Lavery is a major full-service law firm of approximately 175 lawyers and the leading independent law firm in Quebec. Recently, some 35 lawyers specializing in business law, bankruptcy and insolvency, and commercial litigation joined the firm thereby further strengthening its business law practice and providing additional depth and expertise to service the needs of the business community.
The firm provides a comprehensive range of legal services to regional, national and multi-national corporations; financial institutions; and government departments, agencies, and Crown corporations. It also has an extensive practice in advising other Canadian and foreign law firms on matters of Quebec law.
Lavery has developed strong ties with law firms and other professional firms across Canada, the United States and worldwide, thereby enabling us to assist our clients to develop opportunities outside Quebec. The firm is a member of the World Services Group, a global non-profit association with membership by invitation only, consisting of large local, national and international professional services providers in over 120 countries.
The following is a brief description of the firm's main areas of practice:
Business Transactions
Lavery's extensive team of lawyers represents a broad range of clients doing business in Canada and abroad. These lawyers handle all types of transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, corporate finance, buy-outs, public-private partnership initiatives, and joint ventures, as well as due diligence reviews, corporate reorganizations, public and private financing transactions.
Class Action Defence
The firm's leading class action attorneys are involved in major class action litigation in Canada as well as in cross-border class action litigation. The firm has been involved in numerous high-profile cases in many different areas of practice.
Commercial Litigation
The firm's commercial litigation group is comprised of more than 40 highly dedicated and skilled lawyers handling a wide range of issues, including creditors' rights, banking and financial transactions, bankruptcy and insolvency, franchising, securities litigation, competition law, shareholders' remedies, and specialized remedies such as injunctions, seizures, etc.
Competition and Antitrust Law
The competition group provides assistance to the firm's clients in matters relating to mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures, and in proceedings involving the Competition Act and related criminal statutes and regulations.
Construction Law and Surety Bonds
Lavery is an acknowledged leader in this field, having represented clients in the construction industry for over 40 years. The firm's expertise encompasses every stage of a construction project, from the negotiating and drafting of construction and service contracts and the securing of financing, to project implementation and management and the negotiation of and realizing on security.
Corporate Governance
The firm has a senior team of lawyers with specific expertise in all corporate governance issues. Their services include conducting compliance audits and assessments of a client's current practices, recommending appropriate compliance initiatives, training of directors, and providing advice when outside assistance is required.
Environmental, Energy and Natural Resources Law
Lavery has one of Quebec's leading environmental law, resource development and land management practices. The firm's services include: obtaining environmental authorizations, representation in investigations and inspections by the various environmental authorities, and advising on the planning and implementation of large environmentally sensitive projects.
Financing and Financial Services
Lavery's financing team acts on behalf of both financial institutions and corporate borrowers in handling and implementing all forms of financial transactions and in developing financial services for financial institutions.
Government Affairs
The firm represents both public and private sector clients in policy, legislative and regulatory matters. The firm's lawyers are frequently mandated to draft legislation and regulations on behalf of regulatory authorities, and to make representations before various government agencies on behalf of corporate clients.
Health Law
Lavery is the preferred legal advisor to a number of healthcare institutions and healthcare professional bodies. The firm has broad expertise in such areas as the structuring, organizing and financing of healthcare systems, providing advice in respect of the administrative and legal framework governing the operation of healthcare institutions, negotiating and drafting R&D contracts for the healthcare industry, and healthcare litigation, including professional malpractice litigation.
Information and Privacy
Lavery is one of Quebec's leading law firms in matters of information and privacy law. Our clients include government and their departments, large corporations, media organizations and professional associations in respect of such matters as access to information, confidentiality issues, Charter rights, and defamation and slander.
Labour and Employment
Lavery has a team of some 30 lawyers in this area who have represented the interests of employers for more than 40 years, providing a full complement of services in labour and employment law, including negotiating collective agreements, strategic counseling, mediation, arbitration, and occupational health and safety.
Litigation
The firm has one of Quebec's leading civil litigation practices, with particular emphasis in areas such as insurance law, professional liability, defamation and product liability.
Municipal Affairs
The firm's lawyers act in a wide variety of municipal matters, including municipal administration, municipal powers and delegation of powers, drafting of bylaws and contracts, municipal services, expropriation, hiring and personnel management, calls for tenders, taxation, elections and referendums.
Real Estate Law
Lavery's real estate law group acts on behalf of national and international firms, financial institutions, corporations, government entities and educational institutions offering a full range of services in all transactions involving commercial and industrial real estate such as mergers and acquisitions, financing, and development and leasing of office, industrial, retail and multi-residential properties, including the development of various ownership structures for properties.
Securities Law
Lavery's team of experienced practitioners provides its clients, whether underwriters or issuers, with the full range of services in this area, including the listing of corporate securities on stock exchanges, handling and assisting with mergers, acquisitions, debt offerings, private placements and takeover bids, drafting and advising on stock option plans, initial public offerings, issuer bids, etc., and preparing shareholders' meetings.
Taxation
The firm's tax practitioners are particularly adept at working in multidisciplinary teams with lawyers in other practice areas to address taxation issues related to purchase and sale of businesses, corporate reorganizations, real estate transactions and other business transactions. Lavery also has an active tax advocacy and litigation practice, as well as a personal tax planning practice.
Technology, Entertainment, and Intellectual Property
Lavery provides a full range of services in these areas with a focus on protecting all forms of intellectual property. The firm's services include drafting and negotiating contracts involving technology transfers, information technology, software, R&D and biotechnology, as well as the specialized agreements and other legal documentation required in the motion picture and music industries.
Transportation Law
Our lawyers provide advice and guidance to marine, air, road and rail transportation companies. The firm's areas of expertise include insurance (liability, hull and cargo), recoveries, admiralty proceedings, maritime liens and realizing on security, transportation and affreightment contracts, purchase, sale and financing of ships and aircraft, and maritime mortgages and security interests.
For further information, please contact the partners listed above or visit our website at lavery.ca
Pooling the experience of over ninety-five years of practice, Lavery, de Billy serves local, Canadian and international clients from the private, public and parapublic sectors. The firm represents small and medium-sized businesses as well as national and multinational corporations.