Eric Lefebvre's litigation practice involves a broad range of civil and commercial litigation matters, including banking, corporate disputes, class actions, competition law, construction law, commercial contracts and civil liability. He has particular expertise in urgent remedies such as seizures and injunctions of various kinds.
He is fluently bilingual in English and French, and completely at ease conducting trial or appellate advocacy in either language.
Mr. Lefebvre represents clients before the Quebec and federal courts as well as before regulatory bodies such as the Competition Tribunal. He also acts in investigations by the Competition Bureau and in class actions in banking law, consumer law and pharmaceutical liability. In addition, he acts in commercial and international arbitration proceedings.
Selected client work
· Lead litigation counsel to Groupe Westco Inc. in defending the refusal to deal application filed in 2008 by Nadeau Poultry Farms Ltd. before the Competition Tribunal, the most significant proceeding currently before the Tribunal
· Lead litigation counsel to Ventilex Inc. in defending bid-rigging accusations in December 2010
· Lead litigation counsel to a major construction industry participant in an investigation by the Permanent Anti-Corruption Unit (UPAC), which is composed of investigators from the Quebec provincial police force, the City of Montréal police department, the RCMP and the Competition Bureau
· Lead litigation counsel to a prominent participant in the shipping industry with regard to an ongoing investigation conducted by the Competition Bureau into allegations of an international price-fixing cartel
· Litigation counsel to Petro-Canada in defence of a motion for authorization to institute a class action arising from allegations of a price-fixing conspiracy related to the retail sale of certain petroleum products in the province of Quebec
· Counsel to RONA Inc. in its successful application before the Competition Tribunal under Section 106 of the Competition Act to set aside a consent agreement between the commissioner of competition and RONA Inc. regarding the divestiture of a "big box" Réno-Dépôt store in Sherbrooke, Quebec
· Counsel to Domtar Inc. in the investigation of allegations of a price-fixing conspiracy in the fine papers distribution business in Canada, and litigation counsel to Domtar Inc. in defence of a motion for authorization to institute a class action in the province of Quebec based on similar allegations
· Counsel to Cheminova S.A. on the Canadian aspects of the international price-fixing cartel investigation regarding potassium sorbates
Memberships and activities
· Canadian Bar Association
Related Publications
Indirect purchaser class actions: Quebec Court of Appeal decision highlights disparity in Canadian law
On November 16, 2011, the Quebec Court of Appeal rendered an important decision in the context of a proposed class action seeking to recover damages from several defendants who had entered guilty pleas in the United States in connection with conspiracies to fix the prices of dynamic random access
29/11/2011
Supreme Court of Canada denies leave in "refusal to deal" case
In a decision rendered today, the Supreme Court of Canada refused to hear an appeal from the sole poultry slaughtering company currently operating in New Brunswick, Nadeau Poultry Farm Limited, who wished to challenge a decision of the Federal Court of Appeal.
22/12/2011
Vidéo - L'administration de la preuve électronique au Québec
Dans le cadre de notre série de conférences Matinées de formation continue, nous avons organisé une conférence portant sur l'administration de la preuve électronique au Québec le mercredi 21 septembre dernier à Montréal.
01/09/2011
Federal Court of Appeal confirms landmark decision in a "refusal to deal" case
In an important decision rendered on June 2, 2011, the Federal Court of Appeal confirmed a June 2009 Competition Tribunal decision in a refusal to deal case.
15/06/2011
Bar orders in price fixing class action settlements: the uncertainty continues
The Supreme Court of Canada recently dismissed an application for leave to appeal from decisions of the Ontario Court of Appeal and the British Columbia Court of Appeal, which had upheld the approval of a partial settlement reached with two out of five chocolate manufacturers against whom class
14/09/2011
Vidéo - L'administration de la preuve électronique au Québec
As part of our Continuing Education Seminar Series we hosted a seminar on electronic document production in Québec in our Montréal office on Wednesday, September 21st.
01/09/2011
Competition Tribunal issues key ruling on "refusal to deal"
In a ruling released on August 7, 2009,[i] the Competition Tribunal dismissed an application by Nadeau Poultry Farm Limited which would have forced Groupe Westco inc., the largest chicken producer in New Brunswick, and two smaller producers, Groupe Dynaco and Volailles Acadia S.E.C., to continue
10/08/2009