Other News

Tina Hobday is appointed as Co-Chair of the Advocacy and Government Relations Committee of The National Pensions and Benefits Law Section of the Canadian Bar Association.

The Canadian Bar Association’s National Pensions and Benefits Law Section has appointed Tina Hobday as Co-Chair of the Advocacy and Government Relations Committee for the 2011-2012 term. This Section’s mandate is to promote and undertake research, facilitate the exchange of information and ideas, organize seminars, review developing legislation, standards and policy and promote harmonization, and advocate for reform on pensions and benefits law, standards, and policy, and related matters.

Langlois Kronström Desjardins congratulates the 11 lawyers of the firm who are included in the just released Best Lawyers® in Canada 2012 directory. Moreover, two of those lawyers have been designated "Lawyer of the Year" for 2012 by this independent peer-review publication.

On July 22nd, the Supreme Court of Canada handed down its decision in the matter of Estate of Rolland Bastien v. Her Majesty the Queen.

The country’s highest court overturned the decision of the Federal Court of Appeal confirming the decision of the Tax Court of Canada, and declared that the interest income received by the late Rolland Bastien from a term deposit at a branch of the Caisse populaire Desjardins located on the Wendake reserve near Québec City was exempt from tax under section 87 of the Indian Act.

The Canadian Bar Association’s National Pensions and Benefits Law Section has chosen its Executive Committee for the 2011-2012 term.  Tina Hobday has been elected as an Executive Member of the Section, which promotes and undertakes research, facilitates the exchange of information and ideas, organizes seminars, reviews developing legislation, standards and policy and promotes harmonization, and advocates for reform on pensions and benefits law, standards, and policy, and related matters.

Metro Inc., represented by law firm Langlois Kronström Desjardins, has won an important victory in a legal dispute with some of its shareholder merchants. On May 17, 2011, the Honourable Robert Mongeon of the Superior Court of Québec, in a detailed judgment, dismissed the oppression-remedy proceedings claiming abuse of shareholder rights brought by the Regroupement des marchands actionnaires.

Law firm Langlois Kronström Desjardins is proud to be associated, as principal partner, with the Coupe du Doyen 2011 mooting competition taking place from April 11th to 14th at Laval University. Following the competition, the firm will be awarding $3,100 in scholarships to finalists who distinguished themselves with their pleading skills.

On March 11, Langlois Kronström Desjardins won an important case in Québec Superior Court. The firm's Hans Bois represented Desjardins General Insurance Group and several other insurers in a matter involving flooding caused by the overflowing of the Lorette River in the Québec City municipal area.

On January 12, 2011, Langlois Kronström Desjardins was successful in an important and complex case brought before the Superior Court of Quebec. Our firm represented the Defendants in this matter involving a dispute between shareholders of a family holding company. The amount at stake in this matter largely exceeded one hundred million dollars. The Court upheld substantially all of the arguments put forward by Langlois Kronström Desjardins, thereby namely dismissing the Plaintiffs’ action for the transfer of assets by way of permanent injunction and for damages.

On October 18, William Hart, partner in the Montréal office of Langlois Kronström Desjardins, organized a forum in Paris on “Montréal and International Finance” for his client, the International Financial Centre – Montréal (IFC Montréal) in collaboration with the Canadian Embassy in Paris, the France-Canada Chamber of Commerce and the networks of two French “grandes écoles”, Essec and the Ecole centrale.  Langlois Kronström Desjardins was the only law firm involved in this initiative.

Langlois Kronström Desjardins is pleased to announce an important litigation victory on behalf of its long-time client, Canadian Royalties Inc.  

On September 21, 2010, Quebec Superior Court Justice François Huot dismissed a proceeding brought by Sun Media Corporation and the newspaper Journal du Québec challenging a decision of the President of Quebec’s National Assembly to refuse press-gallery accreditation of two of its journalists.

Langlois Kronström Desjardins is proud to announce the appointment of Gerry Apostolatos, one of its partners, to the presidency of the Canadian Bar Association (CBA), Quebec Branch, on August 17th of this year. His term begins immediately and will run until August 2011.

On December 1, 2009, the Superior Court rendered a leading case on whether a motion for declaratory judgment is available in law to confirm the existence of a verbal agreement. 

On November 3, 2009, Sun Media Corporation filed legal proceedings against Mr. Yvon Vallières in his capacity as President of Quebec's National Assembly, contesting his refusal to give media accreditation to two journalists seeking to cover proceedings in the National Assembly. According to the President, his decision was necessary to ensure that the business of the legislature be conducted in an orderly fashion. Sun Media is contesting the President's decision and on November 4th sought an interim order that the journalists be accredited pending final judgment in the matter. On November 9, 2009 the Honourable Étienne Parent dismissed Sun Media's application for a safeguard order.

Céline Garneau, a partner in the firm Langlois Kronström Desjardins, was recently awarded a Masters Certificate in Corporate Governance by Laval University’s Collège des administrateurs de societies.

Langlois Kronström Desjardins recently successfully defended Mr. Claude Chagnon against an action seeking damages of more than $23 million brought by Quebecor Media Inc. and Videotron Group Ltd. that alleged insider trading and breach of directors & officers’ fiduciary duty.

At its meeting on May 23, 2009, the Council of the Bar of Montréal appointed its committee members for fiscal 2009–2010. A number of Langlois Kronström Desjardins attorneys will sit on the Bar’s various committees.

• Tina Hobday, partner, was named to the Liaison with the Professions Tribunal Committee;
•  Fabrice Vil, lawyer, will sit on the Liaison with the Public Committee’s Debating Competition Sub-Committee;
• Marie Cossette, lawyer, will sit on the Women in the Legal Profession Committee;
• Chantal Chatelain, partner, accepted a second term as a member of the Liaison with the Superior Court (Civil Division) Committee;
• Gerry Apostolatos, partner, was named for a third year as chair of the Liaison with the Superior Court (Commercial Division) Committee and as a member of the Administration of Civil Justice Committee.

Langlois Kronström Desjardins proudly acknowledges the commitment of its lawyers and wishes them the very best of luck in their respective roles.

Langlois Kronström Desjardins recently successfully defended Concordia University in a $15 million action in damages launched against it by a former student who was expelled from the University for academic misconduct.

Langlois Kronström Desjardins recently secured a major victory for its long-standing client, Canadian Royalties Inc., in an on-going dispute with its joint venture partner, Ungava Minerals. 

Since December, the maritime law professionals at Langlois Kronström Desjardins have had a hand in five major transactions involving Groupe Desgagnés Inc. The firm put its extensive expertise to work for the purchase (and financing, where applicable) of the RIGEL fleet of three ships as well as the M/V Rosaire A. Desgagnés, the M/V Zélada Desgagnés, the M/V Sedna Desgagnés, and the M/V Bella Desgagnés (the last two transactions are in progress). These transactions involve investments of over C$240 million.

Sébastien Laprise has just been appointed to two committees of the Québec City Regional Council Urban Development Institute (Quebec City area)—the Taxation Committee and the Urban Planning Committee.

Chantal Chatelain has been appointed to the Quebec Bar Advisory Committee on Class Action Suits for the 2009–2010 fiscal year.

On February 3, Éric Latulippe, partner at Langlois Kronström Desjardins, won an important ruling for his client, Société de coopérative agricole des Appalaches, in front of CLP. The ruling was a landmark decision involving large sums of money for Québec employers in a test case on the financing policy adopted by CSST in May 2007.

Langlois Kronström Desjardins recently successfully completed its engaged on behalf of Canadian National in an arbitration matter involving the Agence Métropolitaine de Transport (“AMT”).  After successfully prosecuting a multi-million dollar claim against AMT, Langlois Kronström Desjardins recently had the arbitration award homologated by the Superior Court of Québec.  In so doing, the award became final and fully enforceable.

The Supreme Court of Canada rendered its reasons for judgment on December 19, 2008 for its June 20, 2008 decision approving the proposed $ 51.7 billion privatization of BCE Inc., the largest leveraged buyout in the world. An action was brought by debentureholders issued by Bell Canada (a subsidiary of BCE Inc.), who sought to prevent the court's approval of the transaction on the ground that it would significantly reduce Bell Canada's credit rating, and consequently the trading value of their debentures.

Congratulations to Chantal Chatelain! She was recently recognized by Lexpert as a rising star and named one of the country’s Leading Lawyers Under 40.

Dimitri Maniatis and Rébecca St-Pierre won their case in the SCC where our client, Concordia University, was being sued by a former student, Ashraf Azar.