Publications

The Critical Supplier in Québec jurisprudence Superior Court refuses to import INDALEX decision into Québec Law.

On August 30, 2011, Hart Stores Inc./Magasins Hart inc. (hereinafter 'Hart'), filed for protection under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act (hereinafter the 'CCAA'). As part of the restructuring, Hart closed down 32 out of 92 points of sale and laid off 640 out of 1,600 employees. Included in (…)

In the era of smartphones and their ever-increasing sophisticated applications, it may be difficult for an employer to control what employees do with their cell phones while at work. What is the extent of an employer’s powers when an employee makes use of his personal cell phone? Does an (…)

On May 14, 2012, the Honourable Normand Gosselin, J.S.C., ruled on an amended motion seeking the sanction of a plan of arrangement concerning a debtor, Norgate Métal Inc. ('Norgate'). The judgment is special in that Norgate asked the Court to annul some of the votes that had been cast against the (…)

The Québec Court of Appeal rendered an important decision on the legality of termination of employment for some 190 employees of the Wal-Mart store in Jonquière. In the context of several proceedings, which were filed to obtain compensation for those job losses, the United Food and Commercial (…)

Two recent decisions of the Court of Appeal remind us of the duty on investment advisors and financial security advisors to know their client and the correlative duty of information. In both cases, the Court of Appeal held that the advisor had breached his duty to know his client, assess the (…)

Last Call: Do you have any private corporation shares in your RRSP? Plan Nord: Maximize your business opportunities Can the refusal to sign a non-competition clause constitute a just and sufficient cause for dismissal?

In a decision rendered on July 5th, the Court of Appeal reiterates the admissibility in evidence of reports done in the course of administrative investigations in the context of a civil trial, confirming the importance of any administrative investigation that follows an accident.

On July 20, 2012, the Supreme Court of British Columbia (the 'Court') rendered a judgment that sheds new light on the shareholder nomination process for electing the directors of a business corporation. In fact, the Court confirmed that a corporation’s policy, which aimed to impose an advance (…)

It is fairly common and in fact recommended, to proceed with a due diligence review of a property before its acquisition. At a minimum, title to the property is confirmed through a title search review. Often times, a much more thorough review is completed. Matters such as zoning and other legal (…)

The Application for Rectification by the Court Is Not a Cure for all Ills: Prevention is Better than (Attempting!) a Cure Register your Trade-marks! The Importance of Having a Detailed Power of Attorney in the Event of a Person’s Incapacity Effect of a Unanimous (…)

Quebec law has for a long time distinguished the personal guarantor from the real guarantor: a personal guarantor is personally bound to repay a creditor should the principal debtor fail to perform its obligations; a real guarantor does no more than give some of its assets as collateral to a (…)

On August 2, 2012, the Court of Appeal rendered a major decision on professional liability insurance . As a result of this ruling, insureds and insurers alike should review the wording of such policies, especially gross fault exclusions and the definition of "professional activities". The (…)