18th JBM "Leaders of Tomorrow" Gala
Finalists announced!

The Young Bar of Montreal (JBM) is proud to announce the finalists for its traditional annual "Leaders of Tomorrow" Gala, to be held on November 20, 2024, starting at 6:00 pm at the Dominion Warehouses in Montreal. The mission of this large-scale event is to highlight the excellence and leadership of its members within the legal profession, while celebrating Montreal's up-and-coming legal talent.

" Our finalists stand out not only for their legal expertise, but also for their deep commitment to their communities. Their dedication to the betterment of society is a source of pride for the JBM and demonstrates the positive impact that young lawyers can have in their daily practice. That's what we mean by being tomorrow's leaders! I look forward to celebrating their accomplishments at the JBM Gala on November 20, and to highlighting the exceptional young lawyers who are shaping the future of our profession," says JBM President Marie Flambard.

Finalists were selected on the basis of rigorous criteria: excellence of portfolio, professional achievements, social commitment, and vision and outlook for the future. These criteria determine not only the finalists, but also the winners of the nine award categories, covering a wide range of qualities that go beyond the profession.

Congratulations to all the finalists!

Pro bono / Social involvement

Me Gabrielle Thiboutot, BDIA

Suzanne Taffot, Heritt Avocats

Me Vanessa Lapointe, BLG

Family law

Dario Hajjar, Kasuko s.a.

Me Justine Fortin, Juripop

Litigation practice / Government lawyer

Claire Pascale Mazzini, Microsoft Canada

Gabriel Ouellette, CIUSSS du Centre-Ouest-de-l'Île-de-Montréal / Jewish General Hospital

Me Mouhaimina Rebba, Attorney General of Quebec

Civil and commercial litigation

Maryse Lapointe, Lapointe Legal Inc.

Me Maxime Laflamme-Leblond, LJT Avocats S.E.N.C.R.L.

Virginie Blanchette Séguin, Norton Rose Fulbright

Corporate law

Daniel Stysis, Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt

Marianne Richer-Laflèche, BCF

Mylène Vallières, Lavery, De Billy, L.L.P.

Criminal and penal law

Me Claudel Trudeau-Nepton, Shadley Knerr, s.e.n.c.r.l. & Pekuakamiulnuatsh Takuhikan

Me Farah Nantel, Boiduc, Paquet SNA

Me Jéromine Lorre-Déjoie, Bureau des affaires pénales (BAP)

Alternative careers

Alexandra Shee, Oxford Internet Institute

Me Joey Hanna, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

Me Sarah Ménard April, International Committee of the Red Cross

Labor and administrative law

Me Alexis Lamy Labrecque, Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE)

Frédérique Forget, Justice Pro Bono

Technology law and intellectual property

Me Aicha Tory, Arty Avocat

Me Amélie Côté, Robic

Me Simon Du Perron, BLG

The JBM would like to thank the 17 members of the 2024 Preselection Committee who had the difficult task of choosing the finalists in each category from among the many applications received:

• The Honourable Alexandre Bien-Aimé, Justice of the Superior Court of Quebec
• The Honourable Élizabeth Corte, Lawyer and Chief Justice of the Court of Québec 2009-2016
• The Honourable Benoît Sabourin, Associate Chief Justice of the Court of Québec
• The Honourable Bernard Synnott, Justice of the Superior Court of Quebec
• The Honourable Mélanie Jacques, Justice of the Court of Québec
• Me Philippe-André Tessier, President of the Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse
• Catherine Ouimet, Executive Director of the Quebec Bar
• Me Tamara Davis, Executive Director of the Bar of Montreal
• Ariane Charbonneau, Executive Director, Éducaloi
• Me Anne-Marie Santorineos, Executive Director, Justice Pro Bono
• Me Caroline Blache, President of CAIJ
• Mylène Lemieux, Senior Legal Advisor, Cisco and Vice-President of the Quebec Bar
• Me Julien Beaulieu, Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions (DPCP)
• Me Luc Deshaies Ad.E, Associate Lawyer Gowling WLG
• Me Amir Kashdaran, Partner, McMillan LLP
• Me Annick Murphy Ad.E., Retired Lawyer and Former Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions (DPCP)
• Me Jocelyn Auger, Partner Fasken Martineau DuMoulin

Selection of winners

For the ultimate selection of the winners, the JBM called upon its Board of Governors, made up of such impressive legal personalities as :

• The Honourable Manon Savard, Chief Justice of Quebec
• The Honourable Henri Richard, Chief Justice of the Court of Québec
• The Honourable Gianni Cuffaro, President of the Municipal Court of Montreal
• Catherine Claveau, Bâtonnière du Québec
• Me Caroline Larouche, Bâtonnière de Montréal
• Me Sylvain Bourassa, President of the Tribunal administratif du Québec
• Me Jonathan Pierre-Étienne, President, Canadian Bar Association, Quebec Division
• Me Jeremie Torres-Ceyte, Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Law, Université de Montréal
• Me François D. Ramsay, General Counsel - Legal Affairs - Hydro-Québec and former President of JBM 1993-1994
• Me Paul-Matthieu Grondin, President of the JBM 2014-2015

The winners will be announced at the JBM "Leaders of Tomorrow" Gala on November 20, 2024. Don't miss this exceptional event, register for the JBM 2024 Gala.

Thank you to our Gold Sponsor!