Description
A partner in the litigation group, François LeBel specializes in administrative litigation and public law.

François has substantial experience in administrative law, particularly before professional and disciplinary bodies. He has also participated in several investigations by the Conseil de la magistrature du Québec, a provincial judicial council.

A versatile litigator, he frequently pleads before the Court of Appeal on such diverse matters as extraordinary remedies, injunctions and class actions. He is one of the lawyers who successfully represented the City of Lévis before the Supreme Court of Canada in Ville de Lévis v. Fraternité des policiers de Lévis inc.

François has ever-increasing expertise in labour law, particularly in matters concerning workplace privacy, employee records management, discipline and pension plan issues.

He is a frequent speaker at conferences on administrative law and labour law. Together with several of his colleagues, he has coauthored two important works in those practice areas.

Associations & Achievements
Since 2011 - Executive member of the Canadian Bar Association National Privacy and Access to Information Law Section

Since 2009 - Member of the Board of directors, ZAP Québec, a community wireless internet access group

Since 2006 - Volunteer legal counsel  for ZAP Québec, a community wireless internet access group

2005 - Member of the Ethics Committee of the Lévis Local Development Centre

Presentations & Conferences
2010 - Panelist for the opening round table of the 1st Congress of the Conseil québécois d’agrément (Quebec Accreditation Council)
 
2010 - "The Charter, employment practices and insurance", Langlois Kronström Desjardins training workshop
 
2010 - Chair of conference on managing legal risks associated with Internet use in the public sector
 
2010 - "Requests for accommodation in the administrative process", Canadian Institute Advanced Conference on Administrative Law
 
2010 - "How to deal with third-party related information in the personal file of a claimant", Langlois Kronström Desjardins conference
 
2010 - "The incorporation of professionals", Langlois Kronström Desjardins conference

2009 - ''L'accès à l'information et la pratique d'assurance'', Langlois Kronström Desjardins

2006 - "Working as an attorney for an administrative body: Practical advice for making the most of your role as an adviser", at the 4th advanced conference on administrative law of the Canadian Institute.

2006 - "The Duty to Accommodate and Religious Freedom in the School System", CAPSLE 2006, pan-Canadian conference on rights and freedoms in the education system.

2005 - "Searches in the School System and Other Current Issues".

2004 - "Pension Plan Conversion, presentation to the Pension Plan Administration symposium of the Canadian Institute".

2003 - "Case-law review" at a Quebec Bar conference on recent developments in education law.

2002 - "Talk on labour relations" to the Lorman symposium in Québec City.

Publications
2008 - GAGNON, Robert P. Le droit du travail du Québec (Labour Law in Quebec), 6th edition, Cowansville: Éditions Yvon Blais

2007 - VILLENEUVE, Jean-Guy, DUBÉ, Nathalie, HOBDAY, Tina. Précis de droit professionnel (Summary of Professional Law), Cowansville: Éditions Yvon Blais, 470 pages

Representative mandates
City of Lévis v. Fraternité des policiers de Lévis Inc. and Danny Belleau, 2006 CanLII 4731   
Successfully represented the City of Lévis at the Supreme Court of Canada in a labour-law matter concerning the criteria for maintaining the employment of police officer following a criminal conviction.

Multi-Marques Distribution Inc. v. Régie des rentes du Québec, 2008 QCCA 597   
Successfully represented Multi-Marques Distribution Inc. in a case concerning the calculation of an employer’s liability upon the termination of a pension plan. The Court of Appeal overturned decisions of the Superior Court, the Quebec Administrative Tribunal and the Quebec Pension Board (Régie des rentes), and decided that the plan’s provision for reducing members’ rights should be applied. The amount at issue was over $4 million.

Autorité des marchés financiers v. Assumption Mutual Life Insurance Company, 2007 QCCA 1062    
Member of a team that successfully represented Quebec’s financial markets regulator in a case concerning the validity of a decision by the regulator against an insurer.

Michaud v. Bissonnette, 2006 QCCA 775   
Member of a team that successfully defended the privileges of the Quebec National Assembly before the Court of Appeal. The case involved the interaction of parliamentary privileges with charter rights.

9049-6902 Québec Inc. v. 9047-6740 Québec Inc.   
Member of a team representing a franchisor in the food industry in a matter involving injunctions and contempt of court. This case has resulted in six Court of Appeal decisions in favour of the franchisor in the past five years.

Commission scolaire des Affluents v. Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse, 2006 QCCA 81   
Member of a team that successfully represented a school board in a case involving the limits of the Quebec Human Rights Tribunal’s remedial authority.

Complaint lodged by Ms. Sonia Gilbert against the Honourable Andrée Ruffo   
Member of a team that assisted an investigative committee of the Conseil de la magistrature judicial council.  The committee had recommended the dismissal of Judge Andrée Ruffo as set out in its report, which was upheld by the Quebec Court of Appeal.

A. v. Commission scolaire Marie-Victorin et al.   
Member of a team that successfully argued for the rejection of a motion for authorization of a class action suit alleging violations of parental rights and pressure by the school board to have children take medication. The applicant was claiming $11 million on behalf of her child and other members of the class.