Marie Cossette joined Lavery in 2011. She has numerous years of experience in public law and in handling major cases in various areas of litigation. Namely, Ms. Cossette has acquired a particular expertise in public commissions of inquiry and acted as Senior Counsel for the Gomery Commission, as Assistant Chief Counsel for the Johnson Commission and as Counsel for the Officers of the Sûreté du Québec during the Poitras Commission.
Marie Cossette has authored or co-authored several publications on the operation of public inquiries, the role of counsels in these commissions and professional law. She often serves as a legal analyst for Société Radio-Canada and Réseau de l'information (RDI), work that has provided her with relevant experience in media relations.
She devotes part of her practice to disciplinary law and administrative governance for professional associations.
Ms. Cossette is the Coordinator of the Quebec office's Litigation Group.
Representative mandates
· Analyst for Radio-Canada and Réseau de l'information (RDI) for legal matters
· Counsel for three commissions of inquiry (Gomery Commission, Johnson Commission and Poitras Commission) that received a tremendous amount of media coverage
· One of the lawyers representing Commissioner Gomery, es qualities, before the Federal Court for the judicial review of certain conclusions in his report
· One of the lawyers for the Honourable Chief Justice François Rolland before the Supreme Court in a matter of constitutional challenge of the rules of practice concerning the activities of the media in courts of law
· One of the lawyers representing a large-scale law firm in a proceeding of numerous millions of dollars further to a fraudulent financing
· Representations in matters of the duty of loyalty and the appropriations of businesses opportunities by former directors of companies
· Representations for engineers in matters involving professional liability
· Representations for professionals brought before disciplinary councils
Presentations and conferences
· Speaker at a symposium on "Managing Litigation Risks" organized by Lavery, de Billy: " Communicating with media : challenges and markers" (2011)
· Speaker for the Quebec Bar and the Quebec City Bar called "How to identify invisible barriers for women in the legal profession," for International Women's Day (2010)
· Speaker for the Women in the Legal Profession Committee of the Montreal Bar: "Communicating Effectively Using Your Personality" (2010)
· Co-chair and speaker at the 4th annual symposium on Women in Law organized by Les femmes de carrière en interaction: "Communicating Effectively" (2009)
· Speaker at a symposium on commissions of inquiry organized by the CBA: "The Role and Challenges of Counsel to the Commission" (2009)
· Co-chair and speaker at a symposium on Women and Leadership organized by Les femmes de carrière en interaction: "Identifying and Overcoming Invisible Barriers" (2008)
· Speaker for the Quebec order of professional engineers (Quebec city and Chaudière-Appalaches division) and the Science & Engineering Faculty of Université Laval: "Lessons to be Learned from the Johnson Commission" (2008)
Publications
· "Understanding the Organization and Operation of Public Commissions of Inquiry in Order to Achieve Greater Influence," Annual Congress of the Quebec Bar (2010)
· Co-author of the "Status and Role of Commission Counsel," The Law of Public Inquiries in Canada, Carswell (2010)
· Review of the manuscript of The Law of Public Inquiries in Canada by Simon Ruel, Carswell (2010)
· "The Role and Challenges of Counsel to the Commission", Proceedings of the 2009 CBA continuing education symposium on Commissions of Inquiry, volume 6 (2009)
· Co-author of the "Appropriation of a Business Opportunity: Liability of Senior Management", The Canadian Bar Association's National Magazine and CBA PracticeLink (2009)
· Helped draft the treatise "Précis de droit professionnel" (Summary of Professional Law), Editions Yvon Blais (2007)
Professional and community activities
· Member of the Executive Council of the Quebec Branch of the Canadian Bar Association (2011-2012)
· Member of the Canadian Bar Association's Communications Committee (2009-2011)
· Member of the Bar of Montreal's Women in the Legal Profession Committee (2009-2010)
· Honorary president of the financing campaign of the Théâtre Le Périscope (2011)
· Honorary committee member for the Théâtre La Veillée fundraising campaign (2009-2010)
· Participant in the Drummondville Deschênes School Board's advertising program to encourage young people to pursue their education (2008)
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Member of the Canadian Bar Association