Lawyer of the Year award as part of The Best Lawyers in Canada 2023. Chantal Desjardins is a partner, lawyer and trade-mark agent in Lavery's intellectual property group. She contributes actively to the development of her clients' rights in this field, which includes the protection of trade-marks, industrial designs, copyright, trade secrets, domain names and other related forms of intellectual property, in order to promote her clients' business goals. Me Desjardins provides legal advice and expertise with respect to protecting and managing IP assets, represents her clients in the examination of applications, opposition proceedings, and litigation in Canada and in other countries. She negotiates IP licences, various contracts in the field, and technology transfers, advises and defends clients' rights in the field of advertising and labelling and other topics such as the Charter of the French language. She regularly provides guidance to clients on IP issues implicated in new and existing products and services. She is involved in the IP due diligence review of transactions. She regularly gives conferences, seminars and courses and publishes articles on intellectual property matters and participated on the advisory board of the Trademarks Office regarding the reform in trademark law and its implementation.

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 2023.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 since 2018.

Lavery is pleased to announce that Patrick A. Molinari's expertise in Health Care Law was recognized with the Lawyer of the Year award as part of The Best Lawyers in Canada 2023.Patrick A. Molinari is counsel with the firm and brings to his health law and regulatory law practice the experience of an exceptional career in academia. He is particularly interested in the development of health care systems and the emergence of new public and private structures for the provision of health care and related services. He has an in-depth understanding of the normative framework of health care services, whether they involve regulatory, contractual, or commercial issues. Mr. Molinari advises numerous health care organizations and facilities as well as corporations on the strategic and legal aspects of their activities.