This section keeps you up-to-date on the latest news and upcoming public appearances of Lavery professionals.
News
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The Court of Appeal recognizes Lavery’s leadership in matters involving surety bonds
In a landmark decision, the Court confirms the scope of the surety bond indemnity agreement that our firm helped to draft in Gestion ITR inc. v. Intact Compagnie d'assurance.. Lavery’s reputation in construction bonding is well established. The firm has been a leader in this field for decades. Under the direction of our partner Nicolas Gagnon, Lavery supports the industry in contentious matters, while providing guidance on major policies. Over 30 years ago, our firm was in charge of drafting the content of an indemnity agreement between a construction company and a major surety company. That agreement is still widely used in the industry today. The Court of Appeal of Québec recognized the scope of the agreement in a recent decision, confirming that the obligations of the signatories to the agreement included, in particular, the reimbursement of losses incurred by the surety, not only under surety bonds it had issued, but also under agreements entered into between the principal surety and another surety that had agreed to act as the construction company’s guarantor. This essentially means that the signatories to an indemnity agreement must reimburse the losses incurred by a surety that was obtained by the principal surety. Our partner Nicolas Gagnon commented on this as follows: “So much effort went into drafting this indemnity agreement, given its significance for the industry. We’re obviously thrilled to see that Quebec’s highest Court agrees with our logic, and that it confirmed that the scope of the agreement we helped to draft applies to the situations we had identified.” We would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge our industry colleagues’ skillful work in defending the indemnity agreement.
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Lavery hires seven new legal professionals
Lavery is pleased to announce that seven recently sworn-in lawyers are joining Lavery following the completion of their articling within the firm. Quebec City office: Sophie Blanchet Sophie is a member of the Litigation and Dispute Resolution Group. "What attracted me to Lavery was their team of experienced lawyers with wide-ranging and exciting expertise. What's more, they're caring, and they believe in their young colleagues. It didn't take me long to feel at home. I had the opportunity to get involved in various cases, my opinion was valued, I was given time to learn, and, above all, I was encouraged. I'm very happy and proud to be joining the Lavery team and to have the opportunity to continue my professional development with dedicated, passionate people. " Philippe Lavoie-Paradis Philippe is a member of the Litigation and Conflict Resolution group. "Lavery is a hundred-year-strong firm with a modern and innovative vision. I'm proud to contribute to this dynamic team that puts forward a long tradition of excellence to better build tomorrow's future." Juliette St-Pierre Juliette St-Pierre is a member of the Litigation and Conflict Resolution group and practises primarily in commercial litigation and insurance law. "After being welcomed by the Lavery team in 2022, I quickly felt that collaboration was the name of the game and that my involvement in projects was valued. It was only natural for me to start my career with this team, enabling me to develop as a lawyer alongside skilled professionals who value excellence and personal achievement." Montreal office: Julie Aubin-Perron Julie is a member of the Business Law group and practices mainly in transactional and commercial law. "Working at Lavery means choosing a stimulating work environment that encourages development and initiative. It is a privilege for me to start my career with these inspiring professionals and to be part of a collaborative and caring team." Laurence Bernard Laurence is a member of our Litigation and Dispute Resolution group. Her practice focuses primarily on insurance litigation, product liability and civil liability. "Initially, what convinced me to join Lavery was that right from when I first started as a student, my team welcomed me as one of their own, involved me in a number of projects and gave me a lot of autonomy. When I began articling, it was both comforting and exciting to work with them again and continue our wonderful collaboration. On a human and professional level, I really feel that I'm part of a team that cares about my well-being and development. Along with working with lawyers who inspire me, this is what drives me to try to be the best version of myself." Radia Amina Djouaher Radia Amina Djouaher is a member of the Business Law team and practices mainly in transactional and commercial law. During her articling term, Amina had the opportunity to collaborate on multiple technology law cases and played a key role, for instance, in the due diligence process for complex deals involving global technology companies. What's more, Amina actively participated in drafting contracts involving technology. "I'm delighted to join the great Lavery family. Beyond the expertise and excellence of the firm, it was the connections I made while articling and my summers as a student that convinced me that Lavery was the ideal environment for me. The generosity of all the members of the firm, their good spirit as well as their dedication to helping others and to the development of young people are qualities that set Lavery apart and that allowed me to agree without hesitation to join the team!" Sherbrooke office: Anaïs Martini Anaïs Martini is a member of our business law group and holds a Bachelor of Civil Law and Juris Doctor from McGill University. While in this program, she participated in legal clinic activities and a copyright policy moot.
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A new associate joins Lavery
Lavery is pleased to welcome Marie-Christine Lysymanko to its Montréal office. Marie-Christine joins our Litigation and Dispute Resolution group. She practises predominantly in the areas of insurance law and civil liability. As part of her practice, Marie-Christine is called upon to represent the interests of our clients before various judicial and administrative bodies, and to help settle disputes out of court. "In the legal community, Lavery is reputed for its excellence and the commitment of its team members. I'm delighted to be joining this firm, which stands out for its expertise and boldness, as well as its innovative, people-centred approach. My discussions with the lawyers I have met have reinforced my conviction that I will be able to realize my full potential in this stimulating and collaborative work environment."
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Lavery represents Evolution Insurance in its merger with GroupAssur
On April 20, 2021, GroupAssur, a managing general agent (MGA) offering specialty insurance products across Canada, announced its merger with our client Evolution Insurance, a wholesaler specializing in the underwriting of complex liability and construction risks. The merger makes GroupAssur Canada’s largest independent managing general agent in property and casualty insurance. Evolution Insurance’s expertise will enable GroupAssur to expand its product offering into target markets across Canada. A Lavery team led by Martin Pichette and Sébastien Vézina and composed of Jean-Paul Timothée, Gabriella Settino, Isabelle Normand and Florence Fournier (transactional) and Ali El Haskouri, Bernard Trang and Ana Nascimento (financing) played a significant role in representing Evolution Insurance’s interests throughout the transaction.
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Lavery welcomes Eric Stevenson, ex-superintendent, client services and distribution oversight at the AMF to its Business Law group
Lavery is pleased to announce the arrival of a new partner, Eric Stevenson, who is joining the Business Law group at our Québec office. Eric’s leading expertise will increase the quality and depth of Lavery’s consulting and representation service offering, in particular with its financial sector clients and stakeholders. For Eric Stevenson, this represents a return to his roots, given that he worked for the firm prior to joining the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF). A professional who has an outstanding reputation and whose leading expertise and keen knowledge are renowned in Québec, Canada and abroad Until just recently, Eric Stevenson was the superintendent, client services and distribution oversight at the AMF.He lead a team of 150 employees with the mandate of overseeing the activities relating to the distribution of financial services and products in Québec all in the while establishing the regulatory framework governing this sector of activities. His role also included issuing exercise rights to insurance and securities operators. Eric was also in charge of the AMF team tasked with evaluating the integrity of companies and their directors who were seeking to conclude agreements with the Québec government and granting the requested authorization, when applicable. Eric Stevenson has represented the AMF before several key organisations in particular by serving as a member of the market intermediaries’ commission of the International Organization of Securities Commissions. He also presided or took part in numerous committees of the Canadian Council of Insurance Regulators as well as served on several committees of the Canadian securities regulatory authorities. “Coming back to Lavery was an evident choice considering that the firm benefits from an outstanding reputation and the financial sector’s stakeholders regularly recognize the excellence of its integrated legal services offering”, says Eric Stevenson. “I am delighted to rejoin a consulting team that is devoted to offering a memorable client-based approach that is well-rooted in a deep understanding of the client’s actual business reality. I am also eager to help Lavery’s current and future clients benefit from my knowledge andvast network of contacts that I had the privilege to develop over the past years.” A leadership connected to the client’s business reality coinciding with Lavery’s vision “As a seasoned attorney, experienced manager and a proven strategist, Eric’s profile, rooted in the realities of the financial industry, is well suited to meet our client’s expectations. With a unique career path, Eric will leverage his leadership and know-how to play an active part in Lavery’s role as a leader of transformation in Québec’s legal market. We are especially proud of the fact that he has chosen Lavery and our Québec City office as a re-entry point into the professional services sector. Eric’s return to Lavery is a testament to the firm’s power to attract exceptional talents”, concludes Anik Trudel, Lavery’s Chief Executive Office.
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Evelyne Verrier panelist at the 2017 Insurance and Investment Convention
Evelyne Verrier, a partner and head of the Distribution of Financial Products and Services group, served as a panelist during the 2017 Insurance and Investment Convention organized by The Insurance & Investment Journal. The Convention was held on November 14 at the Palais des congrès in Montréal. Entitled Robots-conseillers et conseillers: ennemis jurés ou partenaires?, the purpose of the panel was to discuss the evolving role of advisors in an age when FinTech and accelerated technological developments are becoming increasingly prevalent in the insurance industry. Accompanied by Alex Veilleux, Co-Owner, Chief Innovation Officer and Product Strategist at VOOBAN and Michel Bergeron, a partner in EY, Ms. Verrier took the opportunity to share her view of the future for insurance advisors, the types of high value-added activities that advisors can use to distinguish themselves and the liability issues associated with various technological tools available to advisors.
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Frédéric Bélanger and Benjamin Poirier speak on recent developments in insurance law
On October 27, Frédéric Bélanger and Benjamin Poirier, lawyers in the Litigation and Dispute Resolution group, spoke at an educational event on the topic of recent developments in insurance law organized by the Barreau du Québec and held at the InterContinental Hotel in Montreal. Their presentation, entitled La recherche de la vérité a ses limites [there are limits to the search for truth], addressed the principles of confidentiality in an effort to find a balance between the search for truth and the integrity of the justice system. It also attempted to identify the sometimes elusive structure of the legal framework that governs the privileges of confidentiality for insurance litigation practitioners, as those privileges have evolved in recent decisions. Their presentation was prepared with the close collaboration of Bernard Trang, a student in the Montreal office. They also addressed this topic in Développements récents en droit des assurances 2017, published by the continuing education service of the Barreau du Québec.
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Lavery holds its annual conference on recent developments in property & casualty (damage) insurance
On October 25, in conjunction with Déry Barrette, a claims adjustment firm, Lavery held its annual conference on recent developments in damage insurance at the Delta Sherbrooke Hotel. Frédérick Breton and Jonathan Lacoste-Jobin, respectively a lawyer and a partner in the Litigation and Conflict Resolution Group, summarized significant decisions handed down over the past year in property and casualty insurance.
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Maude Lafortune-Bélair speaks at the 3rd edition of the Éditions Yvon Blais conference on insurance law
Maude Lafortune-Bélair, a lawyer of the Litigation and Conflict Resolution group, spoke during the 3rd edition of the conference on insurance law organized by Éditions Yvon Blais, held at the Intercontinental Hotel in Montréal on October 18. Entitled L’exclusion pour actes criminels, her presentation addressed the specific elements to include when drafting and enforcing an exclusion clause for criminal acts. Me Lafortune-Bélair also discussed parallels that could be drawn between similar exclusions, such as those regarding intentional fault.
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Léonie Gagné moderates a seminar at the Insurtech QC 2017 Day
On April 3, Léonie Gagné, a lawyer in our Litigation and Conflict Resolution Group, moderated a seminar during the Insurtech QC 2017 Day, which was held at the Quebec City port terminal as part of the Semaine numérique (Digital Week) in Quebec City. The seminar, entitled Répondre aux besoins des nouveaux consommateurs : l'assurance de l'économie collaborative (Responding to the Needs of the New Consumer: Insurance of Collaborative Economics), the two speakers Emmanuelle Mury, co-founder of InsPeer, a French peer-to-peer insurance platform, and Tim Attia, CEO of Slice Labs, an American on-demand insurance platform, discussed the topic of the transformation of the insurance industry and the emergence of insurance platforms in this new era of Insurance 2.0.
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Léonie Gagné leads a discussion at the Journée de l’assurance de dommages 2017
On March 14, Léonie Gagné, a lawyer in the Litigation and Conflict Resolution Group, led a discussion as part of the sixth annual Journée de l’assurance de dommages (damage insurance conference) at the Montréal Convention Centre organized by the Journal de l’assurance, this year’s theme being “Connectés à l’assurance réinventée” (Connected to reinvented insurance). Over the years, the Journée de l’assurance has become an event not to be missed in the insurance industry. The panel discussion, entitled L’économie collaborative change la société : l’assurance en fera-t-elle partie ? (the sharing economy is changing society: will insurance be part of that change?), saw panelists examine the business potential for insurers and insurance brokers in the emergence of the sharing economy.