Pierre Bienvenu is Global Practice Leader of Norton Rose Group's International arbitration practice and a member of Norton Rose Group's supervisory board. He was Managing Partner of Ogilvy Renault LLP from 2005 to 2009 and chaired its executive committee until 2011. Mr. Bienvenu practises in international commercial arbitration, corporate and commercial litigation, and constitutional law. He has acted as counsel in numerous domestic and international arbitrations, both ad hoc and institutional, involving disputes in telecommunications, aeronautics, international distribution and joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions and foreign investment. He is also regularly called upon to represent parties in court proceedings to recognize and enforce or to set aside foreign or domestic arbitral awards. Mr. Bienvenu serves as arbitrator in international arbitrations and has experience as sole arbitrator, party-appointed arbitrator and chairman of the tribunal. He is a member of the LCIA Court, of which he is also a Vice-President. In addition to appearing before numerous administrative and arbitral tribunals, Mr. Bienvenu has pleaded before the courts of Quebec, the Federal Court of Canada and the Supreme Court of Canada. He has participated in numerous challenges to the constitutional validity of provincial and federal legislation, and has extensive experience in public law litigation. His Supreme Court of Canada experience includes representing government bodies, institutions and individuals in a range of constitutional and commercial law disputes, including representing the Attorney General of Canada in the landmark Reference re Secession of Quebec, the federally appointed judiciary in the Bodner case and, most recently, acting as co-counsel for BCE and Bell Canada in their successful appeal to the Supreme Court to approve a plan of arrangement for the $50 billion leveraged buyout of BCE by a private equity consortium. A more detailed list of representative experience is found under "Selected Client Work." Selected client work Mr. Bienvenu acted recently for the following clients: · The respondent party in the Eric v Lola case, the highly publicized challenge to the constitutional validity of the treatment of unmarried spouses under the Civil Code of Québec · Hydro-Québec in the application by Churchill Falls Labrador Corp. seeking the revision of the pricing terms of the long-term supply contract between Hydro-Québec and CFLCo · The Attorney General of Canada in litigation concerning the legality, under both Canadian constitutional law and public international law, of the secession of the Province of Quebec from Canada, including in the landmark Reference re Secession of Quebec by the Government of Canada to the Supreme Court of Canada · The federally appointed judiciary before the Judicial Compensation and Benefits Commission (2004 and 2008), as well as before the Supreme Court of Canada in the Bodner case · The Canadian Commercial Arbitration Centre before the Supreme Court of Canada in Éditions Couette (1987) Inc. v Desputeaux, an appeal concerning the arbitrability of copyright disputes · The London Court of International Arbitration before the Supreme Court of Canada in Dell Computer Corp. v Union des consommateurs, a case dealing with the enforceability of arbitration clauses in consumer contracts · The London Court of International Arbitration before the Supreme Court of Canada in the Yugraneft case, which concerned the legality of local time limitation periods under the New York Convention · A leading aircraft manufacturer in a number of ICC arbitrations · The acquirer of a railway manufacturing business in an ICC arbitration concerning the representations made by the seller · Cypriot claimants in an ICSID arbitration against the Republic of Hungary Speaking engagements · "Arbitration in the 21st Century: making it work" (Co-Chair), Joint IBA-ICC Conference, New Delhi, India, December 2009. · "Due Process in International Arbitration" (Conference Chair), 12th International Arbitration Day, International Bar Association, Dubai, UAE, February 2009. · "Compensation for Unlawful Expropriation, and Other Recent Manifestations of the Principle of Full Reparation in International Investment Law," ICCA Congress Series No. 14 (2008). · "When Transnational Commercial Contracts Come Before International Arbitral Tribunals," Civil Law Seminar on Contract Law, National Judicial Institute, Halifax, May 2006. · "The Recognition and Enforcement of Chinese Arbitral Awards Abroad," IBA and CIETAC Conference on International Arbitration and China: Recent Developments and Current Issues, Shanghai, February 20, 2006. · "Arbitral Advocacy," 15th Annual International Commercial Arbitration Workshop (Co-Chair), Institute for Transnational Arbitration, Dallas, Texas, June 17, 2004. · "The Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards - Recent Developments in International Commercial Dispute Resolution," 4th Annual International Commercial Arbitration Conference, Canadian Bar Association, Chateau Laurier, Ottawa, June 2004. · "Recent Developments in International Commercial Arbitration in Canada," New York Convention Workshop - Annual Convention, International Bar Association (Committee D), San Francisco, September 2003. · "Arbitration and Company Law," Annual Convention, International Bar Association (Committee D), Amsterdam, September 2000. · "Secession by Constitutional Means: The Decision of the Supreme Court of Canada in the Quebec Secession Reference," First Plenary Session, New Zealand Law Conference, Rotorua, April 1999. Rankings and recognitions · Best Lawyers' Lawyer of the Year, 2012 - Alternative dispute resolution, Montréal · Best Lawyers in Canada, 2012 - International Arbitration, Corporate and Commercial Litigation, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Director and Officer Liability, Securities Law · 2011 Lexpert® Guide to the Leading US/Canada Cross-border Litigation Lawyers in Canada (US Litigation Guide), International commercial arbitration; Litigation - Corporate commercial · Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers · Awarded the distinction Advocatus Emeritus by the Quebec Bar · Best Lawyers' Lawyer of the Year, 2011 - Corporate and Commercial Litigation, Montréal · Chambers Global: The World's Leading Lawyers for Business, 2011: Dispute Resolution (Arbitration, Band 1 - "A well-known lawyer in arbitration who is a true luminary of the scene"); Dispute Resolution (Québec) · PLC Which lawyer? (2011) - Dispute resolution: international arbitration; Dispute resolution · The International Who's Who of Commercial Arbitration Lawyers, 2011 · The International Who's Who of Trade & Customs Lawyers, 2011 · Global Arbitration Review (GAR100), 2011 - International Arbitration · The International Who's Who of Commercial Litigators, 2011 · Chambers Global Guide (Band I - "Extremely knowledgeable and always well prepared; "a man of tremendous class and intelligence"; "a superb arbitrator") · Global Arbitration Review 100, 2009 - International Arbitration ("undoubtedly the best arbitration counsel in Canada") · Lexpert / American Lawyer Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada - Most frequently recommended for Corporate Commercial Litigation and International Arbitration · The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory · Lexpert-Thomson Guide to the Leading 100 Creative Lawyers in Canada Memberships and activities · International Bar Association
- Co-Chair, North American Forum (2010-2011)
- Co-Chair, Arbitration Committee (2008-2009) · London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA)
- Vice-President · Canadian Bar Association
- Former member, Council
- Former member, International Development Committee
- Former member, Executive Committee, Quebec Division
- Former president, Constitutional Law and Civil Liberties Section, Quebec Division · Fellow, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (London) · International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)
- Canadian roster of arbitrators
- Executive Committee of the Canadian National Committee · International and Quebec panels of ADR Chambers · Commercial Panel of the International Center of the American Arbitration Association · NAFTA Advisory Committee on Private Commercial Disputes · Corresponding member, International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT) Directorships · Optimum Group Inc. (Also at Toronto, Ontario Office) |